Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Ostersund Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Ostersund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $1,776 in Ostersund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $2,833 in Ostersund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $3,890 in Ostersund.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than in Ostersund, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Ostersund 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 133

$14.02 SEK 138

-4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 901

$78.4 SEK 773

16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 130

$10.49 SEK 103

25.26%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.93

$4.84 SEK 47.68

2.69%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.77

$2.81 SEK 27.68

7.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.93

$2.25 SEK 22.13

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.8

$7.36 SEK 72.6

-6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.4

$7.10 SEK 70.0

6.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.07

$1.54 SEK 15.18

12.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.78

$2.98 SEK 29.36

-8.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.32

$4.93 SEK 48.60

-35.50%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.82

$3.46 SEK 34.08

13.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$14.28 SEK 141

-16.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$11.84 SEK 117

-1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 166

$15.74 SEK 155

6.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.51

$4.46 SEK 43.94

-28.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.34

$2.96 SEK 29.13

-13.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.40

$3.55 SEK 34.97

-13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.82

$4.28 SEK 42.21

-0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.24

$1.65 SEK 16.23

12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.29

$1.62 SEK 15.94

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.51

$2.39 SEK 23.53

-17.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 17.01

$1.54 SEK 15.20

12.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.4

$8.08 SEK 79.6

3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 141

$10.53 SEK 104

35.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.38

$1.99 SEK 19.65

4.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.96

$2.23 SEK 21.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.89

$3.40 SEK 33.55

10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 867

$81.2 SEK 801

8.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.3

$6.26 SEK 61.7

-0.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.82

$1.72 SEK 16.96

-0.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 594

$61.2 SEK 603

-1.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.88 SEK 18.55

-2.66%

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

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

$34.9K SEK 344.2K

-4.42%

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

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

$34.3K SEK 338.2K

1.33%

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

$107 SEK 1,057

$107 SEK 1,054

0.26%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$27.13 SEK 267

-29.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 354

$39.47 SEK 389

-8.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 365

$39.68 SEK 391

-6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 249

$26.20 SEK 258

-3.74%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 193

$15.27 SEK 150

27.96%

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

$229 SEK 2,253

$131 SEK 1,291

74.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

$5,237 SEK 51.6K

-14.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 879

$94.6 SEK 932

-5.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 327

$43.68 SEK 430

-24.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 919

$97.9 SEK 965

-4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,308

$144 SEK 1,424

-8.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$844 SEK 8,316

23.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,380

$604 SEK 5,955

57.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$1,420 SEK 14.0K

31.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

$1,061 SEK 10.5K

32.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

$4,145 SEK 40.8K

54.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

$2,859 SEK 28.2K

24.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $844 in Ostersund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $78.0 in Ostersund. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $375, 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 Ostersund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostersund wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ostersund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,099 in Gothenburg and $2,664 in Ostersund 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $844 in Ostersund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $131 in Ostersund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,776 in Ostersund versus $2,066 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ostersund but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Ostersund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ostersund delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,776 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ostersund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Ostersund 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 Ostersund 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.