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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,802 in Ostersund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,847 in Ostersund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,892 in Ostersund.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 14% more expensive than Ostersund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Ostersund 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 128

$13.38 SEK 125

2.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 876

$72.5 SEK 677

29.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 96.5

$10.76 SEK 100

-3.90%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.18

$4.70 SEK 43.81

0.64%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.70

$2.82 SEK 26.29

5.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.64

$2.41 SEK 22.49

4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 67.8

$7.59 SEK 70.8

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.0

$7.83 SEK 73.1

-1.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.67

$1.56 SEK 14.58

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.62

$3.05 SEK 28.45

-6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.95

$4.90 SEK 45.74

-32.24%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.41

$3.59 SEK 33.50

29.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 110

$14.51 SEK 135

-18.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$11.72 SEK 109

7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$16.19 SEK 151

17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 28.92

$4.53 SEK 42.24

-31.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.54

$3.09 SEK 28.80

-11.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.11

$3.64 SEK 33.95

-20.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 38.96

$4.14 SEK 38.63

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.50

$3.73 SEK 34.77

-55.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.25

$1.78 SEK 16.61

3.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.22

$2.50 SEK 23.36

-9.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.46

$1.51 SEK 14.09

2.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$8.21 SEK 76.6

-4.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 143

$10.85 SEK 101

41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.08

$1.91 SEK 17.82

18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.32

$1.95 SEK 18.18

33.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.45

$3.44 SEK 32.07

10.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 827

$74.1 SEK 691

19.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.3

$6.43 SEK 60.0

57.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.48

$1.64 SEK 15.34

1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 576

$62.1 SEK 579

-0.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.64

$2.09 SEK 19.51

-9.57%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.9K

$33.0K SEK 308.4K

-3.08%

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

$34.5K SEK 321.6K

$34.4K SEK 320.6K

0.31%

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

$138 SEK 1,292

$114 SEK 1,067

21.11%

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

$24.95 SEK 233

$28.69 SEK 268

-13.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 357

$36.81 SEK 343

3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 390

$41.30 SEK 385

1.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 236

$25.71 SEK 240

-1.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 168

$15.52 SEK 145

15.85%

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

$175 SEK 1,637

$132 SEK 1,233

32.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.3K

$4,119 SEK 38.4K

2.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 817

$94.1 SEK 878

-6.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 376

$40.96 SEK 382

-1.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 904

$99.1 SEK 924

-2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,458

$151 SEK 1,413

3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.5K

$831 SEK 7,756

35.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,148

$655 SEK 6,113

33.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 17.9K

$1,390 SEK 13.0K

37.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$1,097 SEK 10.2K

30.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.5K

$4,366 SEK 40.7K

53.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.1K

$3,010 SEK 28.1K

25.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 36.9K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $831 in Ostersund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $73.0 in Ostersund. Groceries flip the comparison at $381 vs $385, 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 14% 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 $3,087 in Gothenburg and $2,703 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $831 in Ostersund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $132 in Ostersund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,802 in Ostersund versus $2,058 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 $1,802 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 14% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.