Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kista Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Kista

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,804 in Kista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,763 in Kista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,723 in Kista.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 14% more expensive than Kista, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Kista 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$13.28 SEK 125

3.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 882

$72.4 SEK 680

29.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.1

$10.62 SEK 99.8

-2.64%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.47

$4.52 SEK 42.48

4.65%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.88

$2.69 SEK 25.25

10.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.80

$2.42 SEK 22.76

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.2

$7.94 SEK 74.6

-8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.5

$7.42 SEK 69.7

4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.77

$1.66 SEK 15.59

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.80

$2.82 SEK 26.51

1.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.15

$3.90 SEK 36.63

-14.87%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.70

$4.17 SEK 39.20

11.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$11.95 SEK 112

-1.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$11.92 SEK 112

5.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 179

$16.85 SEK 158

12.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.11

$3.17 SEK 29.77

-2.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.71

$2.71 SEK 25.42

1.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.29

$3.10 SEK 29.10

-6.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.22

$4.33 SEK 40.67

-3.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.61

$1.64 SEK 15.39

1.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.37

$1.76 SEK 16.54

5.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.36

$2.61 SEK 24.53

-13.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.55

$1.58 SEK 14.82

-1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$7.19 SEK 67.6

8.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$9.70 SEK 91.1

57.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.22

$1.96 SEK 18.45

15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.49

$1.92 SEK 18.00

35.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.69

$3.33 SEK 31.28

14.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 832

$73.2 SEK 688

21.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.9

$6.40 SEK 60.1

57.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.67 SEK 15.65

-0.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 580

$62.5 SEK 587

-1.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.76

$1.99 SEK 18.66

-5.03%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

$32.8K SEK 308.2K

-2.37%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

$34.8K SEK 326.4K

-0.82%

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

$138 SEK 1,301

$115 SEK 1,082

20.25%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$29.15 SEK 274

-14.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$36.73 SEK 345

4.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$40.42 SEK 380

3.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$25.59 SEK 240

-1.29%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$15.53 SEK 146

15.78%

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

$175 SEK 1,648

$148 SEK 1,392

18.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

$4,198 SEK 39.4K

0.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 823

$95.0 SEK 892

-7.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$40.12 SEK 377

0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 910

$96.5 SEK 906

0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,468

$149 SEK 1,401

4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$850 SEK 7,983

32.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,203

$660 SEK 6,200

32.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$1,383 SEK 13.0K

38.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

$1,096 SEK 10.3K

30.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

$3,727 SEK 35.0K

79.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

$3,269 SEK 30.7K

15.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.53

-4.42%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kista: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $850 in Kista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $72.0 in Kista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $360 per month, with Kista 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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kista wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kista the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,087 in Gothenburg and $2,706 in Kista to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $850 in Kista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $148 in Kista. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,804 in Kista versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kista but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Kista the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kista delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,804 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kista hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Kista 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 Kista 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.