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: $2,068 in Gothenburg versus $1,923 in Kiruna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,219 in Gothenburg versus $3,123 in Kiruna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Gothenburg versus $4,323 in Kiruna.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Kiruna 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 SEK 132

$12.50 SEK 119

10.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.8 SEK 882

$94.2 SEK 895

-1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 SEK 100

$11.90 SEK 113

-11.18%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 47.04

$4.82 SEK 45.76

2.70%

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

$3.04 SEK 28.90

$2.14 SEK 20.37

42.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 25.25

$1.06 SEK 10.08

150.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 SEK 70.5

$8.49 SEK 80.6

-12.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 76.1

$6.95 SEK 66.0

15.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.96

$1.93 SEK 18.37

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 27.43

$3.43 SEK 32.54

-15.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.65

$5.03 SEK 47.80

-33.80%

Eggs

$4.49 SEK 42.68

$4.76 SEK 45.25

-5.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 SEK 111

$12.74 SEK 121

-8.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 116

$14.17 SEK 135

-13.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 177

$27.29 SEK 259

-31.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 29.10

$2.63 SEK 24.95

16.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 25.91

$2.83 SEK 26.90

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.45

$2.62 SEK 24.89

14.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 SEK 39.48

$4.33 SEK 41.10

-3.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.55

$2.20 SEK 20.93

-20.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.42

$1.64 SEK 15.57

18.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 SEK 21.20

$3.53 SEK 33.57

-36.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.18

$1.45 SEK 13.80

10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 SEK 75.1

$7.46 SEK 70.9

6.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 SEK 137

$9.49 SEK 90.2

51.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 21.57

$1.87 SEK 17.81

21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.02

$1.78 SEK 16.91

42.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 SEK 36.79

$3.34 SEK 31.70

15.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.6 SEK 851

$74.8 SEK 711

19.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 SEK 98.0

$9.40 SEK 89.3

9.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.23

$1.59 SEK 15.12

0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.1 SEK 590

$72.7 SEK 691

-14.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.34

$1.95 SEK 18.52

-1.03%

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

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

$32.9K SEK 312.4K

-2.07%

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

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

$34.9K SEK 331.3K

0.31%

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

$136 SEK 1,290

$169 SEK 1,610

-19.88%

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

$25.35 SEK 241

$32.04 SEK 304

-20.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.47 SEK 375

$27.79 SEK 264

42.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.88 SEK 388

$46.83 SEK 445

-12.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.69 SEK 235

$25.54 SEK 243

-3.33%

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 172

$13.58 SEK 129

33.51%

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

$176 SEK 1,676

$164 SEK 1,555

7.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

$4,136 SEK 39.3K

-1.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 SEK 855

$125 SEK 1,185

-27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.38 SEK 374

$34.11 SEK 324

15.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 SEK 924

$129 SEK 1,228

-24.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,477

$169 SEK 1,609

-8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

$839 SEK 7,972

35.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 SEK 8,162

$628 SEK 5,970

36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

$1,405 SEK 13.3K

32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

$1,141 SEK 10.8K

26.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

$4,318 SEK 41.0K

48.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

$2,801 SEK 26.6K

27.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

$3,319 SEK 31.5K

11.13%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kiruna: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Gothenburg and $839 in Kiruna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 11% 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 $94.0 in Kiruna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $419 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.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $839 in Kiruna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Gothenburg versus $164 in Kiruna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,923 in Kiruna versus $2,068 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 $1,923 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.