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: $2,068 in Gothenburg versus $1,478 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,219 in Gothenburg versus $2,218 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Gothenburg versus $2,957 in Sala.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 40% more expensive than in Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Sala 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 SEK 132

$12.53 SEK 119

10.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.8 SEK 882

$63.7 SEK 605

45.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 SEK 100

$10.20 SEK 96.9

3.63%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 47.04

$3.19 SEK 30.28

55.17%

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

$3.04 SEK 28.90

$1.86 SEK 17.70

63.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 25.25

$2.39 SEK 22.67

11.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 SEK 70.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 76.1

$7.24 SEK 68.8

10.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.96

$1.78 SEK 16.87

-5.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 27.43

$2.69 SEK 25.53

7.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.65

$3.63 SEK 34.44

-8.26%

Eggs

$4.49 SEK 42.68

$3.86 SEK 36.68

16.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 SEK 111

$12.12 SEK 115

-3.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 116

$11.89 SEK 113

3.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 177

$15.97 SEK 152

16.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 29.10

$3.14 SEK 29.85

-2.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 25.91

$2.57 SEK 24.45

6.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.45

$2.84 SEK 27.01

5.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 SEK 39.48

$5.13 SEK 48.74

-18.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.55

$1.56 SEK 14.78

11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.42

$1.18 SEK 11.17

64.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 SEK 21.20

$2.71 SEK 25.77

-17.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.18

$1.02 SEK 9.71

56.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 SEK 75.1

$7.20 SEK 68.4

9.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 SEK 137

$6.24 SEK 59.3

130.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 21.57

$2.50 SEK 23.73

-9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.02

$1.92 SEK 18.28

31.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 SEK 36.79

$3.25 SEK 30.83

19.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.6 SEK 851

$22.30 SEK 212

301.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 SEK 98.0

$6.15 SEK 58.5

67.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.23

$1.58 SEK 15.05

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.1 SEK 590

$21.29 SEK 202

191.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.34

$1.97 SEK 18.69

-2.03%

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

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

$41.4K SEK 393.5K

-22.26%

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

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

$34.5K SEK 328.1K

1.29%

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

$136 SEK 1,290

$89.6 SEK 852

51.48%

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

$25.35 SEK 241

$21.17 SEK 201

19.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.47 SEK 375

$36.99 SEK 351

6.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.88 SEK 388

$48.67 SEK 462

-16.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.69 SEK 235

$21.31 SEK 202

15.86%

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 172

$18.75 SEK 178

-3.31%

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

$176 SEK 1,676

$148 SEK 1,404

19.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

$1,284 SEK 12.2K

218.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 SEK 855

$45.96 SEK 437

95.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.38 SEK 374

$36.96 SEK 351

6.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 SEK 924

$54.4 SEK 517

78.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,477

$58.4 SEK 554

166.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

$764 SEK 7,261

48.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 SEK 8,162

$531 SEK 5,044

61.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

$985 SEK 9,354

88.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

$737 SEK 7,002

95.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

$4,100 SEK 38.9K

56.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

$3,033 SEK 28.8K

17.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

$2,507 SEK 23.8K

47.14%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Sala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Gothenburg and $764 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 47% 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: $93.0 in Gothenburg vs $64.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $345 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 40% 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 47% 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: $1,136 in Gothenburg versus $764 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Gothenburg versus $148 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,478 in Sala versus $2,068 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 $1,478 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 40% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.