Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Wels Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Wels

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,964 in Wels.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,867 in Wels.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,769 in Wels.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 5% more expensive than in Wels, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Wels 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$17.39 €15.22

-20.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 882

$72.4 €63.3

26.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$12.13 €10.62

-14.10%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.95

$4.48 €3.92

8.48%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.74

$4.29 €3.75

-28.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.77

$2.95 €2.58

-13.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.8

$5.33 €4.66

39.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.6

$4.90 €4.29

57.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.00

$1.46 €1.27

20.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.78

$3.03 €2.65

-5.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.30

$2.23 €1.95

49.78%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.80

$3.30 €2.89

40.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$25.08 €21.94

-53.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$13.83 €12.10

-10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 180

$21.35 €18.68

-12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.72

$2.91 €2.54

5.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.56

$1.89 €1.65

39.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.30

$2.66 €2.33

10.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.67

$2.91 €2.55

48.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.97

$2.08 €1.82

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$1.76 €1.54

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.42

$1.73 €1.51

28.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.38

$0.82 €0.72

93.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.8

$7.47 €6.54

6.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$9.26 €8.10

55.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.25

$0.83 €0.72

165.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.44

$1.58 €1.38

60.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 37.94

$2.73 €2.39

43.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 879

$29.08 €25.45

212.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.2

$6.81 €5.96

49.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.10

$2.14 €1.87

-21.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 595

$34.39 €30.09

79.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.95

$1.72 €1.50

13.95%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

$28.5K €24.9K

12.88%

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

$35.6K SEK 343.7K

$34.6K €30.3K

2.64%

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

$140 SEK 1,356

$362 €317

-61.25%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$22.68 €19.84

10.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$33.84 €29.61

13.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 400

$40.19 €35.16

2.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$34.77 €30.42

-28.65%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 174

$13.67 €11.96

31.97%

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

$178 SEK 1,719

$891 €779

-80.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$7,197 €6,297

-41.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 866

$133 €116

-32.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$51.6 €45.15

-23.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 922

$121 €106

-21.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,474

$138 €121

10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$683 €597

60.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,314

$568 €497

51.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

$1,148 €1,004

63.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$816 €714

72.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.7K

$3,231 €2,827

11.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

44.33%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Wels: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $683 in Wels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 11% 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 $72.0 in Wels. Groceries flip the comparison at $377 vs $379, 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 Wels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wels wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wels the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $683 in Wels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $891 in Wels. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,964 in Wels versus $2,063 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Wels but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Wels the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Wels delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,964 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wels hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Wels 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 Wels 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.