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: $2,068 in Gothenburg versus $1,726 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,219 in Gothenburg versus $2,721 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Gothenburg versus $3,716 in Vasteras.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 20% more expensive than in Vasteras, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Vasteras 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 SEK 132

$14.54 SEK 138

-4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.8 SEK 882

$68.1 SEK 647

36.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 SEK 100

$10.47 SEK 99.5

0.96%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 47.04

$4.48 SEK 42.53

10.49%

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

$3.04 SEK 28.90

$2.69 SEK 25.52

13.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 25.25

$2.52 SEK 23.97

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 SEK 70.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 76.1

$7.26 SEK 68.9

10.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.96

$1.53 SEK 14.56

9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 27.43

$2.73 SEK 25.89

5.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.65

$3.73 SEK 35.43

-10.72%

Eggs

$4.49 SEK 42.68

$4.05 SEK 38.49

10.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 SEK 111

$12.04 SEK 114

-2.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 116

$12.29 SEK 117

-0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 177

$15.62 SEK 148

19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 29.10

$3.32 SEK 31.53

-7.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 25.91

$2.63 SEK 25.02

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.45

$3.61 SEK 34.28

-17.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 SEK 39.48

$3.79 SEK 36.00

9.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.55

$1.50 SEK 14.29

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.42

$2.01 SEK 19.09

-3.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 SEK 21.20

$2.68 SEK 25.45

-16.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.18

$1.76 SEK 16.70

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 SEK 75.1

$7.18 SEK 68.2

10.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 SEK 137

$12.56 SEK 119

14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 21.57

$1.46 SEK 13.82

55.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.02

$1.98 SEK 18.86

27.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 SEK 36.79

$3.41 SEK 32.40

13.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.6 SEK 851

$73.7 SEK 700

21.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 SEK 98.0

$3.78 SEK 35.92

172.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.23

$1.59 SEK 15.10

0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.1 SEK 590

$84.8 SEK 806

-26.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.34

$1.99 SEK 18.86

-3.02%

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

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

$32.2K SEK 306.1K

-0.06%

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

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

$34.8K SEK 330.2K

0.65%

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

$136 SEK 1,290

$88.2 SEK 838

53.90%

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

$25.35 SEK 241

$28.82 SEK 274

-12.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.47 SEK 375

$36.67 SEK 348

7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.88 SEK 388

$37.42 SEK 356

9.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.69 SEK 235

$21.43 SEK 204

15.21%

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 172

$19.82 SEK 188

-8.53%

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

$176 SEK 1,676

$160 SEK 1,520

10.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

$5,216 SEK 49.6K

-21.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 SEK 855

$95.9 SEK 911

-6.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.38 SEK 374

$42.87 SEK 407

-8.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 SEK 924

$92.3 SEK 877

5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,477

$125 SEK 1,183

24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

$839 SEK 7,971

35.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 SEK 8,162

$597 SEK 5,673

43.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

$1,482 SEK 14.1K

25.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

$1,133 SEK 10.8K

27.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

$3,751 SEK 35.6K

70.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

$2,543 SEK 24.2K

40.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

$3,080 SEK 29.3K

19.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.87

-11.09%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 27, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Gothenburg and $839 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 20% 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: $93.0 in Gothenburg vs $68.0 in Vasteras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $361 per month, with Vasteras 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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vasteras wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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 20% 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: $1,136 in Gothenburg versus $839 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Gothenburg versus $160 in Vasteras. 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 $1,726 in Vasteras versus $2,068 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 $1,726 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 20% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.