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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,926 in Kiruna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $3,099 in Kiruna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $4,272 in Kiruna.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 7% more expensive than Kiruna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Kiruna 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 130

$12.75 SEK 121

7.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 888

$96.7 SEK 915

-2.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.8

$11.79 SEK 112

-12.30%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.80

$4.64 SEK 43.94

1.94%

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

$2.97 SEK 28.09

$2.07 SEK 19.61

43.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.97

$1.06 SEK 10.03

138.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.7

$8.50 SEK 80.4

-14.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 73.0

$6.87 SEK 65.0

12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.89

$1.93 SEK 18.28

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.99

$3.54 SEK 33.48

-19.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.38

$4.97 SEK 47.05

-33.20%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 44.01

$4.91 SEK 46.42

-5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 112

$13.25 SEK 125

-10.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 119

$13.78 SEK 130

-8.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 180

$28.10 SEK 266

-32.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.33

$2.59 SEK 24.51

19.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.90

$2.72 SEK 25.75

0.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.49

$2.62 SEK 24.77

11.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.50

$4.31 SEK 40.75

-3.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.72

$2.16 SEK 20.45

-23.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.50

$1.59 SEK 15.08

16.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.52

$3.43 SEK 32.45

-33.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.66

$1.46 SEK 13.83

6.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 74.0

$7.19 SEK 68.0

8.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 145

$10.16 SEK 96.1

50.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.37

$1.82 SEK 17.25

24.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.67

$1.88 SEK 17.80

38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.95

$3.41 SEK 32.27

11.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 838

$74.3 SEK 703

19.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 95.6

$9.29 SEK 87.9

8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.70

$1.60 SEK 15.17

3.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 584

$73.8 SEK 699

-16.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.89

$1.97 SEK 18.62

-4.06%

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

$32.0K SEK 303.1K

$32.4K SEK 307.0K

-1.27%

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

$34.5K SEK 326.1K

$36.2K SEK 342.8K

-4.87%

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

$138 SEK 1,310

$173 SEK 1,638

-20.01%

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

$24.95 SEK 236

$32.94 SEK 312

-24.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 362

$27.76 SEK 263

37.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 395

$46.67 SEK 442

-10.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 239

$24.86 SEK 235

1.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 170

$13.70 SEK 130

31.24%

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

$175 SEK 1,660

$161 SEK 1,522

9.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.9K

$4,100 SEK 38.8K

2.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 829

$125 SEK 1,180

-29.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 381

$33.76 SEK 319

19.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 917

$129 SEK 1,224

-25.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,479

$166 SEK 1,574

-6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$842 SEK 7,963

33.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,263

$641 SEK 6,061

36.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.1K

$1,414 SEK 13.4K

35.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.6K

$1,182 SEK 11.2K

21.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 63.4K

$3,906 SEK 37.0K

71.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.6K

$3,376 SEK 31.9K

11.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.4K

$3,449 SEK 32.6K

14.62%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kiruna: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $842 in Kiruna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 15% 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 $97.0 in Kiruna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $423 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 7% 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 15% 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $842 in Kiruna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,926 in Kiruna versus $2,058 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 $1,926 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 7% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.