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: $1,787 in Karlstad versus $2,066 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,727 in Karlstad versus $3,137 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,666 in Karlstad versus $4,208 in Gothenburg.

Living in Karlstad costs roughly 13% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlstad 31% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 SEK 150

$13.45 SEK 133

13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 SEK 797

$91.4 SEK 901

-11.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 SEK 102

$13.14 SEK 130

-21.00%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 48.57

$4.97 SEK 48.93

-0.80%

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

$2.55 SEK 25.09

$3.02 SEK 29.77

-15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.17

$2.23 SEK 21.93

-8.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 SEK 80.1

$6.88 SEK 67.8

18.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 SEK 64.8

$7.55 SEK 74.4

-12.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 15.12

$1.73 SEK 17.07

-11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 SEK 28.38

$2.72 SEK 26.78

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 SEK 36.51

$3.18 SEK 31.32

16.35%

Eggs

$4.55 SEK 44.82

$3.94 SEK 38.82

15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 SEK 101

$11.92 SEK 117

-14.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 SEK 142

$11.66 SEK 115

23.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.10 SEK 178

$16.83 SEK 166

7.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 SEK 29.58

$3.20 SEK 31.51

-6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 26.58

$2.57 SEK 25.34

5.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 30.90

$3.08 SEK 30.40

1.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 SEK 54.2

$4.24 SEK 41.82

29.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.78

$1.85 SEK 18.24

-2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.13

$1.65 SEK 16.29

5.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 SEK 26.63

$1.98 SEK 19.51

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.23

$1.73 SEK 17.01

-22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.08 SEK 69.8

$8.36 SEK 82.4

-15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 SEK 100

$14.27 SEK 141

-28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$2.07 SEK 20.38

17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 20.28

$2.23 SEK 21.96

-7.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 SEK 32.12

$3.74 SEK 36.89

-12.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 SEK 802

$88.0 SEK 867

-7.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 SEK 55.7

$6.22 SEK 61.3

-9.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 SEK 13.30

$1.71 SEK 16.82

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.5 SEK 626

$60.3 SEK 594

5.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 18.04

$1.83 SEK 17.99

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

$34.0K SEK 334.9K

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

1.81%

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

$33.0K SEK 325.5K

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

-5.03%

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

$102 SEK 1,005

$107 SEK 1,057

-4.96%

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

$18.84 SEK 186

$19.22 SEK 189

-1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.60 SEK 440

$35.96 SEK 354

24.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.80 SEK 461

$37.06 SEK 365

26.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 SEK 168

$25.22 SEK 249

-32.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 SEK 145

$19.54 SEK 193

-24.62%

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

$132 SEK 1,298

$229 SEK 2,253

-42.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 SEK 918

$89.2 SEK 879

4.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 SEK 403

$33.16 SEK 327

23.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 SEK 744

$93.3 SEK 919

-19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 SEK 1,435

$133 SEK 1,308

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 SEK 8,673

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

-15.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 SEK 5,873

$952 SEK 9,380

-37.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 SEK 12.0K

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

-34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 SEK 8,485

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

-38.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,869 SEK 38.1K

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

-39.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,857 SEK 28.2K

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

-19.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,074 SEK 30.3K

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

-15.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

3.06

28.76%

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

Last update for Karlstad: September 13, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Karlstad and $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 18% 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: $81.0 in Karlstad vs $91.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $363, 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

Karlstad vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlstad wins on cost – living expenses run 16% 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 18% 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: $880 in Karlstad versus $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $132 in Karlstad versus $229 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,787 in Karlstad versus $2,066 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 $1,787 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.