Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Tuscaloosa, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Gothenburg: $2,071 a month against $2,166 in Tuscaloosa, AL, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Tuscaloosa, AL
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Tuscaloosa, AL Living Index

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Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,071

/mo nomad

Tuscaloosa, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Tuscaloosa, AL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gothenburg and in Tuscaloosa, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in Gothenburg versus $2,166 in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Gothenburg $2,071
Tuscaloosa, AL $2,166

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,124 in Gothenburg versus $3,241 in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Gothenburg $3,124
Tuscaloosa, AL $3,241

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,177 in Gothenburg versus $4,315 in Tuscaloosa, AL.

Gothenburg $4,177
Tuscaloosa, AL $4,315

Living in Gothenburg costs roughly 4% less than in Tuscaloosa, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 53% above, Tuscaloosa, AL 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.68 SEK 134

$17.72 $17.72

-22.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 SEK 875

$73.0 $73.0

22.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 119

$9.10 $9.10

34.29%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 49.64

$5.38 $5.38

-5.58%

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

$3.13 SEK 30.56

$2.36 $2.36

32.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.59

$1.65 $1.65

46.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 SEK 68.1

$5.99 $5.99

16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.44 SEK 72.7

$6.97 $6.97

6.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 SEK 16.20

$1.08 $1.08

53.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 27.89

$3.61 $3.61

-21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 32.14

$3.99 $3.99

-17.54%

Eggs

$3.99 SEK 39.04

$4.25 $4.25

-6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 SEK 114

$12.59 $12.59

-7.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 SEK 113

$14.49 $14.49

-20.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 SEK 170

$13.07 $13.07

32.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 30.65

$6.52 $6.52

-51.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 SEK 24.85

$1.59 $1.59

59.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 29.26

$10.81 $10.81

-72.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 SEK 42.77

$6.93 $6.93

-36.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.53

$2.83 $2.83

-36.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.13

$3.96 $3.96

-58.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 SEK 19.53

$2.62 $2.62

-23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.40

$2.01 $2.01

-11.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.82 SEK 86.2

$8.31 $8.31

6.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.59 SEK 152

$17.08 $17.08

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 21.06

$1.78 $1.78

20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SEK 22.61

$5.10 $5.10

-54.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.76 SEK 36.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.5 SEK 846

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 SEK 59.6

$5.10 $5.10

19.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 SEK 16.49

$1.59 $1.59

6.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 SEK 593

$29.98 $29.98

102.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.47

$0.87 $0.87

105.75%

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

$34.0K SEK 332.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

19.44%

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

$34.3K SEK 334.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

30.47%

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

$106 SEK 1,035

$154 $154

-31.27%

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

$20.04 SEK 196

$55.2 $55.2

-63.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.75 SEK 340

$61.6 $61.6

-43.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.18 SEK 344

$58.4 $58.4

-39.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.00 SEK 244

$40.41 $40.41

-38.13%

Cinema Ticket

$17.13 SEK 167

$15.28 $15.28

12.11%

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

$227 SEK 2,220

$1,076 $1,076

-78.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,683 SEK 45.8K

$17.4K $17.4K

-73.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 SEK 888

$41.23 $41.23

120.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.24 SEK 335

$30.87 $30.87

10.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 SEK 865

$55.0 $55.0

60.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 SEK 1,307

$73.0 $73.0

83.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 SEK 11.1K

$1,238 $1,238

-8.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 SEK 9,002

$956 $956

-3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 SEK 18.8K

$2,841 $2,841

-32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 SEK 13.7K

$1,540 $1,540

-8.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,721 SEK 65.7K

$1,897 $1,897

254.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,143 SEK 40.5K

$1,880 $1,880

120.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,665 SEK 35.8K

$3,429 $3,429

6.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

6.63

-53.85%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tuscaloosa, AL: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Gothenburg

$921 44.5%

Tuscaloosa, AL

$956 44.1% 3.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Gothenburg

$368 17.8%

Tuscaloosa, AL

$454 20.9% 23.1% $85

Eating Out

Gothenburg

$279 13.5%

Tuscaloosa, AL

$294 13.6% 5.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gothenburg

$161 7.8%

Tuscaloosa, AL

$271 12.5% 68.5% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Gothenburg

$156 7.6%

Tuscaloosa, AL

$90 4.2% 42.4% $66

Getting Around

Gothenburg

$116 5.6%

Tuscaloosa, AL

$13 * 0.6% 88.8% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Gothenburg

$69 3.4%

Tuscaloosa, AL

$89 4.1% 28.2% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Gothenburg and $1,238 in Tuscaloosa, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90 in Gothenburg vs $73 in Tuscaloosa, AL. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $454, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🇺🇸 Tuscaloosa, AL

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

08:43 8:43 AM

7 h behind Gothenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,882

99,600

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.23 USD

100 SEK = 9.11 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 SEK (100 SEK = 9.11 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gothenburg Tuscaloosa, AL 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Gothenburg
Tuscaloosa, AL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tuscaloosa, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Tuscaloosa, AL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $1,133 in Gothenburg versus $1,238 in Tuscaloosa, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $227 in Gothenburg versus $1,076 in Tuscaloosa, AL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tuscaloosa, AL – a meal for two runs $73 versus $90 in Gothenburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Gothenburg is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.