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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,694 in Umea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,666 in Umea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,638 in Umea.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Umea 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$16.05 SEK 151

-14.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 882

$85.4 SEK 802

9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.1

$11.41 SEK 107

-9.38%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.47

$4.29 SEK 40.26

10.26%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.88

$3.39 SEK 31.86

-12.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.80

$2.51 SEK 23.61

0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.2

$9.11 SEK 85.6

-20.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.5

$7.55 SEK 70.9

2.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.77

$1.69 SEK 15.90

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.80

$3.58 SEK 33.59

-20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.15

$4.32 SEK 40.58

-23.15%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.70

$4.29 SEK 40.26

8.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$11.93 SEK 112

-1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$11.05 SEK 104

14.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 179

$18.30 SEK 172

3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.11

$2.84 SEK 26.65

9.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.71

$2.39 SEK 22.44

14.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.29

$2.84 SEK 26.65

2.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.22

$4.44 SEK 41.68

-5.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.61

$1.68 SEK 15.75

-1.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.37

$1.82 SEK 17.07

1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.36

$2.62 SEK 24.57

-13.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.55

$1.48 SEK 13.87

4.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$6.70 SEK 62.9

16.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$11.34 SEK 107

35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.22

$1.66 SEK 15.56

36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.49

$2.22 SEK 20.89

17.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.69

$3.14 SEK 29.51

21.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 832

$59.1 SEK 555

49.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.9

$5.22 SEK 49.06

93.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.60 SEK 15.07

3.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 580

$47.06 SEK 442

31.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.76

$1.95 SEK 18.30

-3.08%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

$32.7K SEK 307.4K

-2.13%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

$35.2K SEK 330.9K

-2.15%

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

$138 SEK 1,301

$67.8 SEK 637

104.28%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$34.49 SEK 324

-27.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$27.30 SEK 256

40.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$51.7 SEK 486

-19.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$38.59 SEK 363

-34.54%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$15.92 SEK 150

12.94%

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

$175 SEK 1,648

$149 SEK 1,398

17.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

$4,094 SEK 38.5K

2.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 823

$99.1 SEK 931

-11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$38.23 SEK 359

5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 910

$126 SEK 1,179

-22.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,468

$136 SEK 1,275

15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$793 SEK 7,444

41.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,203

$530 SEK 4,975

64.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$1,192 SEK 11.2K

60.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

$895 SEK 8,402

60.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

$4,972 SEK 46.7K

34.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

$3,309 SEK 31.1K

13.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$2,875 SEK 27.0K

37.48%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Umea: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $793 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 37% 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 $85.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $367 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.

Gothenburg pays 37% 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 $793 in Umea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $149 in Umea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,694 in Umea versus $2,058 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 $1,694 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.