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: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $1,787 in Karlstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $2,727 in Karlstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $3,666 in Karlstad.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than in Karlstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Karlstad 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 133

$15.27 SEK 150

-11.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 901

$80.9 SEK 797

12.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 130

$10.38 SEK 102

26.59%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.93

$4.93 SEK 48.57

0.81%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.77

$2.55 SEK 25.09

18.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.93

$2.05 SEK 20.17

8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.8

$8.13 SEK 80.1

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.4

$6.58 SEK 64.8

14.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.07

$1.53 SEK 15.12

13.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.78

$2.88 SEK 28.38

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.32

$3.70 SEK 36.51

-14.05%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.82

$4.55 SEK 44.82

-13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$10.25 SEK 101

16.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$14.40 SEK 142

-19.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 166

$18.10 SEK 178

-7.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.51

$3.00 SEK 29.58

6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.34

$2.70 SEK 26.58

-4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.40

$3.14 SEK 30.90

-1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.82

$5.50 SEK 54.2

-22.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.24

$1.80 SEK 17.78

2.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.29

$1.74 SEK 17.13

-5.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.51

$2.70 SEK 26.63

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 17.01

$1.34 SEK 13.23

29.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.4

$7.08 SEK 69.8

18.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 141

$10.15 SEK 100

40.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.38

$2.44 SEK 24.00

-15.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.96

$2.06 SEK 20.28

8.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.89

$3.26 SEK 32.12

14.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 867

$81.4 SEK 802

7.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.3

$5.65 SEK 55.7

10.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.82

$1.35 SEK 13.30

26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 594

$63.5 SEK 626

-5.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.83 SEK 18.04

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

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

$34.0K SEK 334.9K

-1.78%

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

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

$33.0K SEK 325.5K

5.30%

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

$107 SEK 1,057

$102 SEK 1,005

5.22%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$18.84 SEK 186

2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 354

$44.60 SEK 440

-19.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 365

$46.80 SEK 461

-20.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 249

$17.06 SEK 168

47.83%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 193

$14.73 SEK 145

32.65%

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

$229 SEK 2,253

$132 SEK 1,298

73.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 879

$93.2 SEK 918

-4.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 327

$40.89 SEK 403

-18.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 919

$75.5 SEK 744

23.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,308

$146 SEK 1,435

-8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$880 SEK 8,673

18.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,380

$596 SEK 5,873

59.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$1,219 SEK 12.0K

52.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

$861 SEK 8,485

63.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

$3,869 SEK 38.1K

65.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

$2,857 SEK 28.2K

24.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

$3,074 SEK 30.3K

17.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.94

-22.34%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $880 in Karlstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 18% 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 $81.0 in Karlstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $378, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

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 16% 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.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $880 in Karlstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $132 in Karlstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,787 in Karlstad versus $2,066 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 $1,787 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.