Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiruna and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiruna and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,926 in Kiruna versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,099 in Kiruna versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Kiruna versus $4,328 in Gothenburg.

Living in Kiruna costs roughly 6% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kiruna 44% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.75 SEK 121

$13.74 SEK 130

-7.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 SEK 915

$93.9 SEK 888

3.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 SEK 112

$10.34 SEK 97.8

14.02%

Cappuccino

$4.64 SEK 43.94

$4.73 SEK 44.80

-1.90%

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

$2.07 SEK 19.61

$2.97 SEK 28.09

-30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 SEK 10.03

$2.53 SEK 23.97

-58.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.50 SEK 80.4

$7.26 SEK 68.7

17.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 SEK 65.0

$7.72 SEK 73.0

-11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.28

$1.68 SEK 15.89

14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 SEK 33.48

$2.85 SEK 26.99

24.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 SEK 47.05

$3.32 SEK 31.38

49.70%

Eggs

$4.91 SEK 46.42

$4.65 SEK 44.01

5.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 SEK 125

$11.80 SEK 112

12.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.78 SEK 130

$12.61 SEK 119

9.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.10 SEK 266

$19.02 SEK 180

47.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 24.51

$3.10 SEK 29.33

-16.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.75

$2.74 SEK 25.90

-0.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.77

$2.91 SEK 27.49

-9.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 40.75

$4.18 SEK 39.50

3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 SEK 20.45

$1.66 SEK 15.72

30.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.08

$1.85 SEK 17.50

-14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.43 SEK 32.45

$2.27 SEK 21.52

51.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.83

$1.55 SEK 14.66

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.19 SEK 68.0

$7.82 SEK 74.0

-8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 SEK 96.1

$15.32 SEK 145

-33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SEK 17.25

$2.26 SEK 21.37

-19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.80

$2.61 SEK 24.67

-27.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 SEK 32.27

$3.80 SEK 35.95

-10.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 SEK 703

$88.6 SEK 838

-16.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 SEK 87.9

$10.11 SEK 95.6

-8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.17

$1.66 SEK 15.70

-3.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.8 SEK 699

$61.7 SEK 584

19.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 SEK 18.62

$1.89 SEK 17.89

4.23%

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

$32.4K SEK 307.0K

$32.0K SEK 303.1K

1.29%

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

$36.2K SEK 342.8K

$34.5K SEK 326.1K

5.12%

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

$173 SEK 1,638

$138 SEK 1,310

25.02%

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

$32.94 SEK 312

$24.95 SEK 236

32.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.76 SEK 263

$38.25 SEK 362

-27.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 SEK 442

$41.78 SEK 395

11.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 SEK 235

$25.26 SEK 239

-1.58%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 SEK 130

$17.98 SEK 170

-23.80%

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

$161 SEK 1,522

$175 SEK 1,660

-8.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,100 SEK 38.8K

$4,215 SEK 39.9K

-2.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,180

$87.6 SEK 829

42.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.76 SEK 319

$40.28 SEK 381

-16.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 SEK 1,224

$96.9 SEK 917

33.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,574

$156 SEK 1,479

6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 SEK 7,963

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

-25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 SEK 6,061

$873 SEK 8,263

-26.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 SEK 13.4K

$1,917 SEK 18.1K

-26.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 SEK 11.2K

$1,434 SEK 13.6K

-17.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,906 SEK 37.0K

$6,696 SEK 63.4K

-41.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,376 SEK 31.9K

$3,764 SEK 35.6K

-10.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,449 SEK 32.6K

$3,953 SEK 37.4K

-12.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

-7.62%

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

Last update for Kiruna: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $842 in Kiruna and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 15% 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: $97.0 in Kiruna vs $94.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $381 per month, with Gothenburg 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

Kiruna vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiruna wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kiruna the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 15% 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: $842 in Kiruna versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Kiruna versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,926 in Kiruna versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kiruna but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Kiruna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kiruna delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,926 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kiruna hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kiruna 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 Kiruna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.