Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kingston upon Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kingston upon Thames

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $3,330 in Kingston upon Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $4,854 in Kingston upon Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $6,379 in Kingston upon Thames.

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 38% less than in Kingston upon Thames, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Kingston upon Thames 149% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.74 SEK 128
$22.67 £16.85
-39.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.9 SEK 876
$86.6 £64.4
8.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.34 SEK 96.5
$10.26 £7.63
0.78%
Cappuccino
$4.73 SEK 44.18
$5.29 £3.93
-10.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 SEK 27.70
$2.87 £2.13
3.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 SEK 23.64
$1.87 £1.39
35.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.26 SEK 67.8
$8.67 £6.44
-16.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.72 SEK 72.0
$8.28 £6.16
-6.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 SEK 15.67
$1.66 £1.23
1.20%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 SEK 26.62
$1.54 £1.15
85.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.32 SEK 30.95
$2.81 £2.09
18.15%
Eggs
$4.65 SEK 43.41
$4.12 £3.06
12.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.80 SEK 110
$10.06 £7.48
17.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.61 SEK 118
$8.82 £6.56
42.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.02 SEK 178
$14.89 £11.06
27.74%
Apples (1kg)
$3.10 SEK 28.92
$3.41 £2.53
-9.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.74 SEK 25.54
$2.04 £1.51
34.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.91 SEK 27.11
$2.95 £2.19
-1.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.18 SEK 38.96
$3.61 £2.68
15.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.66 SEK 15.50
$1.51 £1.12
9.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 SEK 17.25
$1.87 £1.39
-1.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 SEK 21.22
$1.05 £0.78
116.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 SEK 14.46
$1.94 £1.44
-20.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.82 SEK 73.0
$17.64 £13.11
-55.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.32 SEK 143
$11.34 £8.43
35.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 SEK 21.08
$3.18 £2.37
-28.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 SEK 24.32
$3.93 £2.92
-33.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.80 SEK 35.45
$2.36 £1.75
61.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.6 SEK 827
$43.38 £32.25
104.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.11 SEK 94.3
$5.12 £3.81
97.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 SEK 15.48
$2.18 £1.62
-23.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$61.7 SEK 576
$34.62 £25.73
78.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.89 SEK 17.64
$1.95 £1.45
-3.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.0K SEK 298.9K
$38.2K £28.4K
-16.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K SEK 321.6K
$39.0K £29.0K
-11.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 SEK 1,292
$327 £243
-57.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.95 SEK 233
$15.81 £11.75
57.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.25 SEK 357
$41.55 £30.88
-7.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.78 SEK 390
$90.6 £67.4
-53.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.26 SEK 236
$9.37 £6.96
169.58%
Cinema Ticket
$17.98 SEK 168
$20.44 £15.19
-12.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$175 SEK 1,637
$1,892 £1,407
-90.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,215 SEK 39.3K
$17.6K £13.1K
-76.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.6 SEK 817
$86.6 £64.4
1.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.28 SEK 376
$42.69 £31.73
-5.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.9 SEK 904
$86.7 £64.5
11.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 SEK 1,458
$140 £104
11.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 SEK 10.5K
$2,072 £1,540
-45.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$873 SEK 8,148
$1,865 £1,386
-53.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,917 SEK 17.9K
$3,725 £2,769
-48.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,434 SEK 13.4K
$3,252 £2,417
-55.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,696 SEK 62.5K
$16.6K £12.3K
-59.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,764 SEK 35.1K
$4,376 £3,252
-13.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Gothenburg
Kingston upon Thames
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,953 SEK 36.9K
$4,768 £3,544
-17.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.33
5.9
-26.61%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $2,072 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 21% 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: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $87.0 in Kingston upon Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $320 per month, with Kingston upon Thames 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 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 Kingston upon Thames?
On paper, Kingston upon Thames earns 21% less. 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 vs Kingston upon Thames?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $2,072 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 Kingston upon Thames?
Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $1,892 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 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 Kingston upon Thames?
At $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $3,330 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 $2,058 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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