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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,999 in Uppsala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $3,014 in Uppsala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $4,028 in Uppsala.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 3% more expensive than Uppsala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Uppsala 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$15.78 SEK 148

-12.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 882

$69.9 SEK 656

34.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.1

$11.40 SEK 107

-9.30%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.47

$5.00 SEK 47.00

-5.40%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.88

$2.67 SEK 25.05

11.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.80

$2.19 SEK 20.56

15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.2

$8.39 SEK 78.8

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.5

$8.66 SEK 81.4

-10.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.77

$1.63 SEK 15.33

3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.80

$2.75 SEK 25.83

3.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.15

$4.53 SEK 42.59

-26.71%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.70

$5.10 SEK 47.92

-8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$11.89 SEK 112

-0.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$13.97 SEK 131

-9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 179

$16.80 SEK 158

13.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.11

$3.74 SEK 35.09

-17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.71

$2.79 SEK 26.21

-1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.29

$3.57 SEK 33.51

-18.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.22

$5.18 SEK 48.69

-19.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.61

$1.58 SEK 14.82

5.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.37

$1.79 SEK 16.81

3.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.36

$2.63 SEK 24.72

-13.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.55

$1.32 SEK 12.41

17.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$8.14 SEK 76.4

-3.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$10.81 SEK 102

41.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.22

$2.41 SEK 22.62

-6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.49

$2.57 SEK 24.13

1.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.69

$4.01 SEK 37.63

-5.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 832

$109 SEK 1,023

-18.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.9

$5.69 SEK 53.4

77.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.19 SEK 11.17

39.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 580

$63.5 SEK 597

-2.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.76

$2.01 SEK 18.84

-5.97%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

$33.2K SEK 311.7K

-3.46%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

$33.8K SEK 317.6K

1.94%

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

$138 SEK 1,301

$111 SEK 1,040

25.01%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$29.67 SEK 279

-15.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$43.81 SEK 412

-12.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$38.15 SEK 358

9.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$28.06 SEK 264

-9.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$19.76 SEK 186

-9.01%

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

$175 SEK 1,648

$149 SEK 1,400

17.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

$5,570 SEK 52.3K

-24.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 823

$88.7 SEK 833

-1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$41.94 SEK 394

-3.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 910

$98.7 SEK 927

-1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,468

$157 SEK 1,471

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$943 SEK 8,862

19.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,203

$755 SEK 7,087

15.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$1,503 SEK 14.1K

27.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

$1,075 SEK 10.1K

33.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

$5,511 SEK 51.8K

21.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

$2,972 SEK 27.9K

26.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$3,097 SEK 29.1K

27.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.8

-9.79%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $943 in Uppsala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 28% 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 $70.0 in Uppsala. Groceries flip the comparison at $381 vs $387, 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

Uppsala wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Uppsala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 28% 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 $943 in Uppsala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,999 in Uppsala versus $2,058 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 $1,999 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 3% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.