Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Uppsala Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Uppsala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $2,044 in Uppsala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $3,170 in Uppsala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $4,295 in Uppsala.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 4% more expensive than in Uppsala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Uppsala 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 132

$15.45 SEK 148

-10.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 879

$84.2 SEK 805

9.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 123

$10.51 SEK 101

22.17%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.44

$5.22 SEK 49.97

-3.07%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.14

$3.22 SEK 30.84

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.94

$2.50 SEK 23.94

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 68.7

$8.19 SEK 78.4

-12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.2

$10.33 SEK 98.8

-23.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.19

$1.81 SEK 17.27

-0.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.50

$3.07 SEK 29.41

-9.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.28

$4.14 SEK 39.59

-23.43%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.18

$5.29 SEK 50.6

-22.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 116

$10.97 SEK 105

10.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$15.34 SEK 147

-23.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 170

$18.38 SEK 176

-3.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.88

$4.29 SEK 41.01

-24.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.25

$2.79 SEK 26.71

-5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 30.79

$3.83 SEK 36.64

-15.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.82

$5.42 SEK 51.8

-19.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.41

$1.82 SEK 17.43

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.02

$1.83 SEK 17.52

-8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.38

$2.67 SEK 25.52

-23.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.01

$1.34 SEK 12.86

32.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.3

$8.14 SEK 77.8

4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 139

$10.33 SEK 98.8

40.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.02

$2.58 SEK 24.65

-14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.76

$2.75 SEK 26.26

-13.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 36.81

$4.01 SEK 38.38

-3.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 849

$115 SEK 1,104

-23.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.7

$5.58 SEK 53.4

15.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.50

$1.39 SEK 13.31

24.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 586

$63.6 SEK 608

-3.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.22

$1.82 SEK 17.44

4.40%

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

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

$34.1K SEK 326.4K

-0.48%

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

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

$34.9K SEK 333.4K

-1.43%

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

$110 SEK 1,052

$115 SEK 1,100

-4.36%

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

$19.66 SEK 188

$18.74 SEK 179

4.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 347

$46.09 SEK 441

-21.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 363

$40.35 SEK 386

-5.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 248

$25.00 SEK 239

3.56%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 185

$19.72 SEK 189

-1.93%

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

$230 SEK 2,196

$134 SEK 1,286

70.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 870

$94.3 SEK 902

-3.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 329

$51.5 SEK 492

-33.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 900

$98.9 SEK 946

-4.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,294

$212 SEK 2,023

-36.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$945 SEK 9,040

12.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,192

$720 SEK 6,890

33.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

$1,831 SEK 17.5K

1.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

$1,165 SEK 11.1K

23.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

$5,485 SEK 52.5K

18.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

$2,680 SEK 25.6K

34.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

$3,063 SEK 29.3K

18.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.94

-22.34%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $945 in Uppsala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 19% 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 Uppsala. Groceries flip the comparison at $372 vs $407, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

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 Uppsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg and Uppsala differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,128 vs $2,044 including rent). Uppsala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $945 in Uppsala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $134 in Uppsala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,044 in Uppsala versus $2,128 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Uppsala but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Uppsala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Uppsala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,044 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Uppsala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Uppsala 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 Uppsala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.