Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlstad and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,727 a month against $2,008 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gothenburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karlstad and in Gothenburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karlstad and in Gothenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,727 in Karlstad versus $2,008 in Gothenburg.

Karlstad $1,727
Gothenburg $2,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,665 in Karlstad versus $3,067 in Gothenburg.

Karlstad $2,665
Gothenburg $3,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,603 in Karlstad versus $4,127 in Gothenburg.

Karlstad $3,603
Gothenburg $4,127

Living in Karlstad costs roughly 14% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlstad 27% above, Gothenburg 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.14 SEK 149

$13.67 SEK 134

10.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 SEK 790

$86.7 SEK 851

-7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 SEK 98.9

$12.40 SEK 122

-18.79%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.68

$5.04 SEK 49.48

-3.57%

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

$2.45 SEK 24.01

$2.99 SEK 29.31

-18.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 21.25

$2.33 SEK 22.89

-7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 SEK 79.3

$6.88 SEK 67.5

17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 SEK 64.7

$7.57 SEK 74.3

-12.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SEK 14.22

$1.73 SEK 16.97

-16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 SEK 27.80

$2.79 SEK 27.36

1.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 SEK 36.14

$3.26 SEK 31.97

12.88%

Eggs

$4.37 SEK 42.85

$3.90 SEK 38.26

12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 SEK 99.8

$11.25 SEK 110

-9.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.96 SEK 137

$11.57 SEK 114

20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.73 SEK 174

$16.43 SEK 161

7.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 SEK 28.91

$3.01 SEK 29.54

-1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 26.35

$2.45 SEK 24.06

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 SEK 29.71

$2.90 SEK 28.48

4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 SEK 53.0

$4.49 SEK 44.09

20.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 SEK 18.80

$1.83 SEK 17.95

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.84

$1.67 SEK 16.36

2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 25.87

$2.05 SEK 20.11

28.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 SEK 12.74

$1.60 SEK 15.72

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 SEK 68.3

$8.35 SEK 81.9

-16.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 SEK 99.8

$15.18 SEK 149

-33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 SEK 23.79

$2.04 SEK 20.04

18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 19.98

$2.25 SEK 22.12

-9.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 SEK 30.70

$3.83 SEK 37.56

-18.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 SEK 789

$86.4 SEK 848

-6.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 SEK 53.6

$6.21 SEK 60.9

-12.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 SEK 12.67

$1.67 SEK 16.37

-22.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 SEK 592

$59.2 SEK 581

1.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.90

$1.75 SEK 17.20

-1.71%

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

$32.6K SEK 320.4K

$33.4K SEK 327.9K

-2.29%

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

$33.8K SEK 331.2K

$33.8K SEK 331.7K

-0.13%

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

$99.4 SEK 975

$104 SEK 1,017

-4.09%

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

$15.73 SEK 154

$19.70 SEK 193

-20.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.76 SEK 429

$34.35 SEK 337

27.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.27 SEK 444

$34.01 SEK 334

33.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.66 SEK 163

$24.39 SEK 239

-31.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 SEK 138

$16.98 SEK 167

-17.08%

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

$126 SEK 1,236

$222 SEK 2,180

-43.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,336 SEK 42.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 1,037

$88.7 SEK 870

19.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.85 SEK 391

$32.91 SEK 323

21.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 SEK 744

$87.8 SEK 861

-13.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 SEK 1,384

$134 SEK 1,315

5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 SEK 8,518

$1,107 SEK 10.9K

-21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 SEK 5,638

$874 SEK 8,575

-34.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

$1,861 SEK 18.3K

-36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 SEK 8,504

$1,400 SEK 13.7K

-38.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

$6,415 SEK 63.0K

-40.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

$4,026 SEK 39.5K

-30.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

$3,521 SEK 34.6K

-9.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.09

3.06

33.66%

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

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Karlstad

$575 33.3%

Gothenburg

$874 43.5% 52.1% $299

Groceries & Markets

Karlstad

$370 21.4%

Gothenburg

$360 17.9% 2.8% $10

Eating Out

Karlstad

$282 16.3%

Gothenburg

$278 13.8% 1.3% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Karlstad

$163 9.5%

Gothenburg

$155 7.7% 5.3% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karlstad

$159 9.2%

Gothenburg

$158 7.9% 0.8% $1.2

Getting Around

Karlstad

$105 6.1%

Gothenburg

$116 5.8% 10.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Karlstad

$73 4.3%

Gothenburg

$68 3.4% 7.5% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Karlstad and $1,107 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 10% 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: $81 in Karlstad vs $87 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $370 vs $360, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

19:03 7:03 PM

Same time as Karlstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,797

607,882

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Karlstad Gothenburg 210 km

From you

Karlstad
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 14% 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, salaries run 9% lower in Karlstad. 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: $868 in Karlstad versus $1,107 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $126 in Karlstad versus $222 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Karlstad gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Karlstad and Gothenburg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Karlstad wins on affordability, Gothenburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.