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: $1,965 in Kiruna versus $2,113 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,097 in Kiruna versus $3,197 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,229 in Kiruna versus $4,282 in Gothenburg.

Living in Kiruna costs roughly 7% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kiruna 47% above, Gothenburg 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.70 SEK 117

$13.60 SEK 125

-6.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 SEK 877

$92.0 SEK 846

3.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 SEK 110

$10.52 SEK 96.8

13.59%

Cappuccino

$4.72 SEK 43.42

$4.96 SEK 45.68

-4.84%

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

$2.07 SEK 19.06

$3.07 SEK 28.25

-32.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 SEK 9.44

$2.63 SEK 24.19

-60.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 SEK 76.8

$7.58 SEK 69.8

10.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 SEK 62.4

$7.97 SEK 73.3

-14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 SEK 17.24

$1.71 SEK 15.73

9.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 SEK 32.18

$3.01 SEK 27.66

16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 SEK 47.17

$3.32 SEK 30.54

54.52%

Eggs

$4.83 SEK 44.43

$4.62 SEK 42.53

4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 SEK 117

$11.58 SEK 107

10.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.04 SEK 129

$12.56 SEK 116

11.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.56 SEK 254

$18.93 SEK 174

45.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 23.79

$3.18 SEK 29.26

-18.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 SEK 25.89

$2.68 SEK 24.66

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 SEK 23.35

$2.94 SEK 27.04

-13.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 SEK 40.40

$4.21 SEK 38.75

4.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 SEK 19.74

$1.72 SEK 15.83

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.35

$1.93 SEK 17.73

-13.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 31.51

$2.27 SEK 20.90

50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.32

$1.54 SEK 14.19

-5.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.38 SEK 67.9

$7.85 SEK 72.2

-5.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 SEK 101

$12.53 SEK 115

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 SEK 16.66

$2.25 SEK 20.70

-19.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.60

$2.58 SEK 23.78

-30.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 SEK 30.52

$3.96 SEK 36.44

-16.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 SEK 668

$88.6 SEK 815

-18.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.41 SEK 86.6

$10.46 SEK 96.3

-10.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 14.64

$1.67 SEK 15.35

-4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.9 SEK 671

$63.0 SEK 580

15.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 17.96

$1.89 SEK 17.43

3.17%

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

$32.6K SEK 299.5K

$33.0K SEK 303.4K

-1.26%

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

$35.5K SEK 326.3K

$35.0K SEK 321.9K

1.35%

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

$173 SEK 1,593

$141 SEK 1,294

23.16%

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

$32.32 SEK 297

$25.24 SEK 232

28.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.23 SEK 260

$38.61 SEK 355

-26.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.19 SEK 434

$40.96 SEK 377

15.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.12 SEK 231

$24.80 SEK 228

1.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 127

$17.54 SEK 161

-21.61%

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

$163 SEK 1,503

$175 SEK 1,614

-6.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,172 SEK 38.4K

$4,120 SEK 37.9K

1.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 SEK 1,174

$87.5 SEK 805

45.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.89 SEK 312

$40.39 SEK 372

-16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 SEK 1,182

$97.5 SEK 897

31.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,582

$154 SEK 1,414

11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$823 SEK 7,570

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

-25.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 SEK 5,874

$870 SEK 8,005

-26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 SEK 13.3K

$1,885 SEK 17.3K

-23.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 SEK 10.8K

$1,403 SEK 12.9K

-16.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,150 SEK 38.2K

$6,641 SEK 61.1K

-37.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,052 SEK 28.1K

$3,944 SEK 36.3K

-22.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 SEK 33.1K

$3,970 SEK 36.5K

-9.28%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $823 in Kiruna and $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 10% 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: $95 in Kiruna vs $92 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $376 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 8% 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 10% 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: $823 in Kiruna versus $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $163 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,965 in Kiruna versus $2,113 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 $1,965 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 8% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.