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: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $1,817 in Kiruna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $2,966 in Kiruna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $4,115 in Kiruna.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 14% more expensive than in Kiruna, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Kiruna 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 132

$14.53 SEK 143

-7.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 898

$130 SEK 1,278

-29.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 129

$10.50 SEK 103

25.14%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.78

$4.69 SEK 46.12

5.97%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.68

$2.76 SEK 27.09

9.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.86

$2.25 SEK 22.13

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.6

$9.64 SEK 94.7

-28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.2

$6.79 SEK 66.8

11.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.02

$1.73 SEK 16.99

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.70

$2.91 SEK 28.60

-6.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.22

$3.79 SEK 37.21

-16.09%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.70

$4.48 SEK 44.03

-12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$12.28 SEK 121

-2.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$12.47 SEK 123

-6.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 165

$17.63 SEK 173

-4.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.41

$3.10 SEK 30.41

3.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.26

$2.73 SEK 26.87

-5.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.31

$3.12 SEK 30.66

-1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.70

$4.35 SEK 42.77

-2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.19

$1.59 SEK 15.66

16.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.24

$1.67 SEK 16.42

-1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.45

$2.40 SEK 23.59

-17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 16.95

$1.51 SEK 14.84

14.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.2

$7.53 SEK 74.0

11.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 140

$10.37 SEK 102

37.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.32

$2.00 SEK 19.63

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.89

$2.24 SEK 21.96

-0.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.78

$3.52 SEK 34.57

6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 864

$81.5 SEK 801

7.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.1

$6.24 SEK 61.3

-0.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.77

$1.78 SEK 17.44

-3.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 593

$62.7 SEK 616

-3.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.93

$2.25 SEK 22.06

-18.67%

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

$33.4K SEK 328.0K

$33.8K SEK 331.9K

-1.19%

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

$34.8K SEK 341.7K

$34.4K SEK 338.0K

1.09%

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

$107 SEK 1,054

$109 SEK 1,075

-1.99%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$27.65 SEK 272

-30.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 353

$39.94 SEK 392

-9.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 364

$39.42 SEK 387

-5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 248

$25.76 SEK 253

-2.10%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 192

$16.79 SEK 165

16.38%

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

$229 SEK 2,246

$161 SEK 1,584

41.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.0K

$5,151 SEK 50.6K

-13.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 876

$94.0 SEK 923

-5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 326

$43.38 SEK 426

-23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 916

$94.7 SEK 931

-1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,304

$142 SEK 1,393

-6.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$838 SEK 8,231

24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,351

$632 SEK 6,209

50.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$1,430 SEK 14.1K

30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.8K

$1,123 SEK 11.0K

25.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 62.9K

$4,173 SEK 41.0K

53.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.1K

$2,966 SEK 29.1K

20.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.6K

$3,461 SEK 34.0K

4.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

-23.50%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kiruna: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $838 in Kiruna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 5% 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: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $130 in Kiruna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $369 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 14% 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 5% 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $838 in Kiruna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $161 in Kiruna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,817 in Kiruna versus $2,066 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 $1,817 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 14% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.