Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Umea Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Umea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,703 in Umea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $2,689 in Umea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $3,674 in Umea.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 25% more expensive than in Umea, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Umea 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 132

$15.72 SEK 150

-12.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 879

$84.3 SEK 806

9.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 123

$12.52 SEK 120

2.56%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.44

$4.14 SEK 39.63

22.22%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.14

$3.35 SEK 32.06

-12.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.94

$2.50 SEK 23.87

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 68.7

$8.65 SEK 82.8

-16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.2

$7.78 SEK 74.4

1.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.19

$1.73 SEK 16.51

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.50

$3.45 SEK 32.97

-19.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.28

$4.11 SEK 39.27

-22.87%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.18

$4.24 SEK 40.60

-3.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 116

$11.76 SEK 112

2.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$11.16 SEK 107

4.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 170

$17.92 SEK 171

-0.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.88

$2.57 SEK 24.57

25.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.25

$2.31 SEK 22.07

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 30.79

$2.80 SEK 26.75

15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.82

$4.50 SEK 43.02

-2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.41

$1.64 SEK 15.72

10.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.02

$1.73 SEK 16.58

-2.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.38

$2.48 SEK 23.73

-18.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.01

$1.34 SEK 12.81

32.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.3

$7.47 SEK 71.5

13.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 139

$10.24 SEK 98.0

42.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.02

$2.27 SEK 21.73

-3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.76

$2.56 SEK 24.44

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 36.81

$2.96 SEK 28.30

30.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 849

$59.9 SEK 573

48.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.7

$7.48 SEK 71.6

-13.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.50

$1.74 SEK 16.65

-0.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 586

$65.8 SEK 629

-6.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.22

$1.73 SEK 16.56

9.83%

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

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

$35.0K SEK 334.9K

-3.00%

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

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

$34.7K SEK 332.3K

-1.09%

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

$110 SEK 1,052

$88.6 SEK 848

24.16%

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

$19.66 SEK 188

$34.80 SEK 333

-43.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 347

$27.77 SEK 266

30.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 363

$50.9 SEK 487

-25.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 248

$36.65 SEK 351

-29.36%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 185

$17.55 SEK 168

10.20%

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

$230 SEK 2,196

$145 SEK 1,386

58.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

$4,984 SEK 47.7K

-8.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 870

$106 SEK 1,017

-14.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 329

$38.72 SEK 370

-11.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 900

$122 SEK 1,167

-22.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,294

$146 SEK 1,400

-7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$792 SEK 7,579

33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,192

$535 SEK 5,118

79.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

$1,158 SEK 11.1K

59.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

$883 SEK 8,442

63.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

$4,859 SEK 46.5K

33.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

$3,171 SEK 30.3K

13.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

$2,805 SEK 26.8K

29.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.65

-16.16%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Umea: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $792 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 30% 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 $84.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $362 per month, with Umea 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 Umea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umea wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Umea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $792 in Umea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $145 in Umea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,703 in Umea versus $2,128 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Umea but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Umea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Umea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,703 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Umea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Umea 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 Umea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.