Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Vasteras Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Vasteras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $1,847 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $2,840 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $3,834 in Vasteras.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 12% more expensive than in Vasteras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Vasteras 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 133

$14.33 SEK 141

-6.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 901

$66.8 SEK 658

36.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 130

$10.18 SEK 100

29.08%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.93

$4.37 SEK 43.09

13.73%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.77

$2.30 SEK 22.63

31.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.93

$2.25 SEK 22.21

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.8

$7.14 SEK 70.3

-3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.4

$7.03 SEK 69.3

7.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.07

$1.43 SEK 14.12

20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.78

$2.97 SEK 29.32

-8.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.32

$3.75 SEK 36.93

-15.20%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.82

$4.02 SEK 39.62

-1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$12.44 SEK 123

-4.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$12.88 SEK 127

-9.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 166

$22.62 SEK 223

-25.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.51

$3.11 SEK 30.69

2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.34

$2.52 SEK 24.86

1.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.40

$3.72 SEK 36.66

-17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.82

$4.01 SEK 39.51

5.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.24

$1.52 SEK 14.98

21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.29

$1.78 SEK 17.49

-7.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.51

$2.24 SEK 22.08

-11.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 17.01

$1.49 SEK 14.63

16.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.4

$7.32 SEK 72.1

14.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 141

$12.37 SEK 122

15.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.38

$1.35 SEK 13.30

53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.96

$2.24 SEK 22.10

-0.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.89

$3.45 SEK 33.97

8.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 867

$74.0 SEK 729

18.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.3

$3.51 SEK 34.56

77.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.82

$2.86 SEK 28.23

-40.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 594

$81.0 SEK 798

-25.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.71 SEK 16.89

7.02%

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

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

$34.2K SEK 337.1K

-2.42%

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

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

$33.8K SEK 332.9K

2.95%

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

$107 SEK 1,057

$188 SEK 1,856

-43.06%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$22.71 SEK 224

-15.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 354

$44.10 SEK 435

-18.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 365

$34.55 SEK 341

7.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 249

$20.65 SEK 203

22.13%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 193

$16.81 SEK 166

16.24%

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

$229 SEK 2,253

$152 SEK 1,499

50.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

$5,101 SEK 50.3K

-12.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 879

$106 SEK 1,047

-16.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 327

$40.51 SEK 399

-18.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 919

$89.9 SEK 885

3.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,308

$140 SEK 1,379

-5.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$766 SEK 7,548

36.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,380

$605 SEK 5,964

57.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$1,403 SEK 13.8K

32.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

$1,058 SEK 10.4K

33.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

$3,672 SEK 36.2K

74.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

$2,554 SEK 25.2K

39.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

$3,069 SEK 30.2K

18.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.53

-13.31%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $766 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 18% 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 $67.0 in Vasteras. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $381, 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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vasteras wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vasteras the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $766 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $152 in Vasteras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,847 in Vasteras versus $2,066 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vasteras but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Vasteras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vasteras delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,847 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vasteras hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Vasteras 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 Vasteras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.