Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Karlstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Karlstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,072 in Gothenburg versus $1,739 in Karlstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Gothenburg versus $2,699 in Karlstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,287 in Gothenburg versus $3,658 in Karlstad.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 19% more expensive than Karlstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Karlstad 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 SEK 130

$15.95 SEK 150

-13.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 SEK 849

$68.7 SEK 645

31.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 SEK 98.0

$11.17 SEK 105

-6.54%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 46.25

$4.96 SEK 46.57

-0.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 SEK 27.81

$2.70 SEK 25.36

9.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.67

$2.20 SEK 20.67

19.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 SEK 68.9

$8.52 SEK 79.9

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 SEK 73.9

$8.31 SEK 78.0

-5.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.35

$1.44 SEK 13.47

20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 SEK 27.27

$2.89 SEK 27.11

0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 SEK 31.02

$3.92 SEK 36.78

-15.56%

Eggs

$4.43 SEK 41.55

$4.76 SEK 44.61

-6.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 109

$12.33 SEK 116

-5.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 SEK 117

$14.25 SEK 134

-12.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 SEK 178

$17.02 SEK 160

11.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.30

$2.99 SEK 28.05

4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.67

$2.58 SEK 24.24

6.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 SEK 27.00

$3.23 SEK 30.32

-10.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.18

$5.08 SEK 47.62

-17.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.57

$1.58 SEK 14.82

5.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 SEK 17.97

$1.75 SEK 16.41

9.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 SEK 21.72

$2.60 SEK 24.43

-10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SEK 15.25

$1.26 SEK 11.86

29.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SEK 73.6

$7.29 SEK 68.4

7.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 SEK 140

$10.69 SEK 100

40.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 20.93

$1.74 SEK 16.33

28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.77

$1.69 SEK 15.85

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 SEK 35.72

$3.20 SEK 30.06

19.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 826

$85.3 SEK 800

3.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 SEK 94.9

$5.74 SEK 53.9

76.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.01

$1.34 SEK 12.62

19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 588

$64.6 SEK 606

-2.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.24

$1.99 SEK 18.65

-2.51%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.3K SEK 303.3K

$32.0K SEK 300.0K

1.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.6K SEK 333.6K

$34.4K SEK 322.5K

3.43%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$141 SEK 1,318

$104 SEK 979

34.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.19 SEK 236

$29.36 SEK 275

-14.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.13 SEK 367

$43.62 SEK 409

-10.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 SEK 395

$46.21 SEK 433

-8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.07 SEK 235

$17.25 SEK 162

45.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.71 SEK 166

$14.26 SEK 134

24.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$178 SEK 1,669

$146 SEK 1,374

21.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 SEK 38.4K

$3,179 SEK 29.8K

28.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 SEK 817

$86.4 SEK 811

0.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 SEK 368

$41.41 SEK 388

-5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 SEK 913

$82.6 SEK 775

17.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,434

$148 SEK 1,386

3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 SEK 10.5K

$1,065 SEK 9,987

5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 7,988

$572 SEK 5,365

48.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 SEK 17.7K

$1,212 SEK 11.4K

55.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 SEK 13.2K

$907 SEK 8,512

54.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,604 SEK 61.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,695 SEK 34.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,705 SEK 34.8K

$3,261 SEK 30.6K

13.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.8

-9.79%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Gothenburg: June 8, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,120 in Gothenburg and $1,065 in Karlstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $69.0 in Karlstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $373 per month, with Karlstad cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Gothenburg vs Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlstad wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karlstad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 14% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,120 in Gothenburg versus $1,065 in Karlstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $146 in Karlstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,739 in Karlstad versus $2,072 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Karlstad but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Karlstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karlstad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karlstad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Karlstad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Karlstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.