Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Skovde Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Skovde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,097 in Gothenburg versus $1,816 in Skovde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,218 in Gothenburg versus $2,840 in Skovde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,339 in Gothenburg versus $3,864 in Skovde.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 15% more expensive than in Skovde, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 52% above, Skovde 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 SEK 133

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 886

$84.7 SEK 821

7.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 SEK 131

$10.24 SEK 99.3

31.45%

Cappuccino

$5.14 SEK 49.80

$4.47 SEK 43.34

14.99%

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

$3.03 SEK 29.41

$3.11 SEK 30.19

-2.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SEK 22.30

$2.43 SEK 23.53

-5.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 SEK 68.6

$8.44 SEK 81.8

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 SEK 74.5

$10.22 SEK 99.1

-24.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.72

$1.42 SEK 13.76

28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 SEK 26.27

$2.97 SEK 28.76

-8.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 SEK 31.98

$4.30 SEK 41.65

-23.26%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 39.47

$3.85 SEK 37.28

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 119

$10.60 SEK 103

15.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 SEK 115

$13.34 SEK 129

-11.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 SEK 170

$18.68 SEK 181

-6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 31.18

$4.28 SEK 41.47

-24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 25.96

$2.77 SEK 26.85

-3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 30.27

$3.62 SEK 35.10

-13.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 42.16

$5.51 SEK 53.4

-21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.26

$1.60 SEK 15.50

17.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 SEK 16.77

$1.76 SEK 17.09

-1.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 SEK 20.42

$2.63 SEK 25.52

-19.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.21

$1.37 SEK 13.27

29.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 SEK 79.1

$8.36 SEK 81.0

-2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 SEK 139

$8.30 SEK 80.5

72.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 SEK 21.41

$2.57 SEK 24.87

-14.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 21.80

$2.73 SEK 26.51

-17.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 SEK 36.39

$3.69 SEK 35.82

1.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 SEK 855

$87.2 SEK 845

1.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 SEK 62.9

$5.61 SEK 54.4

15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.76

$1.32 SEK 12.82

31.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.2 SEK 593

$65.1 SEK 631

-6.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.47

$1.76 SEK 17.10

7.95%

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

$34.4K SEK 333.9K

$33.7K SEK 326.6K

2.24%

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

$34.7K SEK 336.2K

$34.3K SEK 332.0K

1.26%

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

$107 SEK 1,035

$115 SEK 1,118

-7.41%

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

$20.02 SEK 194

$11.68 SEK 113

71.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 SEK 353

$45.96 SEK 446

-20.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.87 SEK 367

$38.69 SEK 375

-2.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.91 SEK 251

$26.02 SEK 252

-0.42%

Cinema Ticket

$19.30 SEK 187

$19.70 SEK 191

-2.03%

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

$226 SEK 2,192

$130 SEK 1,264

73.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,552 SEK 44.1K

$5,827 SEK 56.5K

-21.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 SEK 892

$94.7 SEK 918

-2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 SEK 333

$30.80 SEK 299

11.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 SEK 930

$61.4 SEK 595

56.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 SEK 1,336

$207 SEK 2,003

-33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 SEK 10.6K

$845 SEK 8,194

29.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 SEK 9,446

$603 SEK 5,849

61.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 SEK 18.4K

$1,378 SEK 13.4K

37.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 SEK 14.2K

$1,072 SEK 10.4K

36.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,464 SEK 62.7K

$4,229 SEK 41.0K

52.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,660 SEK 35.5K

$2,881 SEK 27.9K

27.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 SEK 35.8K

$3,448 SEK 33.4K

6.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

2.00%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 7, 2026

Last update for Skovde: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,093 in Gothenburg and $845 in Skovde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 7% 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 $85.0 in Skovde. Groceries flip the comparison at $373 vs $381, 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 Skovde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skovde wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Skovde the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,093 in Gothenburg versus $845 in Skovde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Gothenburg versus $130 in Skovde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,816 in Skovde versus $2,097 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skovde but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Skovde the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Skovde delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,816 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Skovde hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Skovde 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 Skovde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.