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: $2,072 in Gothenburg versus $1,756 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Gothenburg versus $2,803 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,287 in Gothenburg versus $3,850 in Vasteras.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 18% more expensive than Vasteras, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Vasteras 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 SEK 130

$14.84 SEK 139

-6.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 SEK 849

$67.4 SEK 632

34.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 SEK 98.0

$10.45 SEK 98.0

-0.10%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 46.25

$4.64 SEK 43.48

6.25%

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

$2.96 SEK 27.81

$2.69 SEK 25.24

10.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.67

$2.43 SEK 22.76

8.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 SEK 68.9

$7.58 SEK 71.1

-3.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 SEK 73.9

$7.19 SEK 67.5

9.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.35

$1.53 SEK 14.36

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 SEK 27.27

$2.64 SEK 24.73

10.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 SEK 31.02

$3.94 SEK 36.93

-15.99%

Eggs

$4.43 SEK 41.55

$3.86 SEK 36.25

14.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 109

$11.82 SEK 111

-1.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 SEK 117

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 SEK 178

$15.60 SEK 146

21.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.30

$3.20 SEK 30.02

-2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.67

$2.67 SEK 25.03

2.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 SEK 27.00

$3.42 SEK 32.12

-15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.18

$3.59 SEK 33.64

16.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.57

$1.54 SEK 14.46

7.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 SEK 17.97

$1.93 SEK 18.08

-0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 SEK 21.72

$2.78 SEK 26.05

-16.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SEK 15.25

$1.72 SEK 16.16

-5.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SEK 73.6

$7.36 SEK 69.0

6.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 SEK 140

$14.17 SEK 133

5.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 20.93

$1.40 SEK 13.16

59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.77

$1.91 SEK 17.89

32.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 SEK 35.72

$3.34 SEK 31.30

14.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 826

$74.0 SEK 694

18.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 SEK 94.9

$3.61 SEK 33.88

180.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.01

$1.61 SEK 15.08

-0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 588

$83.1 SEK 780

-24.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.24

$1.92 SEK 18.03

1.04%

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

$32.3K SEK 303.3K

$32.0K SEK 300.2K

1.01%

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

$35.6K SEK 333.6K

$33.7K SEK 315.9K

5.60%

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

$141 SEK 1,318

$89.5 SEK 839

57.09%

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

$25.19 SEK 236

$28.80 SEK 270

-12.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.13 SEK 367

$37.01 SEK 347

5.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 SEK 395

$37.46 SEK 351

12.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.07 SEK 235

$20.96 SEK 197

19.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.71 SEK 166

$19.15 SEK 180

-7.52%

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

$178 SEK 1,669

$159 SEK 1,489

12.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 SEK 38.4K

$5,190 SEK 48.7K

-21.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 SEK 817

$96.5 SEK 906

-9.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 SEK 368

$41.49 SEK 389

-5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 SEK 913

$92.9 SEK 871

4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,434

$125 SEK 1,168

22.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 SEK 10.5K

$832 SEK 7,800

34.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 7,988

$608 SEK 5,700

40.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 SEK 17.7K

$1,465 SEK 13.7K

28.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 SEK 13.2K

$1,164 SEK 10.9K

20.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,604 SEK 61.9K

$3,807 SEK 35.7K

73.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,695 SEK 34.7K

$2,599 SEK 24.4K

42.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,705 SEK 34.8K

$3,142 SEK 29.5K

17.92%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,120 in Gothenburg and $832 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 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 18% 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.

Gothenburg pays 18% 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: $1,120 in Gothenburg versus $832 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $159 in Vasteras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,756 in Vasteras versus $2,072 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 $1,756 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 18% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.