Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Sundsvall Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Sundsvall

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,756 in Sundsvall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,619 in Sundsvall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,482 in Sundsvall.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 17% more expensive than in Sundsvall, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Sundsvall 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$12.87 SEK 125

6.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$85.3 SEK 826

7.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$4.54 SEK 43.91

7.05%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$2.46 SEK 23.78

25.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$2.05 SEK 19.89

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$7.82 SEK 75.7

-4.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$8.15 SEK 78.9

-5.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.57 SEK 15.23

12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$3.34 SEK 32.38

-14.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$3.82 SEK 36.95

-12.57%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$3.73 SEK 36.09

24.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$10.14 SEK 98.1

15.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$10.31 SEK 99.8

20.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$18.41 SEK 178

1.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$2.84 SEK 27.47

8.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$2.44 SEK 23.64

8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$2.57 SEK 24.91

14.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$4.06 SEK 39.32

6.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$1.51 SEK 14.66

16.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.42 SEK 13.78

31.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$1.88 SEK 18.19

18.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.03 SEK 10.01

54.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$7.70 SEK 74.5

3.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$9.27 SEK 89.8

54.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$1.64 SEK 15.93

34.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$1.56 SEK 15.10

62.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$3.36 SEK 32.52

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$85.8 SEK 831

5.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$6.45 SEK 62.5

57.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$1.22 SEK 11.84

36.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$63.1 SEK 611

-2.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.90 SEK 18.39

3.16%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$26.7K SEK 258.7K

20.45%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$26.9K SEK 260.8K

32.01%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$132 SEK 1,273

6.69%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$29.93 SEK 290

-16.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$25.77 SEK 250

49.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$37.95 SEK 367

9.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$26.04 SEK 252

-4.72%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$14.75 SEK 143

22.31%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$145 SEK 1,404

22.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$4,164 SEK 40.3K

0.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$94.0 SEK 910

-4.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$30.77 SEK 298

28.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$77.5 SEK 750

23.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$131 SEK 1,266

16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$837 SEK 8,105

30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$634 SEK 6,140

35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,191 SEK 11.5K

57.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$869 SEK 8,413

61.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$2,466 SEK 23.9K

163.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$1,293 SEK 12.5K

171.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$3,018 SEK 29.2K

18.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.48

-3.35%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $837 in Sundsvall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 19% 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 Sundsvall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $333 per month, with Sundsvall 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 Sundsvall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sundsvall wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sundsvall the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $837 in Sundsvall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $145 in Sundsvall. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,756 in Sundsvall versus $2,063 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sundsvall but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Sundsvall the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sundsvall delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,756 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sundsvall hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Sundsvall 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 Sundsvall gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.