Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Stockholm Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Stockholm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $2,505 in Stockholm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $3,800 in Stockholm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $5,096 in Stockholm.

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 18% less than in Stockholm, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Stockholm 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$16.12 SEK 151

-14.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 882

$112 SEK 1,052

-16.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.1

$11.58 SEK 109

-10.71%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.47

$5.08 SEK 47.72

-6.89%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.88

$3.30 SEK 30.99

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.80

$2.50 SEK 23.51

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.2

$8.67 SEK 81.5

-16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.5

$8.30 SEK 78.0

-6.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.77

$1.72 SEK 16.14

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.80

$3.46 SEK 32.50

-17.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.15

$3.99 SEK 37.52

-16.79%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.70

$4.72 SEK 44.30

-1.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$13.03 SEK 122

-9.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$12.91 SEK 121

-2.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 179

$19.56 SEK 184

-2.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.11

$3.62 SEK 33.96

-14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.71

$2.83 SEK 26.54

-3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.29

$3.39 SEK 31.83

-14.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.22

$4.60 SEK 43.17

-9.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.61

$1.90 SEK 17.82

-12.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.37

$1.88 SEK 17.66

-1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.36

$2.60 SEK 24.43

-12.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.55

$1.61 SEK 15.08

-3.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$12.85 SEK 121

19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.22

$2.16 SEK 20.29

4.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.49

$2.24 SEK 21.09

16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.69

$4.57 SEK 42.88

-16.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 832

$110 SEK 1,035

-19.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.9

$6.27 SEK 58.9

61.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.57 SEK 14.77

5.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 580

$62.5 SEK 587

-1.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.76

$1.82 SEK 17.09

3.85%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

$33.0K SEK 309.6K

-2.83%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

$35.4K SEK 332.7K

-2.68%

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

$138 SEK 1,301

$229 SEK 2,148

-39.44%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$28.82 SEK 271

-13.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$41.69 SEK 392

-8.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$46.58 SEK 438

-10.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$38.46 SEK 361

-34.32%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$17.65 SEK 166

1.87%

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

$175 SEK 1,648

$165 SEK 1,552

6.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

$6,662 SEK 62.6K

-36.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 823

$97.4 SEK 915

-10.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$49.44 SEK 464

-18.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 910

$117 SEK 1,097

-17.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,468

$204 SEK 1,920

-23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$1,589 SEK 14.9K

-29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,203

$1,107 SEK 10.4K

-21.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$2,769 SEK 26.0K

-30.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

$1,805 SEK 17.0K

-20.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

$12.2K SEK 115.0K

-45.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

$6,689 SEK 62.8K

-43.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$3,779 SEK 35.5K

4.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.16

4.09%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $1,589 in Stockholm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $112 in Stockholm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $401 per month, with Gothenburg 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 Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Stockholm. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 5% 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $1,589 in Stockholm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $165 in Stockholm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $2,505 in Stockholm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,058 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Stockholm 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 Gothenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.