Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kiruna Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kiruna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,113 in Gothenburg versus $1,965 in Kiruna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Gothenburg versus $3,097 in Kiruna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,282 in Gothenburg versus $4,229 in Kiruna.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 8% more expensive than Kiruna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 58% above, Kiruna 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.60 SEK 125

$12.70 SEK 117

7.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 SEK 846

$95.3 SEK 877

-3.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 SEK 96.8

$11.95 SEK 110

-11.97%

Cappuccino

$4.96 SEK 45.68

$4.72 SEK 43.42

5.08%

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

$3.07 SEK 28.25

$2.07 SEK 19.06

48.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.19

$1.03 SEK 9.44

155.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 SEK 69.8

$8.34 SEK 76.8

-9.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 SEK 73.3

$6.79 SEK 62.4

17.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 15.73

$1.87 SEK 17.24

-8.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 27.66

$3.50 SEK 32.18

-14.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.54

$5.13 SEK 47.17

-35.28%

Eggs

$4.62 SEK 42.53

$4.83 SEK 44.43

-4.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 SEK 107

$12.75 SEK 117

-9.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 SEK 116

$14.04 SEK 129

-10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 SEK 174

$27.56 SEK 254

-31.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 29.26

$2.59 SEK 23.79

22.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 24.66

$2.81 SEK 25.89

-4.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.04

$2.54 SEK 23.35

15.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 SEK 38.75

$4.39 SEK 40.40

-4.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 15.83

$2.15 SEK 19.74

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 SEK 17.73

$1.67 SEK 15.35

15.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 20.90

$3.42 SEK 31.51

-33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 14.19

$1.45 SEK 13.32

6.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SEK 72.2

$7.38 SEK 67.9

6.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 115

$10.96 SEK 101

14.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.70

$1.81 SEK 16.66

24.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SEK 23.78

$1.80 SEK 16.60

43.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 SEK 36.44

$3.32 SEK 30.52

19.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 815

$72.6 SEK 668

22.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 SEK 96.3

$9.41 SEK 86.6

11.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 15.35

$1.59 SEK 14.64

5.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 580

$72.9 SEK 671

-13.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.43

$1.95 SEK 17.96

-3.08%

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

$33.0K SEK 303.4K

$32.6K SEK 299.5K

1.27%

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

$35.0K SEK 321.9K

$35.5K SEK 326.3K

-1.33%

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

$141 SEK 1,294

$173 SEK 1,593

-18.80%

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

$25.24 SEK 232

$32.32 SEK 297

-21.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.61 SEK 355

$28.23 SEK 260

36.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.96 SEK 377

$47.19 SEK 434

-13.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 SEK 228

$25.12 SEK 231

-1.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.54 SEK 161

$13.75 SEK 127

27.56%

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

$175 SEK 1,614

$163 SEK 1,503

7.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,120 SEK 37.9K

$4,172 SEK 38.4K

-1.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 SEK 805

$128 SEK 1,174

-31.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 SEK 372

$33.89 SEK 312

19.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 SEK 897

$128 SEK 1,182

-24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 SEK 1,414

$172 SEK 1,582

-10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

$823 SEK 7,570

34.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 SEK 8,005

$638 SEK 5,874

36.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,885 SEK 17.3K

$1,441 SEK 13.3K

30.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 SEK 12.9K

$1,175 SEK 10.8K

19.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,641 SEK 61.1K

$4,150 SEK 38.2K

60.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,944 SEK 36.3K

$3,052 SEK 28.1K

29.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,970 SEK 36.5K

$3,601 SEK 33.1K

10.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

8.25%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: April 21, 2026

Last update for Kiruna: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,104 in Gothenburg and $823 in Kiruna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 10% 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: $92 in Gothenburg vs $95 in Kiruna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $422 per month, with Gothenburg 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 Kiruna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiruna wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kiruna the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 10% 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: $1,104 in Gothenburg versus $823 in Kiruna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $163 in Kiruna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,965 in Kiruna versus $2,113 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kiruna but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Kiruna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kiruna delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,965 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kiruna hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Kiruna 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 Kiruna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.