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: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,783 in Kista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $2,808 in Kista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $3,833 in Kista.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 19% more expensive than in Kista, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Kista 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 132

$14.08 SEK 135

-2.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 879

$80.7 SEK 772

13.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 123

$10.55 SEK 101

21.71%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.44

$4.87 SEK 46.57

3.90%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.14

$2.81 SEK 26.89

4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.94

$2.29 SEK 21.91

-4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 68.7

$7.20 SEK 68.9

-0.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.2

$7.19 SEK 68.7

9.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.19

$1.75 SEK 16.74

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.50

$2.90 SEK 27.77

-4.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.28

$3.95 SEK 37.79

-19.75%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.18

$4.50 SEK 43.09

-8.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 116

$12.56 SEK 120

-3.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$12.44 SEK 119

-6.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 170

$19.04 SEK 182

-6.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.88

$3.30 SEK 31.53

-2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.25

$2.68 SEK 25.67

-1.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 30.79

$3.07 SEK 29.35

4.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.82

$4.62 SEK 44.19

-5.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.41

$1.67 SEK 16.01

8.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.02

$1.69 SEK 16.16

-0.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.38

$2.42 SEK 23.11

-16.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.01

$1.56 SEK 14.88

14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.3

$7.84 SEK 75.0

8.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 139

$10.38 SEK 99.3

40.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.02

$2.05 SEK 19.63

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.76

$2.30 SEK 21.98

3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 36.81

$3.41 SEK 32.61

12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 849

$80.4 SEK 769

10.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.7

$6.15 SEK 58.8

4.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.50

$1.82 SEK 17.40

-4.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 586

$62.1 SEK 594

-1.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.22

$1.85 SEK 17.69

2.70%

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

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

$34.2K SEK 327.4K

-0.78%

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

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

$34.1K SEK 326.3K

0.73%

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

$110 SEK 1,052

$114 SEK 1,089

-3.37%

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

$19.66 SEK 188

$27.38 SEK 262

-28.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 347

$39.92 SEK 382

-9.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 363

$39.50 SEK 378

-3.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 248

$26.95 SEK 258

-3.93%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 185

$16.57 SEK 159

16.72%

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

$230 SEK 2,196

$166 SEK 1,592

37.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

$5,240 SEK 50.1K

-13.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 870

$93.5 SEK 894

-2.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 329

$43.41 SEK 415

-20.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 900

$97.0 SEK 928

-3.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,294

$148 SEK 1,412

-8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$834 SEK 7,976

27.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,192

$623 SEK 5,955

54.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

$1,434 SEK 13.7K

28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

$1,065 SEK 10.2K

35.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

$4,164 SEK 39.8K

55.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

$2,953 SEK 28.2K

22.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.42

-10.53%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Kista: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $834 in Kista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $81.0 in Kista. Groceries flip the comparison at $372 vs $378, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

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 19% 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 $3,192 in Gothenburg and $2,675 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $834 in Kista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $166 in Kista. 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 $1,783 in Kista versus $2,128 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 $1,783 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 19% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.