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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,776 in Sundsvall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,653 in Sundsvall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,530 in Sundsvall.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than Sundsvall, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Sundsvall 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$12.51 SEK 118

9.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 882

$84.4 SEK 793

11.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.1

$10.30 SEK 96.7

0.39%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.47

$4.41 SEK 41.46

7.26%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.88

$2.53 SEK 23.76

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.80

$2.10 SEK 19.72

20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.2

$7.44 SEK 69.9

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.5

$8.09 SEK 76.0

-4.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.77

$1.58 SEK 14.86

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.80

$3.31 SEK 31.07

-13.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.15

$3.74 SEK 35.14

-11.23%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.70

$3.58 SEK 33.65

29.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$10.20 SEK 95.9

15.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$10.35 SEK 97.2

21.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 179

$18.47 SEK 173

2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.11

$2.90 SEK 27.22

6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.71

$2.44 SEK 22.88

12.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.29

$2.65 SEK 24.91

9.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.22

$4.06 SEK 38.09

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.61

$1.46 SEK 13.76

13.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.37

$1.48 SEK 13.87

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.36

$1.88 SEK 17.67

20.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.55

$0.99 SEK 9.32

56.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$7.78 SEK 73.1

0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$9.39 SEK 88.2

63.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.22

$1.64 SEK 15.39

37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.49

$1.50 SEK 14.13

74.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.69

$3.42 SEK 32.17

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 832

$86.4 SEK 811

2.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.9

$6.20 SEK 58.2

63.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.23 SEK 11.58

34.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 580

$61.1 SEK 574

0.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.76

$1.90 SEK 17.85

-0.53%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

$26.5K SEK 249.2K

20.76%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

$27.7K SEK 259.8K

24.63%

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

$138 SEK 1,301

$131 SEK 1,235

5.33%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$30.18 SEK 283

-17.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$26.01 SEK 244

47.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$38.55 SEK 362

8.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$26.01 SEK 244

-2.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$14.47 SEK 136

24.26%

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

$175 SEK 1,648

$144 SEK 1,353

21.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

$4,148 SEK 39.0K

1.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 823

$93.6 SEK 879

-6.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$30.00 SEK 282

34.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 910

$75.7 SEK 711

27.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,468

$132 SEK 1,239

18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$828 SEK 7,776

35.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,203

$625 SEK 5,872

39.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$1,197 SEK 11.2K

60.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

$890 SEK 8,361

61.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

$2,598 SEK 24.4K

157.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

$1,350 SEK 12.7K

178.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$3,231 SEK 30.4K

22.33%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $828 in Sundsvall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 22% 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: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $84.0 in Sundsvall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 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 16% 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.

Gothenburg pays 22% 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 $828 in Sundsvall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $144 in Sundsvall. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,776 in Sundsvall versus $2,058 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 $1,776 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.