Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kingston upon Thames

For one person, living is cheaper in Gothenburg: $2,026 a month against $3,276 in Kingston upon Thames, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Gothenburg
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,026
/mo nomad
Kingston upon Thames
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,276
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Kingston upon Thames

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gothenburg and in Kingston upon Thames actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,026 in Gothenburg versus $3,276 in Kingston upon Thames.

  • Gothenburg $2,026
  • Kingston upon Thames $3,276

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,062 in Gothenburg versus $4,746 in Kingston upon Thames.

  • Gothenburg $3,062
  • Kingston upon Thames $4,746

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,099 in Gothenburg versus $6,216 in Kingston upon Thames.

  • Gothenburg $4,099
  • Kingston upon Thames $6,216

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 38% less than in Kingston upon Thames, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 50% above, Kingston upon Thames 143% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.13 SEK 130
$22.10 £16.58
-40.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.8 SEK 830
$86.6 £65.0
-3.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.47 SEK 124
$10.42 £7.82
19.67%
Cappuccino
$5.03 SEK 49.80
$5.46 £4.09
-7.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 SEK 28.14
$3.00 £2.25
-5.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 SEK 23.44
$1.80 £1.35
31.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.84 SEK 67.8
$9.20 £6.91
-25.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.51 SEK 74.4
$7.91 £5.93
-5.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 SEK 16.68
$1.68 £1.26
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.69 SEK 26.63
$1.73 £1.30
55.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.09 SEK 30.60
$2.45 £1.84
26.12%
Eggs
$3.81 SEK 37.74
$4.91 £3.68
-22.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.45 SEK 113
$8.46 £6.35
35.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.32 SEK 112
$8.72 £6.54
29.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.54 SEK 164
$12.99 £9.74
27.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.07 SEK 30.42
$3.13 £2.35
-1.92%
Banana (1kg)
$2.41 SEK 23.88
$1.35 £1.01
78.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.01 SEK 29.83
$2.61 £1.96
15.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.25 SEK 42.09
$2.90 £2.18
46.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 SEK 17.24
$1.67 £1.25
4.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 SEK 16.06
$1.71 £1.28
-5.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.96 SEK 19.47
$1.24 £0.93
58.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 SEK 16.30
$1.80 £1.35
-8.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.38 SEK 83.0
$23.28 £17.46
-64.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.69 SEK 146
$9.31 £6.99
57.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 SEK 20.14
$3.09 £2.32
-34.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 SEK 22.24
$4.45 £3.34
-49.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.63 SEK 35.97
$2.37 £1.78
53.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$86.4 SEK 857
$42.49 £31.88
103.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.92 SEK 58.7
$4.91 £3.69
20.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 SEK 17.01
$1.43 £1.07
20.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.6 SEK 581
$23.70 £17.78
147.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 SEK 17.29
$1.98 £1.49
-12.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K SEK 331.8K
$37.7K £28.3K
-11.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K SEK 331.3K
$39.8K £29.9K
-16.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$102 SEK 1,011
$371 £278
-72.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.73 SEK 196
$15.63 £11.73
26.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.00 SEK 327
$40.78 £30.60
-19.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.48 SEK 352
$102 £76.8
-65.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.00 SEK 238
$10.49 £7.87
128.79%
Cinema Ticket
$18.32 SEK 182
$19.46 £14.60
-5.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$217 SEK 2,147
$2,594 £1,946
-91.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,293 SEK 42.5K
$22.2K £16.6K
-80.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.5 SEK 867
$114 £85.7
-23.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.46 SEK 332
$53.6 £40.19
-37.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 SEK 862
$78.1 £58.6
11.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 SEK 1,298
$106 £79.7
23.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 SEK 10.2K
$2,035 £1,527
-49.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$903 SEK 8,951
$1,832 £1,374
-50.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,791 SEK 17.7K
$3,567 £2,676
-49.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 SEK 14.0K
$3,164 £2,374
-55.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,190 SEK 61.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,427 SEK 34.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,492 SEK 34.6K
$5,303 £3,978
-34.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.06
4.74
-35.44%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Gothenburg
$903
Kingston upon Thames
$1.8K 103% $929
Groceries & Markets
Gothenburg
$355
Kingston upon Thames
$298 16% $57
Eating Out
Gothenburg
$273
Kingston upon Thames
$355 29.9% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gothenburg
$155
Kingston upon Thames
$427 176% $272
Clothing & Footwear
Gothenburg
$153
Kingston upon Thames
$158 3.9% $6
Getting Around
Gothenburg
$115
Kingston upon Thames
$64 44.5% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Gothenburg
$72
Kingston upon Thames
$141 96% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Gothenburg and $2,035 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 52% 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: $84.0 in Gothenburg vs $87.0 in Kingston upon Thames. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $298, with Kingston upon Thames cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Gothenburg
🇬🇧 Kingston upon Thames
🕒 Local time
19:55 7:55 PM
18:55 6:55 PM
1 h behind Gothenburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
607,882
43,013
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Gothenburg Kingston upon Thames 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Gothenburg
  • Kingston upon Thames

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kingston upon Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Gothenburg or Kingston upon Thames?
Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Kingston upon Thames. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Gothenburg or in Kingston upon Thames?
On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Kingston upon Thames. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Gothenburg compared to Kingston upon Thames?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,026 in Gothenburg versus $2,035 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Gothenburg and in Kingston upon Thames?
Childcare runs $217 in Gothenburg versus $2,594 in Kingston upon Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Gothenburg or in Kingston upon Thames?
Shoppers in Kingston upon Thames pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Gothenburg or in Kingston upon Thames?
At $2,026 in Gothenburg versus $3,276 in Kingston upon Thames, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Kingston upon Thames. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Gothenburg or Kingston upon Thames?
Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,026 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.
How safe is Gothenburg compared to Kingston upon Thames?
Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Kingston upon Thames are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Gothenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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