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: $2,068 in Gothenburg versus $1,779 in Karlstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,219 in Gothenburg versus $2,685 in Karlstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Gothenburg versus $3,592 in Karlstad.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than in Karlstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Karlstad 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 SEK 132

$15.58 SEK 148

-11.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.8 SEK 882

$68.9 SEK 655

34.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 SEK 100

$10.97 SEK 104

-3.65%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 47.04

$4.83 SEK 45.88

2.48%

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

$3.04 SEK 28.90

$2.58 SEK 24.54

17.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 25.25

$2.21 SEK 20.98

20.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 SEK 70.5

$8.25 SEK 78.4

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 76.1

$8.26 SEK 78.5

-3.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.96

$1.39 SEK 13.17

20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 27.43

$2.84 SEK 27.01

1.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.65

$3.87 SEK 36.72

-13.95%

Eggs

$4.49 SEK 42.68

$4.78 SEK 45.44

-6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 SEK 111

$12.16 SEK 116

-3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 116

$14.28 SEK 136

-14.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 177

$16.93 SEK 161

10.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 29.10

$2.98 SEK 28.28

2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 25.91

$2.55 SEK 24.21

7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.45

$3.26 SEK 30.95

-8.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 SEK 39.48

$5.08 SEK 48.24

-18.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.55

$1.65 SEK 15.68

5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.42

$1.78 SEK 16.87

8.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 SEK 21.20

$2.69 SEK 25.58

-17.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.18

$1.30 SEK 12.36

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 SEK 75.1

$7.30 SEK 69.4

8.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 SEK 137

$10.32 SEK 98.1

39.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 21.57

$1.75 SEK 16.62

29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.02

$1.70 SEK 16.16

48.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 SEK 36.79

$3.28 SEK 31.18

17.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.6 SEK 851

$83.6 SEK 794

7.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 SEK 98.0

$5.82 SEK 55.3

77.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.23

$1.34 SEK 12.75

19.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.1 SEK 590

$65.1 SEK 619

-4.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.34

$1.94 SEK 18.45

-0.52%

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

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

$33.1K SEK 314.9K

-2.84%

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

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

$34.6K SEK 328.2K

1.25%

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

$136 SEK 1,290

$104 SEK 992

30.04%

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

$25.35 SEK 241

$29.68 SEK 282

-14.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.47 SEK 375

$42.68 SEK 406

-7.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.88 SEK 388

$46.46 SEK 441

-12.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.69 SEK 235

$17.05 SEK 162

44.81%

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 172

$14.44 SEK 137

25.55%

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

$176 SEK 1,676

$150 SEK 1,422

17.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

$3,150 SEK 29.9K

29.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 SEK 855

$88.1 SEK 837

2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.38 SEK 374

$41.71 SEK 396

-5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 SEK 924

$83.2 SEK 790

16.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,477

$147 SEK 1,401

5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

$1,056 SEK 10.0K

7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 SEK 8,162

$589 SEK 5,599

45.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

$1,245 SEK 11.8K

49.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

$906 SEK 8,604

59.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

$3,148 SEK 29.9K

17.20%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Gothenburg and $1,056 in Karlstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 17% 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: $93.0 in Gothenburg vs $69.0 in Karlstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $372 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 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 17% 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: $1,136 in Gothenburg versus $1,056 in Karlstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Gothenburg versus $150 in Karlstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,779 in Karlstad versus $2,068 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 $1,779 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.