Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,862 in Kalmar versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Kalmar versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,740 in Kalmar versus $4,328 in Gothenburg.

Living in Kalmar costs roughly 10% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kalmar 39% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 150

$13.74 SEK 128

16.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 SEK 693

$93.9 SEK 876

-20.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 SEK 98.6

$10.34 SEK 96.5

2.13%

Cappuccino

$4.56 SEK 42.55

$4.73 SEK 44.18

-3.59%

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

$2.89 SEK 26.97

$2.97 SEK 27.70

-2.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.85

$2.53 SEK 23.64

5.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.71 SEK 90.6

$7.26 SEK 67.8

33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 SEK 69.3

$7.72 SEK 72.0

-3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 SEK 13.77

$1.68 SEK 15.67

-11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 SEK 22.28

$2.85 SEK 26.62

-16.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 24.05

$3.32 SEK 30.95

-22.29%

Eggs

$4.88 SEK 45.52

$4.65 SEK 43.41

4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.36 SEK 96.7

$11.80 SEK 110

-12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 109

$12.61 SEK 118

-6.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 SEK 151

$19.02 SEK 178

-15.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.42

$3.10 SEK 28.92

-15.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 SEK 26.03

$2.74 SEK 25.54

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.16

$2.91 SEK 27.11

7.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 SEK 34.51

$4.18 SEK 38.96

-11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SEK 13.33

$1.66 SEK 15.50

-13.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 SEK 21.87

$1.85 SEK 17.25

26.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 SEK 19.19

$2.27 SEK 21.22

-9.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.44

$1.55 SEK 14.46

7.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SEK 68.1

$7.82 SEK 73.0

-6.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 SEK 92.4

$15.32 SEK 143

-35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 19.71

$2.26 SEK 21.08

-6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.48

$2.61 SEK 24.32

-36.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 SEK 26.39

$3.80 SEK 35.45

-25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 SEK 804

$88.6 SEK 827

-2.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.25 SEK 67.6

$10.11 SEK 94.3

-28.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 SEK 14.53

$1.66 SEK 15.48

-6.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.6 SEK 491

$61.7 SEK 576

-14.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.19

$1.89 SEK 17.64

3.17%

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

$27.5K SEK 256.4K

$32.0K SEK 298.9K

-14.23%

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

$28.1K SEK 262.2K

$34.5K SEK 321.6K

-18.46%

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

$118 SEK 1,104

$138 SEK 1,292

-14.53%

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

$28.08 SEK 262

$24.95 SEK 233

12.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.58 SEK 285

$38.25 SEK 357

-20.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.43 SEK 275

$41.78 SEK 390

-29.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.57 SEK 145

$25.26 SEK 236

-38.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.22 SEK 133

$17.98 SEK 168

-20.91%

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

$145 SEK 1,357

$175 SEK 1,637

-17.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,155 SEK 38.8K

$4,215 SEK 39.3K

-1.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 SEK 595

$87.6 SEK 817

-27.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.69 SEK 193

$40.28 SEK 376

-48.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.0 SEK 560

$96.9 SEK 904

-38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 SEK 723

$156 SEK 1,458

-50.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 SEK 8,760

$1,125 SEK 10.5K

-16.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$795 SEK 7,421

$873 SEK 8,148

-8.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 SEK 13.0K

$1,917 SEK 17.9K

-27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 SEK 11.0K

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

-17.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 SEK 40.2K

$6,696 SEK 62.5K

-35.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,931 SEK 27.4K

$3,764 SEK 35.1K

-22.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,061 SEK 28.6K

$3,953 SEK 36.9K

-22.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

4.33

7.62%

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

Last update for Kalmar: June 1, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $939 in Kalmar and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 29% 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: $74.0 in Kalmar vs $94.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $381 per month, with Kalmar 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

Kalmar vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalmar wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kalmar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 29% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $939 in Kalmar versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Kalmar versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,862 in Kalmar versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kalmar but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Kalmar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kalmar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,862 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kalmar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kalmar and Gothenburg 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 Kalmar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.