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: $1,779 in Karlstad versus $2,068 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,685 in Karlstad versus $3,219 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,592 in Karlstad versus $4,369 in Gothenburg.

Living in Karlstad costs roughly 14% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlstad 34% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.58 SEK 148

$13.85 SEK 132

12.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 SEK 655

$92.8 SEK 882

-25.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 SEK 104

$10.57 SEK 100

3.78%

Cappuccino

$4.83 SEK 45.88

$4.95 SEK 47.04

-2.42%

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

$2.58 SEK 24.54

$3.04 SEK 28.90

-15.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SEK 20.98

$2.66 SEK 25.25

-16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 SEK 78.4

$7.42 SEK 70.5

11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.26 SEK 78.5

$8.01 SEK 76.1

3.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 SEK 13.17

$1.68 SEK 15.96

-17.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 SEK 27.01

$2.89 SEK 27.43

-1.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 SEK 36.72

$3.33 SEK 31.65

16.22%

Eggs

$4.78 SEK 45.44

$4.49 SEK 42.68

6.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 SEK 116

$11.70 SEK 111

3.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 SEK 136

$12.25 SEK 116

16.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.93 SEK 161

$18.65 SEK 177

-9.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 SEK 28.28

$3.06 SEK 29.10

-2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 24.21

$2.73 SEK 25.91

-6.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 30.95

$2.99 SEK 28.45

9.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 SEK 48.24

$4.16 SEK 39.48

22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 15.68

$1.74 SEK 16.55

-5.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 16.87

$1.94 SEK 18.42

-8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 SEK 25.58

$2.23 SEK 21.20

20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 SEK 12.36

$1.60 SEK 15.18

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.30 SEK 69.4

$7.91 SEK 75.1

-7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 SEK 98.1

$14.41 SEK 137

-28.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SEK 16.62

$2.27 SEK 21.57

-22.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 SEK 16.16

$2.53 SEK 24.02

-32.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 31.18

$3.87 SEK 36.79

-15.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.6 SEK 794

$89.6 SEK 851

-6.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 SEK 55.3

$10.31 SEK 98.0

-43.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 SEK 12.75

$1.60 SEK 15.23

-16.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 SEK 619

$62.1 SEK 590

4.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.45

$1.93 SEK 18.34

0.52%

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

$33.1K SEK 314.9K

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

2.93%

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

$34.6K SEK 328.2K

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

-1.23%

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

$104 SEK 992

$136 SEK 1,290

-23.10%

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

$29.68 SEK 282

$25.35 SEK 241

17.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.68 SEK 406

$39.47 SEK 375

8.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.46 SEK 441

$40.88 SEK 388

13.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.05 SEK 162

$24.69 SEK 235

-30.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.44 SEK 137

$18.13 SEK 172

-20.35%

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

$150 SEK 1,422

$176 SEK 1,676

-15.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,150 SEK 29.9K

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

-23.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 SEK 837

$90.0 SEK 855

-2.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.71 SEK 396

$39.38 SEK 374

5.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 SEK 790

$97.3 SEK 924

-14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 SEK 1,401

$155 SEK 1,477

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 SEK 10.0K

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 SEK 5,599

$859 SEK 8,162

-31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 SEK 11.8K

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

-32.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 SEK 8,604

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

-37.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 29.9K

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

-14.67%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,056 in Karlstad and $1,136 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 17% 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 $93.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $376 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 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 17% 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: $1,056 in Karlstad versus $1,136 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $150 in Karlstad versus $176 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,779 in Karlstad versus $2,068 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 $1,779 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.