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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,778 in Kista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,784 in Kista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,790 in Kista.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than in Kista, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Kista 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$13.19 SEK 128

4.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 882

$72.6 SEK 702

25.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$10.50 SEK 101

-0.76%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.95

$4.77 SEK 46.14

1.89%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.74

$2.77 SEK 26.79

11.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.77

$2.51 SEK 24.29

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.8

$7.85 SEK 75.8

-5.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.6

$7.53 SEK 72.8

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.00

$1.68 SEK 16.26

4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.78

$2.75 SEK 26.58

4.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.30

$3.92 SEK 37.89

-14.80%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.80

$4.03 SEK 38.93

14.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$12.15 SEK 117

-3.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$11.64 SEK 113

6.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 180

$17.08 SEK 165

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.72

$3.18 SEK 30.78

-3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.56

$2.62 SEK 25.29

0.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.30

$3.04 SEK 29.35

-3.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.67

$4.52 SEK 43.72

-4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.97

$1.56 SEK 15.08

12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$1.79 SEK 17.26

4.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.42

$2.49 SEK 24.11

-10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.38

$1.52 SEK 14.65

4.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.8

$7.21 SEK 69.7

10.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$9.51 SEK 91.9

51.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.25

$1.98 SEK 19.14

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.44

$1.89 SEK 18.29

33.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 37.94

$3.37 SEK 32.55

16.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 879

$74.8 SEK 723

21.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.2

$6.36 SEK 61.5

59.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.10

$1.67 SEK 16.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 595

$61.1 SEK 590

0.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.95

$1.91 SEK 18.47

2.62%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

$33.1K SEK 320.4K

-2.92%

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

$35.6K SEK 343.7K

$34.0K SEK 328.9K

4.52%

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

$140 SEK 1,356

$116 SEK 1,119

21.22%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$28.92 SEK 280

-13.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$37.10 SEK 359

3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 400

$41.02 SEK 397

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$24.99 SEK 242

-0.72%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 174

$15.74 SEK 152

14.61%

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

$178 SEK 1,719

$149 SEK 1,444

19.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$4,123 SEK 39.8K

1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 866

$93.3 SEK 902

-3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$40.93 SEK 396

-3.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 922

-0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,474

$152 SEK 1,470

0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$844 SEK 8,155

29.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,314

$659 SEK 6,369

30.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

$1,395 SEK 13.5K

34.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,072 SEK 10.4K

31.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.8K

$4,624 SEK 44.7K

40.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$3,069 SEK 29.7K

14.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.7K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kista: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $844 in Kista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $73.0 in Kista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $357 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 16% 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 $3,094 in Gothenburg and $2,667 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $844 in Kista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $149 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 $1,778 in Kista versus $2,063 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 $1,778 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.