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: $1,981 in Kalmar versus $2,128 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,973 in Kalmar versus $3,175 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,966 in Kalmar versus $4,222 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 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.61 SEK 149

$13.76 SEK 132

13.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 SEK 699

$91.9 SEK 879

-20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 SEK 106

$12.84 SEK 123

-13.71%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.53

$5.06 SEK 48.44

-3.95%

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

$2.92 SEK 27.93

$2.94 SEK 28.14

-0.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 SEK 25.32

$2.19 SEK 20.94

21.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.82 SEK 94.0

$7.18 SEK 68.7

36.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 SEK 69.4

$7.86 SEK 75.2

-7.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 SEK 14.52

$1.80 SEK 17.19

-15.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 SEK 28.46

$2.77 SEK 26.50

7.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.58

$3.17 SEK 30.28

0.95%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 47.39

$4.10 SEK 39.18

20.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 112

$12.10 SEK 116

-3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 111

$11.67 SEK 112

-0.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.58 SEK 226

$17.76 SEK 170

32.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 SEK 25.36

$3.23 SEK 30.88

-17.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.07

$2.64 SEK 25.25

7.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 SEK 32.69

$3.22 SEK 30.79

6.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 39.35

$4.37 SEK 41.82

-5.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SEK 14.69

$1.82 SEK 17.41

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 SEK 15.03

$1.68 SEK 16.02

-6.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 SEK 19.36

$2.03 SEK 19.38

-0.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.47

$1.78 SEK 17.01

2.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 SEK 77.7

$8.50 SEK 81.3

-4.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 SEK 89.2

$14.55 SEK 139

-35.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 19.35

$2.20 SEK 21.02

-8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 SEK 24.57

$2.38 SEK 22.76

7.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 SEK 33.98

$3.85 SEK 36.81

-7.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 SEK 775

$88.8 SEK 849

-8.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 SEK 95.9

$6.45 SEK 61.7

55.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SEK 16.70

$1.73 SEK 16.50

1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.3 SEK 481

$61.3 SEK 586

-17.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.36

$1.90 SEK 18.22

-4.74%

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

$31.6K SEK 302.2K

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

-6.98%

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

$30.2K SEK 288.7K

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

-12.16%

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

$152 SEK 1,451

$110 SEK 1,052

37.84%

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

$27.98 SEK 268

$19.66 SEK 188

42.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.50 SEK 320

$36.30 SEK 347

-7.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.39 SEK 310

$37.94 SEK 363

-14.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 SEK 258

$25.89 SEK 248

4.21%

Cinema Ticket

$15.39 SEK 147

$19.34 SEK 185

-20.42%

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

$146 SEK 1,401

$230 SEK 2,196

-36.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,205 SEK 49.8K

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

14.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 SEK 503

$91.0 SEK 870

-42.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.15 SEK 432

$34.36 SEK 329

31.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 SEK 816

$94.0 SEK 900

-9.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 SEK 1,011

$135 SEK 1,294

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 SEK 9,036

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

-10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 SEK 7,763

$961 SEK 9,192

-15.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 SEK 13.1K

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

-26.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 SEK 11.6K

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

-15.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,269 SEK 40.8K

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

-34.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,887 SEK 27.6K

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

-20.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,037 SEK 29.1K

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

-16.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

3.06

28.43%

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

Last update for Kalmar: August 29, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $945 in Kalmar and $1,061 in Gothenburg. 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: $73.0 in Kalmar vs $92.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $372, 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

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 20% 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: $945 in Kalmar versus $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Kalmar versus $230 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,981 in Kalmar versus $2,128 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 $1,981 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.