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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,885 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $3,023 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $4,161 in Lulea.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 9% more expensive than Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Lulea 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$12.89 SEK 121

6.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 882

$93.8 SEK 881

0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.1

$12.01 SEK 113

-13.91%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.47

$4.65 SEK 43.68

1.72%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.88

$2.56 SEK 24.04

16.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.80

$2.06 SEK 19.38

22.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.2

$8.46 SEK 79.5

-14.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.5

$9.98 SEK 93.8

-22.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.77

$1.93 SEK 18.14

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.80

$3.55 SEK 33.37

-19.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.15

$5.02 SEK 47.17

-33.86%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.70

$4.95 SEK 46.52

-6.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$12.91 SEK 121

-8.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$13.97 SEK 131

-9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 179

$27.38 SEK 257

-30.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.11

$2.69 SEK 25.30

15.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.71

$2.80 SEK 26.32

-2.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.29

$2.62 SEK 24.65

11.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.22

$4.52 SEK 42.45

-7.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.61

$2.18 SEK 20.47

-23.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.37

$1.64 SEK 15.36

12.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.36

$3.42 SEK 32.09

-33.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.55

$1.45 SEK 13.62

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$7.45 SEK 70.0

4.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$12.66 SEK 119

21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.22

$1.83 SEK 17.22

23.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.49

$1.80 SEK 16.89

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.69

$3.36 SEK 31.60

13.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 832

$60.1 SEK 565

47.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.9

$9.53 SEK 89.5

6.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.71 SEK 16.10

-2.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 580

$75.1 SEK 705

-17.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.76

$1.89 SEK 17.72

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

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

0.16%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

$34.9K SEK 327.7K

-1.20%

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

$138 SEK 1,301

$174 SEK 1,638

-20.62%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$33.07 SEK 311

-24.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$28.42 SEK 267

34.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$49.17 SEK 462

-15.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$36.67 SEK 344

-31.12%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$13.75 SEK 129

30.76%

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

$175 SEK 1,648

$159 SEK 1,491

10.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

$5,764 SEK 54.1K

-26.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 823

$125 SEK 1,176

-30.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$33.73 SEK 317

19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 910

$126 SEK 1,182

-23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,468

$172 SEK 1,616

-9.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$791 SEK 7,425

42.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,203

$578 SEK 5,431

51.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$1,413 SEK 13.3K

35.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

$1,053 SEK 9,890

36.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

$3,337 SEK 31.3K

100.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

$2,379 SEK 22.3K

58.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$2,732 SEK 25.7K

44.69%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $791 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 45% 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: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $94.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $428 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 9% 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.

Gothenburg pays 45% more on average, 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $791 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $159 in Lulea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,058 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 $1,885 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 9% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.