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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,972 in Uppsala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,967 in Uppsala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,962 in Uppsala.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 5% more expensive than in Uppsala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Uppsala 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$16.00 SEK 155

-14.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$68.7 SEK 665

32.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$11.72 SEK 113

-11.09%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$4.89 SEK 47.37

-0.61%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$2.68 SEK 25.91

14.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$2.26 SEK 21.87

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$8.31 SEK 80.5

-10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$8.53 SEK 82.6

-9.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.63 SEK 15.81

7.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$2.89 SEK 27.97

-0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$4.67 SEK 45.21

-28.48%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$5.19 SEK 50.2

-10.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$12.16 SEK 118

-4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$13.90 SEK 135

-10.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$17.40 SEK 168

7.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$3.89 SEK 37.69

-21.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$2.83 SEK 27.40

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$3.61 SEK 34.94

-18.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$5.18 SEK 50.2

-16.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$1.66 SEK 16.10

6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.86 SEK 18.01

0.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$2.70 SEK 26.17

-17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.31 SEK 12.73

21.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$8.15 SEK 78.9

-2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$10.44 SEK 101

37.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$2.47 SEK 23.88

-10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$2.63 SEK 25.50

-3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$4.17 SEK 40.38

-6.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$108 SEK 1,050

-16.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$5.64 SEK 54.6

80.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$1.20 SEK 11.60

39.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$64.2 SEK 621

-4.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.99 SEK 19.26

-1.51%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$32.1K SEK 310.4K

0.37%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

4.94%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$110 SEK 1,063

27.76%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$28.97 SEK 280

-13.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$42.96 SEK 416

-10.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$39.06 SEK 378

5.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$27.76 SEK 269

-10.63%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$20.37 SEK 197

-11.44%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$145 SEK 1,406

22.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$5,535 SEK 53.6K

-24.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$87.8 SEK 850

2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$41.63 SEK 403

-5.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$99.6 SEK 964

-4.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$157 SEK 1,517

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$928 SEK 8,982

18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$756 SEK 7,323

13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,500 SEK 14.5K

25.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

29.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$5,452 SEK 52.8K

19.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$2,626 SEK 25.4K

33.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$3,066 SEK 29.7K

17.10%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $928 in Uppsala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 17% 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 $69.0 in Uppsala. Groceries flip the comparison at $377 vs $393, 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 5% in total monthly costs ($2,063 vs $1,972 including rent). Uppsala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% 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 $928 in Uppsala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $145 in Uppsala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,972 in Uppsala versus $2,063 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 $1,972 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 5% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.