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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,582 in Stockholm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $3,840 in Stockholm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $5,098 in Stockholm.

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 20% less than in Stockholm, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Stockholm 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 132

$16.09 SEK 155

-14.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 879

$110 SEK 1,062

-17.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 100

$11.68 SEK 113

-10.79%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.80

$5.20 SEK 50.1

-6.54%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.65

$3.28 SEK 31.64

-6.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.69

$2.47 SEK 23.78

3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.6

$8.51 SEK 82.0

-12.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.4

$8.31 SEK 80.1

-7.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 16.94

$1.80 SEK 17.33

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.70

$3.41 SEK 32.84

-15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.20

$4.07 SEK 39.19

-17.94%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.66

$4.70 SEK 45.33

-1.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$12.77 SEK 123

-8.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$13.23 SEK 127

-6.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 180

$19.40 SEK 187

-3.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.63

$3.60 SEK 34.66

-14.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.48

$2.90 SEK 27.93

-8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.21

$3.38 SEK 32.54

-13.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.54

$4.59 SEK 44.21

-6.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.92

$1.96 SEK 18.92

-10.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.05

$1.89 SEK 18.17

-1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.35

$2.52 SEK 24.24

-11.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.33

$1.61 SEK 15.55

-1.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.6

$8.06 SEK 77.7

-1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 138

$12.53 SEK 121

14.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.19

$2.19 SEK 21.08

0.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.36

$2.36 SEK 22.76

7.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 37.82

$4.55 SEK 43.89

-13.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 876

$112 SEK 1,080

-18.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 97.9

$6.40 SEK 61.7

58.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.05

$1.66 SEK 15.95

0.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 593

$63.3 SEK 610

-2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.89

$1.86 SEK 17.92

5.38%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.1K

$33.0K SEK 318.3K

-2.59%

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

$35.6K SEK 342.7K

$34.5K SEK 332.9K

2.94%

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

$140 SEK 1,352

$227 SEK 2,189

-38.24%

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

$25.00 SEK 241

$29.59 SEK 285

-15.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 372

$42.03 SEK 405

-8.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 399

$46.01 SEK 443

-10.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 239

$38.09 SEK 367

-34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 174

$17.78 SEK 171

1.46%

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

$178 SEK 1,714

$164 SEK 1,582

8.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.2K

$6,573 SEK 63.3K

-36.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 863

$97.6 SEK 941

-8.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 380

$49.76 SEK 480

-20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 919

$120 SEK 1,159

-20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,470

$202 SEK 1,945

-24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

-29.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,288

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

-20.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

$2,754 SEK 26.5K

-31.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.5K

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

-22.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.6K

$11.8K SEK 113.3K

-44.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.8K

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

-46.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.6K

$3,643 SEK 35.1K

-1.47%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $1,566 in Stockholm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 1% 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 $110 in Stockholm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 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 25% 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.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Stockholm. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $1,566 in Stockholm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $164 in Stockholm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,582 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 $2,063 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 25% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.