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: $1,926 in Kalmar versus $2,063 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,839 in Kalmar versus $3,240 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,751 in Kalmar versus $4,417 in Gothenburg.

Living in Kalmar costs roughly 7% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kalmar 44% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.76 SEK 152

$13.74 SEK 133

14.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 SEK 722

$91.2 SEK 882

-18.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 100.0

$10.42 SEK 101

-0.77%

Cappuccino

$4.68 SEK 45.19

$4.86 SEK 46.95

-3.70%

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

$2.81 SEK 27.19

$3.08 SEK 29.74

-8.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.42

$2.56 SEK 24.77

6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 SEK 95.7

$7.43 SEK 71.8

33.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 SEK 73.3

$7.72 SEK 74.6

-1.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 SEK 14.55

$1.76 SEK 17.00

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 SEK 23.95

$2.87 SEK 27.78

-13.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SEK 26.23

$3.34 SEK 32.30

-18.86%

Eggs

$4.88 SEK 47.18

$4.63 SEK 44.80

5.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 SEK 98.4

$11.67 SEK 113

-12.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 SEK 112

$12.41 SEK 120

-7.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 SEK 155

$18.65 SEK 180

-13.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 SEK 25.80

$3.07 SEK 29.72

-13.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 26.44

$2.64 SEK 25.56

3.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.63

$2.93 SEK 28.30

8.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 SEK 36.54

$4.31 SEK 41.67

-12.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 SEK 14.36

$1.76 SEK 16.97

-15.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 SEK 22.49

$1.87 SEK 18.10

24.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 SEK 20.01

$2.22 SEK 21.42

-6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SEK 16.21

$1.59 SEK 15.38

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 SEK 68.8

$7.94 SEK 76.8

-10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 SEK 88.1

$14.36 SEK 139

-36.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.37

$2.20 SEK 21.25

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 16.58

$2.53 SEK 24.44

-32.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 SEK 28.82

$3.92 SEK 37.94

-23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 SEK 842

$90.9 SEK 879

-4.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.08 SEK 68.5

$10.16 SEK 98.2

-30.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.67 SEK 16.10

-4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.6 SEK 509

$61.6 SEK 595

-14.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.42

$1.96 SEK 18.95

-2.55%

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

$27.6K SEK 266.5K

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

-14.33%

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

$28.1K SEK 271.5K

$35.6K SEK 343.7K

-21.00%

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

$117 SEK 1,129

$140 SEK 1,356

-16.76%

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

$28.56 SEK 276

$25.00 SEK 242

14.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.64 SEK 296

$38.56 SEK 373

-20.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.77 SEK 288

$41.38 SEK 400

-28.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 SEK 152

$24.81 SEK 240

-36.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 SEK 139

$18.04 SEK 174

-20.23%

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

$146 SEK 1,410

$178 SEK 1,719

-17.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,077 SEK 39.4K

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

-2.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 SEK 621

$89.5 SEK 866

-28.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 SEK 203

$39.39 SEK 381

-46.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 SEK 584

$95.4 SEK 922

-36.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 SEK 734

$153 SEK 1,474

-50.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 SEK 9,154

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

-13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 SEK 7,845

$860 SEK 8,314

-5.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 SEK 13.2K

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

-27.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 SEK 11.6K

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

-14.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,262 SEK 41.2K

$6,493 SEK 62.8K

-34.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 SEK 27.4K

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

-19.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,928 SEK 28.3K

$3,590 SEK 34.7K

-18.44%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Kalmar and $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 23% 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: $75.0 in Kalmar vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $377 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 7% 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, salaries run 23% lower in Gothenburg. 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: $947 in Kalmar versus $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Kalmar versus $178 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,926 in Kalmar versus $2,063 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 $1,926 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 7% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.