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: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $2,732 in Stockholm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $4,130 in Stockholm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $5,527 in Stockholm.

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 22% less than in Stockholm, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Stockholm 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 133

$18.42 SEK 177

-25.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 885

$103 SEK 988

-10.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 124

$11.43 SEK 110

12.34%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.77

$5.35 SEK 51.5

-5.42%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.33

$3.89 SEK 37.43

-24.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$3.20 SEK 30.85

-31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 69.2

$8.46 SEK 81.5

-15.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.7

$9.19 SEK 88.5

-14.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.30

$1.74 SEK 16.80

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.68

$4.17 SEK 40.14

-33.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.49

$4.09 SEK 39.39

-22.49%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.45

$5.19 SEK 49.96

-21.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 117

$13.23 SEK 127

-8.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$13.55 SEK 131

-13.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 171

$22.30 SEK 215

-20.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 31.09

$3.55 SEK 34.19

-9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.42

$2.97 SEK 28.63

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 31.00

$3.17 SEK 30.57

1.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 42.11

$4.70 SEK 45.23

-7.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.52

$1.87 SEK 17.97

-2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.13

$1.80 SEK 17.37

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.51

$2.49 SEK 23.95

-18.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.13

$2.49 SEK 23.95

-28.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.8

$9.10 SEK 87.7

-6.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 140

$12.67 SEK 122

14.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.16

$2.14 SEK 20.66

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.91

$2.56 SEK 24.64

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 37.06

$4.61 SEK 44.44

-16.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 855

$113 SEK 1,085

-21.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 62.1

$6.20 SEK 59.7

4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.62

$1.53 SEK 14.74

13.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 590

$59.2 SEK 570

3.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.34

$1.82 SEK 17.55

4.40%

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

$34.0K SEK 327.1K

$34.5K SEK 332.1K

-1.52%

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

$34.4K SEK 330.9K

$35.1K SEK 338.3K

-2.20%

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

$110 SEK 1,060

$281 SEK 2,709

-60.88%

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

$19.66 SEK 189

$22.69 SEK 218

-13.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 350

$40.70 SEK 392

-10.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 365

$48.06 SEK 463

-21.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 249

$41.41 SEK 399

-37.48%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 186

$19.78 SEK 191

-2.22%

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

$230 SEK 2,212

$172 SEK 1,658

33.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.9K

$16.8K SEK 162.2K

-72.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 876

$120 SEK 1,157

-24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 331

$57.8 SEK 557

-40.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 906

$142 SEK 1,365

-33.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,303

$203 SEK 1,952

-33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$1,787 SEK 17.2K

-40.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,255

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

-12.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.8K

$3,323 SEK 32.0K

-44.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.9K

$1,859 SEK 17.9K

-22.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$11.7K SEK 113.0K

-44.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.8K

$6,611 SEK 63.7K

-45.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 35.0K

$3,662 SEK 35.3K

-0.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.31

-7.55%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $1,787 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: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $103 in Stockholm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $433 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 28% 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $1,787 in Stockholm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $172 in Stockholm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $2,732 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 $2,128 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 28% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.