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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,865 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $3,060 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $4,256 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 54% above, Lulea 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$12.56 SEK 121

9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 882

$94.6 SEK 914

-3.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$11.60 SEK 112

-10.17%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.95

$4.87 SEK 47.06

-0.21%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.74

$2.55 SEK 24.63

20.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.77

$1.97 SEK 19.07

29.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.8

$8.57 SEK 82.8

-13.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.6

$9.97 SEK 96.3

-22.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.00

$1.93 SEK 18.70

-8.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.78

$3.42 SEK 33.08

-16.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.30

$5.07 SEK 49.01

-34.12%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.80

$4.74 SEK 45.84

-2.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$12.76 SEK 123

-8.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$14.05 SEK 136

-11.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 180

$28.00 SEK 271

-33.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.72

$2.61 SEK 25.23

17.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.56

$2.76 SEK 26.67

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.30

$2.60 SEK 25.10

12.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.67

$4.36 SEK 42.18

-1.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.97

$2.23 SEK 21.55

-21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$1.66 SEK 16.00

12.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.42

$3.48 SEK 33.62

-36.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.38

$1.44 SEK 13.88

10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.8

$7.42 SEK 71.7

7.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$12.34 SEK 119

16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.25

$1.88 SEK 18.21

17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.44

$1.85 SEK 17.93

36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 37.94

$3.36 SEK 32.46

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 879

$58.3 SEK 564

55.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.2

$9.54 SEK 92.2

6.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.10

$1.73 SEK 16.73

-3.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 595

$74.5 SEK 720

-17.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.95

$1.89 SEK 18.27

3.70%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

-0.02%

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

$35.6K SEK 343.7K

$35.7K SEK 344.8K

-0.30%

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

$140 SEK 1,356

$176 SEK 1,697

-20.08%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$31.87 SEK 308

-21.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$28.56 SEK 276

35.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 400

$48.58 SEK 470

-14.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$36.54 SEK 353

-32.10%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 174

$13.73 SEK 133

31.39%

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

$178 SEK 1,719

$163 SEK 1,571

9.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$5,827 SEK 56.3K

-28.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 866

$124 SEK 1,194

-27.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$33.60 SEK 325

17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 922

$130 SEK 1,256

-26.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,474

$170 SEK 1,648

-10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$806 SEK 7,789

36.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,314

$589 SEK 5,693

46.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

30.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

29.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.8K

$3,107 SEK 30.0K

108.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$2,323 SEK 22.5K

50.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.7K

$2,654 SEK 25.7K

35.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.2

3.10%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 35% 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: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $95.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $426 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 35% 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $163 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 $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,063 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 $1,865 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.