Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,449 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,128 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,925 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,175 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,400 in Kingston upon Thames versus $4,222 in Gothenburg.

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 62% more expensive than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston upon Thames 151% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.44 £16.64
$13.76 SEK 133
63.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$87.1 £64.6
$91.9 SEK 885
-5.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.01 £8.17
$12.84 SEK 124
-14.25%
Cappuccino
$5.61 £4.16
$5.06 SEK 48.77
10.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 £2.27
$2.94 SEK 28.33
4.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.35
$2.19 SEK 21.08
-16.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.62 £7.13
$7.18 SEK 69.2
33.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.86 £6.57
$7.86 SEK 75.7
12.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 £1.30
$1.80 SEK 17.30
-2.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.73 £1.28
$2.77 SEK 26.68
-37.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 £1.80
$3.17 SEK 30.49
-23.66%
Eggs
$5.06 £3.76
$4.10 SEK 39.45
23.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 £6.56
$12.10 SEK 117
-26.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.77 £6.50
$11.67 SEK 112
-24.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.23 £9.81
$17.76 SEK 171
-25.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.35 £2.49
$3.23 SEK 31.09
3.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 £1.06
$2.64 SEK 25.42
-46.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 £1.91
$3.22 SEK 31.00
-20.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.82 £2.09
$4.37 SEK 42.11
-35.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 £1.26
$1.82 SEK 17.52
-6.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 £1.36
$1.68 SEK 16.13
9.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 £0.95
$2.03 SEK 19.51
-36.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.81 £1.34
$1.78 SEK 17.13
1.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.17 £17.93
$8.50 SEK 81.8
184.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.51 £7.06
$14.55 SEK 140
-34.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.21 £2.38
$2.20 SEK 21.16
45.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 £3.36
$2.38 SEK 22.91
90.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 £1.72
$3.85 SEK 37.06
-39.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.12 £32.72
$88.8 SEK 855
-50.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 £3.65
$6.45 SEK 62.1
-23.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 £1.08
$1.73 SEK 16.62
-15.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.58 £18.23
$61.3 SEK 590
-59.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 £1.47
$1.90 SEK 18.34
4.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.8K £29.5K
$34.0K SEK 327.1K
17.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.8K £31.0K
$34.4K SEK 330.9K
21.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$365 £271
$110 SEK 1,060
232.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.96 £11.84
$19.66 SEK 189
-18.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.50 £31.53
$36.30 SEK 350
17.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$104 £77.4
$37.94 SEK 365
174.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.93 £8.11
$25.89 SEK 249
-57.78%
Cinema Ticket
$20.72 £15.37
$19.34 SEK 186
7.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,729 £2,024
$230 SEK 2,212
1088.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.6K £16.8K
$4,554 SEK 43.9K
396.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$116 £85.7
$91.0 SEK 876
27.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 £40.12
$34.36 SEK 331
57.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.1 £59.4
$94.0 SEK 906
-14.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 £79.4
$135 SEK 1,303
-20.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,066 £1,532
$1,061 SEK 10.2K
94.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,879 £1,394
$961 SEK 9,255
95.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,730 £2,766
$1,849 SEK 17.8K
101.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,235 £2,399
$1,440 SEK 13.9K
124.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$6,496 SEK 62.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,613 SEK 34.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kingston upon Thames
Gothenburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,416 £4,017
$3,639 SEK 35.0K
48.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.84
3.06
58.17%

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

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: August 31, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,066 in Kingston upon Thames and $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 49% 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: $87.0 in Kingston upon Thames vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $372 per month, with Kingston upon Thames 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
Kingston upon Thames vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kingston upon Thames or Gothenburg?
Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Kingston upon Thames. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kingston upon Thames or in Gothenburg?
Average pay runs 49% higher in Kingston upon Thames, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kingston upon Thames compared to Gothenburg?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,066 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Kingston upon Thames and in Gothenburg?
Childcare runs $2,729 in Kingston upon Thames versus $230 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Kingston upon Thames or in Gothenburg?
Shoppers in Kingston upon Thames pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Kingston upon Thames or in Gothenburg?
At $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $3,449 in Kingston upon Thames, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Kingston upon Thames. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kingston upon Thames or Gothenburg?
Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,128 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.
How safe is Kingston upon Thames compared to Gothenburg?
Safety-wise, Kingston upon Thames 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Gothenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Kingston upon Thames vs other spots: cost of living compared

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