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: $2,120 in Gothenburg versus $1,496 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,250 in Gothenburg versus $2,234 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,380 in Gothenburg versus $2,973 in Sala.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 42% more expensive than Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 58% above, Sala 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 SEK 126

$12.80 SEK 119

5.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.2 SEK 854

$63.5 SEK 589

45.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 SEK 96.5

$10.15 SEK 94.1

2.56%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 46.42

$3.18 SEK 29.46

57.55%

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

$3.11 SEK 28.82

$1.83 SEK 17.00

69.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 23.33

$2.47 SEK 22.92

2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 SEK 69.2

$7.29 SEK 67.6

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 72.9

$7.56 SEK 70.1

3.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.57

$1.83 SEK 17.01

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 SEK 27.68

$2.65 SEK 24.57

12.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 30.19

$3.68 SEK 34.12

-11.41%

Eggs

$4.45 SEK 41.27

$4.07 SEK 37.73

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 SEK 107

$11.73 SEK 109

-1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 SEK 113

$11.91 SEK 110

2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 SEK 172

$15.92 SEK 148

16.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 SEK 29.54

$3.02 SEK 28.01

5.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.01

$2.70 SEK 25.03

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 SEK 27.78

$2.72 SEK 25.25

10.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 SEK 40.14

$5.14 SEK 47.63

-15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.51

$1.52 SEK 14.08

9.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 17.48

$1.20 SEK 11.10

57.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 SEK 20.70

$2.72 SEK 25.24

-18.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.93

$1.07 SEK 9.88

50.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 SEK 74.4

$7.55 SEK 70.0

6.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 SEK 117

$6.47 SEK 60.0

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 20.99

$2.48 SEK 22.95

-8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.14

$1.88 SEK 17.46

32.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 SEK 36.86

$3.22 SEK 29.81

23.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 821

$21.91 SEK 203

304.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 93.7

$6.25 SEK 58.0

61.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 14.74

$1.66 SEK 15.39

-4.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.3 SEK 577

$21.07 SEK 195

195.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 17.96

$1.98 SEK 18.34

-2.02%

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

$32.2K SEK 298.4K

$42.7K SEK 395.4K

-24.52%

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

$35.0K SEK 324.1K

$34.4K SEK 318.6K

1.73%

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

$139 SEK 1,291

$88.1 SEK 816

58.14%

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

$25.22 SEK 234

$21.33 SEK 198

18.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.47 SEK 366

$37.05 SEK 343

6.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 SEK 391

$48.76 SEK 452

-13.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 SEK 235

$21.11 SEK 196

19.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.60 SEK 163

$19.10 SEK 177

-7.85%

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

$175 SEK 1,618

$147 SEK 1,362

18.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,140 SEK 38.4K

$1,286 SEK 11.9K

221.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 SEK 816

$47.81 SEK 443

84.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 SEK 368

$36.57 SEK 339

8.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 SEK 910

$55.6 SEK 516

76.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,448

$58.8 SEK 545

165.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

$755 SEK 7,000

46.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 SEK 8,123

$534 SEK 4,949

64.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,865 SEK 17.3K

$984 SEK 9,125

89.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 SEK 13.1K

$720 SEK 6,676

96.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,531 SEK 60.5K

$4,275 SEK 39.6K

52.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,920 SEK 36.3K

$3,074 SEK 28.5K

27.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,025 SEK 37.3K

$2,601 SEK 24.1K

54.72%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,104 in Gothenburg and $755 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 55% 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: $92 in Gothenburg vs $63 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $346 per month, with Sala 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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sala wins on cost – living expenses run 42% 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.

Gothenburg pays 55% 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: $1,104 in Gothenburg versus $755 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $147 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,496 in Sala versus $2,120 in Gothenburg, a $1,000 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 $1,496 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 42% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.