Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Sala Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Sala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $1,619 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $2,351 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $3,083 in Sala.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 28% more expensive than in Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Sala 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 133

$12.46 SEK 123

7.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 901

$61.7 SEK 608

48.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 130

$10.06 SEK 99.2

30.62%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.93

$3.30 SEK 32.50

50.61%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.77

$1.87 SEK 18.44

61.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.93

$2.33 SEK 23.01

-4.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.8

$7.12 SEK 70.2

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.4

$7.32 SEK 72.2

3.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.07

$1.81 SEK 17.88

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.78

$2.62 SEK 25.85

3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.32

$3.64 SEK 35.85

-12.64%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.82

$5.00 SEK 49.28

-21.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$11.89 SEK 117

0.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$13.80 SEK 136

-15.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 166

$22.79 SEK 225

-26.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.51

$3.08 SEK 30.39

3.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.34

$2.68 SEK 26.39

-4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.40

$2.72 SEK 26.85

13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.82

$4.92 SEK 48.51

-13.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.24

$1.54 SEK 15.16

20.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.29

$1.22 SEK 12.06

35.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.51

$2.72 SEK 26.82

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 17.01

$1.02 SEK 10.05

69.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.4

$7.33 SEK 72.2

14.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 141

$6.30 SEK 62.1

126.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.38

$2.01 SEK 19.80

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.96

$1.93 SEK 19.00

15.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.89

$3.11 SEK 30.65

20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 867

$21.82 SEK 215

303.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.3

$6.03 SEK 59.4

3.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.82

$1.84 SEK 18.17

-7.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 594

$83.3 SEK 820

-27.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.76 SEK 17.31

3.98%

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

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

-3.18%

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

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

1.50%

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

$107 SEK 1,057

$186 SEK 1,835

-42.41%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$21.01 SEK 207

-8.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 354

$39.07 SEK 385

-7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 365

$47.16 SEK 465

-21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 249

$20.57 SEK 203

22.61%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 193

$16.44 SEK 162

18.86%

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

$229 SEK 2,253

$164 SEK 1,618

39.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

253.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 879

$45.96 SEK 453

93.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 327

$36.55 SEK 360

-9.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 919

$55.3 SEK 544

68.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,308

$57.8 SEK 570

129.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$757 SEK 7,464

37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,380

$536 SEK 5,285

77.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$967 SEK 9,533

92.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

$714 SEK 7,040

97.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

52.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

22.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

45.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.2

-4.38%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $757 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 46% 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 $62.0 in Sala. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $376, 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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sala wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $757 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $164 in Sala. 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 $1,619 in Sala versus $2,066 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Sala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.