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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,859 in Ostersund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,859 in Ostersund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,860 in Ostersund.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 11% more expensive than in Ostersund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Ostersund 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$13.60 SEK 132

1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$73.0 SEK 706

25.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$10.34 SEK 100

0.77%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$4.74 SEK 45.88

2.53%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$2.81 SEK 27.21

9.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$2.50 SEK 24.21

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$7.88 SEK 76.3

-5.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$7.80 SEK 75.5

-1.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.49 SEK 14.45

18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$3.01 SEK 29.16

-4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$4.99 SEK 48.31

-33.07%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$3.43 SEK 33.24

34.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$14.39 SEK 139

-18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$11.77 SEK 114

5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$15.76 SEK 153

18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$4.57 SEK 44.20

-32.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$2.97 SEK 28.76

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$3.67 SEK 35.54

-20.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$4.12 SEK 39.91

4.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$3.77 SEK 36.46

-53.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.82 SEK 17.64

2.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$2.53 SEK 24.52

-12.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.58 SEK 15.25

0.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$8.13 SEK 78.7

-2.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$10.10 SEK 97.7

42.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$1.96 SEK 18.99

12.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$1.89 SEK 18.31

33.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$3.29 SEK 31.81

19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$74.3 SEK 719

22.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$6.22 SEK 60.2

63.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$1.59 SEK 15.44

5.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$63.0 SEK 610

-2.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$2.01 SEK 19.42

-2.49%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$32.3K SEK 312.5K

-0.29%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$33.7K SEK 326.0K

5.62%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$115 SEK 1,115

21.79%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$28.32 SEK 274

-11.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$36.23 SEK 351

6.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$40.03 SEK 388

3.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$25.78 SEK 250

-3.76%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$15.71 SEK 152

14.83%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$129 SEK 1,250

37.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$4,166 SEK 40.3K

0.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$94.0 SEK 910

-4.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$40.25 SEK 390

-2.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$98.3 SEK 952

-2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$150 SEK 1,455

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$840 SEK 8,129

30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$645 SEK 6,243

33.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,387 SEK 13.4K

35.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,064 SEK 10.3K

31.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$3,780 SEK 36.6K

71.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$2,856 SEK 27.7K

22.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $840 in Ostersund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $73.0 in Ostersund. Groceries flip the comparison at $377 vs $382, 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 11% 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 $3,094 in Gothenburg and $2,788 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $840 in Ostersund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $129 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 $1,859 in Ostersund versus $2,063 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 $1,859 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 11% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.