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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,695 in Umea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,667 in Umea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,639 in Umea.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 22% more expensive than in Umea, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Umea 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 132

$16.05 SEK 155

-14.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 879

$83.3 SEK 803

9.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 100

$11.75 SEK 113

-11.32%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.80

$4.12 SEK 39.68

17.96%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.65

$3.39 SEK 32.70

-9.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.69

$2.59 SEK 24.97

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.6

$9.11 SEK 87.8

-18.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.4

$7.43 SEK 71.6

3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 16.94

$1.73 SEK 16.66

1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.70

$3.49 SEK 33.61

-17.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.20

$4.24 SEK 40.86

-21.23%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.66

$4.32 SEK 41.61

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$11.50 SEK 111

1.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$10.99 SEK 106

12.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 180

$18.49 SEK 178

0.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.63

$2.82 SEK 27.18

8.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.48

$2.32 SEK 22.35

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.21

$2.99 SEK 28.77

-2.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.54

$4.48 SEK 43.21

-3.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.92

$1.72 SEK 16.55

2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.05

$1.84 SEK 17.74

1.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.35

$2.62 SEK 25.21

-15.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.33

$1.50 SEK 14.43

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.6

$6.83 SEK 65.8

16.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 138

$10.94 SEK 105

31.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.19

$1.66 SEK 15.99

32.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.36

$2.10 SEK 20.28

20.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 37.82

$3.02 SEK 29.11

29.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 876

$60.1 SEK 579

51.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 97.9

$5.24 SEK 50.5

93.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.05

$1.66 SEK 16.00

0.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 593

$46.83 SEK 451

31.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.89

$1.91 SEK 18.39

2.62%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.1K

$32.2K SEK 310.7K

-0.20%

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

$35.6K SEK 342.7K

$34.9K SEK 336.4K

1.86%

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

$140 SEK 1,352

$69.4 SEK 668

102.32%

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

$25.00 SEK 241

$34.68 SEK 334

-27.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 372

$26.86 SEK 259

43.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 399

$50.9 SEK 490

-18.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 239

$39.23 SEK 378

-36.76%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 174

$16.00 SEK 154

12.75%

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

$178 SEK 1,714

$147 SEK 1,417

20.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.2K

$4,186 SEK 40.3K

-0.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 863

$101 SEK 978

-11.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 380

$38.55 SEK 371

2.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 919

$126 SEK 1,213

-24.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,470

$137 SEK 1,318

11.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$803 SEK 7,733

36.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,288

$543 SEK 5,233

58.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

$1,183 SEK 11.4K

58.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.5K

$899 SEK 8,660

56.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.6K

$4,763 SEK 45.9K

36.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.8K

$3,146 SEK 30.3K

11.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.6K

$2,703 SEK 26.1K

32.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.53

-4.42%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Umea: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $803 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 33% 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 $83.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $365 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 22% 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 33% 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 $803 in Umea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $147 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 $1,695 in Umea versus $2,063 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 $1,695 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 22% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.