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: $1,767 in Karlstad versus $2,120 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,725 in Karlstad versus $3,250 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,683 in Karlstad versus $4,380 in Gothenburg.

Living in Karlstad costs roughly 17% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Karlstad 32% above, Gothenburg 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.54 SEK 144

$13.54 SEK 126

14.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 SEK 623

$92.2 SEK 854

-27.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 SEK 102

$10.41 SEK 96.5

5.28%

Cappuccino

$4.81 SEK 44.62

$5.01 SEK 46.42

-3.99%

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

$2.57 SEK 23.79

$3.11 SEK 28.82

-17.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SEK 19.66

$2.52 SEK 23.33

-15.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 SEK 76.7

$7.47 SEK 69.2

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 76.0

$7.86 SEK 72.9

4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 SEK 13.07

$1.68 SEK 15.57

-16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.43

$2.99 SEK 27.68

-4.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 SEK 35.12

$3.26 SEK 30.19

16.26%

Eggs

$4.86 SEK 45.02

$4.45 SEK 41.27

9.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 SEK 111

$11.52 SEK 107

4.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 SEK 129

$12.21 SEK 113

14.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 SEK 158

$18.59 SEK 172

-8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 28.64

$3.19 SEK 29.54

-3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 23.67

$2.70 SEK 25.01

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 30.20

$3.00 SEK 27.78

8.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 SEK 46.22

$4.33 SEK 40.14

15.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 14.69

$1.67 SEK 15.51

-5.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.10

$1.89 SEK 17.48

-7.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 24.29

$2.23 SEK 20.70

17.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 SEK 11.80

$1.61 SEK 14.93

-21.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 SEK 67.2

$8.02 SEK 74.4

-9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 SEK 101

$12.58 SEK 117

-13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 16.28

$2.26 SEK 20.99

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SEK 15.88

$2.50 SEK 23.14

-31.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 29.63

$3.98 SEK 36.86

-19.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 SEK 788

$88.6 SEK 821

-4.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 SEK 52.7

$10.11 SEK 93.7

-43.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 SEK 12.61

$1.59 SEK 14.74

-14.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 SEK 595

$62.3 SEK 577

3.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 SEK 18.67

$1.94 SEK 17.96

3.61%

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

$32.0K SEK 296.4K

$32.2K SEK 298.4K

-0.68%

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

$34.0K SEK 315.0K

$35.0K SEK 324.1K

-2.81%

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

$108 SEK 1,001

$139 SEK 1,291

-22.46%

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

$29.61 SEK 274

$25.22 SEK 234

17.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.92 SEK 398

$39.47 SEK 366

8.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.25 SEK 429

$42.17 SEK 391

9.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.56 SEK 163

$25.32 SEK 235

-30.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 SEK 136

$17.60 SEK 163

-16.76%

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

$150 SEK 1,389

$175 SEK 1,618

-14.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,178 SEK 29.5K

$4,140 SEK 38.4K

-23.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 SEK 804

$88.0 SEK 816

-1.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 SEK 390

$39.75 SEK 368

5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 SEK 748

$98.2 SEK 910

-17.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 SEK 1,363

$156 SEK 1,448

-5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 SEK 9,695

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

-5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SEK 5,303

$876 SEK 8,123

-34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 SEK 11.5K

$1,865 SEK 17.3K

-33.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 SEK 8,172

$1,414 SEK 13.1K

-37.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,531 SEK 60.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,920 SEK 36.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,375 SEK 31.3K

$4,025 SEK 37.3K

-16.13%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,046 in Karlstad and $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 19% 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: $67.0 in Karlstad vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $373 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 20% 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 19% 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: $1,046 in Karlstad versus $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $150 in Karlstad versus $175 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 $1,767 in Karlstad versus $2,120 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 $1,767 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 20% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.