Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Lulea Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Lulea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,919 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $3,101 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $4,283 in Lulea.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Lulea 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 133

$12.44 SEK 120

10.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 885

$99.1 SEK 954

-7.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 124

$11.59 SEK 112

10.79%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.77

$4.58 SEK 44.07

10.48%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.33

$2.64 SEK 25.39

11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$1.97 SEK 18.94

11.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 69.2

$9.32 SEK 89.8

-22.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.7

$9.80 SEK 94.4

-19.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.30

$1.87 SEK 18.01

-3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.68

$3.43 SEK 33.03

-19.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.49

$4.91 SEK 47.27

-35.44%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.45

$4.67 SEK 44.95

-12.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 117

$12.63 SEK 122

-4.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$13.62 SEK 131

-14.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 171

$27.73 SEK 267

-35.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 31.09

$2.66 SEK 25.59

21.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.42

$2.82 SEK 27.20

-6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 31.00

$2.50 SEK 24.06

28.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 42.11

$4.35 SEK 41.88

0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.52

$2.22 SEK 21.40

-18.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.13

$1.55 SEK 14.95

8.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.51

$3.44 SEK 33.16

-40.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.13

$1.28 SEK 12.37

39.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.8

$7.17 SEK 69.1

18.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 140

$12.68 SEK 122

14.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.16

$1.88 SEK 18.14

17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.91

$1.84 SEK 17.71

29.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 37.06

$3.42 SEK 32.96

12.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 855

$57.6 SEK 555

54.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 62.1

$9.51 SEK 91.6

-32.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.62

$2.25 SEK 21.67

-23.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 590

$71.9 SEK 693

-14.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.34

$1.76 SEK 16.98

7.95%

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

$34.0K SEK 327.1K

$33.5K SEK 322.7K

1.36%

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

$34.4K SEK 330.9K

$35.8K SEK 344.4K

-3.93%

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

$110 SEK 1,060

$173 SEK 1,663

-36.29%

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

$19.66 SEK 189

$32.34 SEK 312

-39.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 350

$27.89 SEK 269

30.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 365

$49.35 SEK 475

-23.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 249

$36.98 SEK 356

-29.99%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 186

$13.46 SEK 130

43.68%

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

$230 SEK 2,212

$161 SEK 1,552

42.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.9K

$5,808 SEK 55.9K

-21.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 876

$123 SEK 1,182

-25.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 331

$34.18 SEK 329

0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 906

$126 SEK 1,211

-25.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,303

$166 SEK 1,599

-18.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$806 SEK 7,766

31.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,255

$600 SEK 5,775

60.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.8K

$1,533 SEK 14.8K

20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.9K

$1,151 SEK 11.1K

25.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$3,240 SEK 31.2K

100.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.8K

$2,346 SEK 22.6K

54.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 35.0K

$2,633 SEK 25.4K

38.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.85

-20.52%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lulea: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 38% 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: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $99.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $420 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $161 in Lulea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,128 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.