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: $2,072 in Gothenburg versus $1,491 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Gothenburg versus $2,247 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,287 in Gothenburg versus $3,003 in Sala.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 39% more expensive than Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Sala 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 SEK 130

$12.55 SEK 118

10.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 SEK 849

$62.9 SEK 590

43.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 SEK 98.0

$10.48 SEK 98.4

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 46.25

$3.20 SEK 29.99

54.06%

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

$2.96 SEK 27.81

$1.81 SEK 17.00

63.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.67

$2.40 SEK 22.50

9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 SEK 68.9

$7.53 SEK 70.6

-2.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 SEK 73.9

$7.57 SEK 71.0

4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.35

$1.84 SEK 17.26

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 SEK 27.27

$2.69 SEK 25.26

8.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 SEK 31.02

$3.74 SEK 35.07

-11.50%

Eggs

$4.43 SEK 41.55

$4.04 SEK 37.93

9.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 109

$11.78 SEK 111

-1.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 SEK 117

$11.64 SEK 109

7.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 SEK 178

$15.84 SEK 149

20.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.30

$3.15 SEK 29.59

-0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.67

$2.70 SEK 25.35

1.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 SEK 27.00

$2.82 SEK 26.43

2.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.18

$5.04 SEK 47.26

-17.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.57

$1.55 SEK 14.57

7.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 SEK 17.97

$1.19 SEK 11.15

61.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 SEK 21.72

$2.71 SEK 25.46

-14.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SEK 15.25

$1.04 SEK 9.73

56.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SEK 73.6

$7.54 SEK 70.7

3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 SEK 140

$6.41 SEK 60.2

133.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 20.93

$2.50 SEK 23.45

-10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.77

$1.93 SEK 18.14

31.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 SEK 35.72

$3.15 SEK 29.51

20.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 826

$21.82 SEK 205

303.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 SEK 94.9

$6.30 SEK 59.1

60.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.01

$1.58 SEK 14.84

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 588

$20.87 SEK 196

200.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.24

$2.00 SEK 18.78

-3.00%

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

$32.3K SEK 303.3K

$42.2K SEK 395.7K

-23.37%

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

$35.6K SEK 333.6K

$34.2K SEK 321.0K

3.91%

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

$141 SEK 1,318

$88.8 SEK 833

58.28%

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

$25.19 SEK 236

$20.84 SEK 196

20.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.13 SEK 367

$37.20 SEK 349

5.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 SEK 395

$47.92 SEK 450

-12.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.07 SEK 235

$20.95 SEK 197

19.67%

Cinema Ticket

$17.71 SEK 166

$19.22 SEK 180

-7.86%

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

$178 SEK 1,669

$146 SEK 1,373

21.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 SEK 38.4K

$1,254 SEK 11.8K

226.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 SEK 817

$46.54 SEK 437

87.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 SEK 368

$37.23 SEK 349

5.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 SEK 913

$54.8 SEK 514

77.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,434

$57.4 SEK 538

166.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 SEK 10.5K

$774 SEK 7,256

44.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 7,988

$545 SEK 5,113

56.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 SEK 17.7K

$965 SEK 9,049

95.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 SEK 13.2K

$726 SEK 6,811

93.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,604 SEK 61.9K

$4,001 SEK 37.5K

65.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,695 SEK 34.7K

$3,328 SEK 31.2K

11.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,705 SEK 34.8K

$2,569 SEK 24.1K

44.20%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Sala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,120 in Gothenburg and $774 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 44% 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 $63.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 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 39% 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 44% 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: $1,120 in Gothenburg versus $774 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $146 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,491 in Sala versus $2,072 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 $1,491 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 39% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.