Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlstad and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlstad and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,739 in Karlstad versus $2,072 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,699 in Karlstad versus $3,179 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,658 in Karlstad versus $4,287 in Gothenburg.

Living in Karlstad costs roughly 16% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlstad 29% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 SEK 150

$13.87 SEK 130

15.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 SEK 645

$90.6 SEK 849

-24.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 SEK 105

$10.44 SEK 98.0

6.99%

Cappuccino

$4.96 SEK 46.57

$4.93 SEK 46.25

0.61%

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

$2.70 SEK 25.36

$2.96 SEK 27.81

-8.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 20.67

$2.63 SEK 24.67

-16.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.52 SEK 79.9

$7.35 SEK 68.9

15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 78.0

$7.88 SEK 73.9

5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 SEK 13.47

$1.74 SEK 16.35

-17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 27.11

$2.91 SEK 27.27

-0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 SEK 36.78

$3.31 SEK 31.02

18.43%

Eggs

$4.76 SEK 44.61

$4.43 SEK 41.55

7.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 SEK 116

$11.64 SEK 109

5.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.25 SEK 134

$12.52 SEK 117

13.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 SEK 160

$19.01 SEK 178

-10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.05

$3.12 SEK 29.30

-4.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 24.24

$2.74 SEK 25.67

-5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.32

$2.88 SEK 27.00

12.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 SEK 47.62

$4.18 SEK 39.18

21.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 14.82

$1.66 SEK 15.57

-4.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 SEK 16.41

$1.92 SEK 17.97

-8.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.43

$2.32 SEK 21.72

12.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 SEK 11.86

$1.63 SEK 15.25

-22.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.29 SEK 68.4

$7.84 SEK 73.6

-7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 SEK 100

$14.97 SEK 140

-28.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 16.33

$2.23 SEK 20.93

-21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 SEK 15.85

$2.53 SEK 23.77

-33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 30.06

$3.81 SEK 35.72

-16.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.3 SEK 800

$88.0 SEK 826

-3.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 SEK 53.9

$10.12 SEK 94.9

-43.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 SEK 12.62

$1.60 SEK 15.01

-16.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.6 SEK 606

$62.6 SEK 588

3.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.65

$1.94 SEK 18.24

2.58%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.0K

$32.3K SEK 303.3K

-1.08%

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

$34.4K SEK 322.5K

$35.6K SEK 333.6K

-3.31%

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

$104 SEK 979

$141 SEK 1,318

-25.72%

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

$29.36 SEK 275

$25.19 SEK 236

16.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.62 SEK 409

$39.13 SEK 367

11.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.21 SEK 433

$42.15 SEK 395

9.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 SEK 162

$25.07 SEK 235

-31.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 SEK 134

$17.71 SEK 166

-19.48%

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

$146 SEK 1,374

$178 SEK 1,669

-17.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,179 SEK 29.8K

$4,090 SEK 38.4K

-22.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 SEK 811

$87.1 SEK 817

-0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.41 SEK 388

$39.25 SEK 368

5.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 SEK 775

$97.4 SEK 913

-15.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 SEK 1,386

$153 SEK 1,434

-3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 SEK 9,987

$1,120 SEK 10.5K

-4.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SEK 5,365

$852 SEK 7,988

-32.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 SEK 11.4K

$1,887 SEK 17.7K

-35.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 SEK 8,512

$1,403 SEK 13.2K

-35.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,604 SEK 61.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,695 SEK 34.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,261 SEK 30.6K

$3,705 SEK 34.8K

-11.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.33

10.85%

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

Last update for Karlstad: June 6, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,065 in Karlstad and $1,120 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 14% 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: $69.0 in Karlstad vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $380 per month, with Karlstad 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

Karlstad vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlstad wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karlstad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 14% 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: $1,065 in Karlstad versus $1,120 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Karlstad 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 2% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,739 in Karlstad versus $2,072 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Karlstad but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Karlstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karlstad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karlstad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Karlstad 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 Karlstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.