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: $1,817 in Kiruna versus $2,066 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,966 in Kiruna versus $3,137 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,115 in Kiruna versus $4,208 in Gothenburg.

Living in Kiruna costs roughly 12% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kiruna 33% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.53 SEK 143

$13.45 SEK 133

8.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$130 SEK 1,282

$91.4 SEK 901

42.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 SEK 104

$13.14 SEK 130

-20.09%

Cappuccino

$4.69 SEK 46.26

$4.97 SEK 48.93

-5.63%

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

$2.76 SEK 27.18

$3.02 SEK 29.77

-8.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 22.20

$2.23 SEK 21.93

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.64 SEK 95.0

$6.88 SEK 67.8

40.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 SEK 67.0

$7.55 SEK 74.4

-10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.04

$1.73 SEK 17.07

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 SEK 28.69

$2.72 SEK 26.78

6.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 SEK 37.32

$3.18 SEK 31.32

19.18%

Eggs

$4.48 SEK 44.17

$3.94 SEK 38.82

13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 SEK 121

$11.92 SEK 117

3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 SEK 123

$11.66 SEK 115

6.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 SEK 174

$16.83 SEK 166

4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 30.51

$3.20 SEK 31.51

-3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 26.95

$2.57 SEK 25.34

6.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 30.75

$3.08 SEK 30.40

1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 42.90

$4.24 SEK 41.82

2.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.71

$1.85 SEK 18.24

-14.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.47

$1.65 SEK 16.29

1.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 SEK 23.66

$1.98 SEK 19.51

21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SEK 14.89

$1.73 SEK 17.01

-12.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.53 SEK 74.2

$8.36 SEK 82.4

-9.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 SEK 102

$14.27 SEK 141

-27.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.69

$2.07 SEK 20.38

-3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.03

$2.23 SEK 21.96

0.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 SEK 34.67

$3.74 SEK 36.89

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 SEK 803

$88.0 SEK 867

-7.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 SEK 61.5

$6.22 SEK 61.3

0.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 SEK 17.49

$1.71 SEK 16.82

4.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 SEK 618

$60.3 SEK 594

3.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 SEK 22.13

$1.83 SEK 17.99

22.95%

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

$33.8K SEK 332.9K

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

1.21%

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

$34.4K SEK 339.0K

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

-1.08%

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

$109 SEK 1,079

$107 SEK 1,057

2.03%

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

$27.65 SEK 272

$19.22 SEK 189

43.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.94 SEK 394

$35.96 SEK 354

11.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.42 SEK 388

$37.06 SEK 365

6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.76 SEK 254

$25.22 SEK 249

2.14%

Cinema Ticket

$16.79 SEK 165

$19.54 SEK 193

-14.07%

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

$161 SEK 1,589

$229 SEK 2,253

-29.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,151 SEK 50.8K

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.0 SEK 926

$89.2 SEK 879

5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.38 SEK 428

$33.16 SEK 327

30.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 SEK 933

$93.3 SEK 919

1.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 SEK 1,397

$133 SEK 1,308

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 SEK 8,256

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

-19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 SEK 6,228

$952 SEK 9,380

-33.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 SEK 14.1K

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

-23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 SEK 11.1K

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

-20.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,173 SEK 41.1K

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

-34.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,966 SEK 29.2K

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

-16.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,461 SEK 34.1K

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

-4.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

30.72%

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

Last update for Kiruna: September 14, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $838 in Kiruna and $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 5% 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: $130 in Kiruna vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $363 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 14% 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, salaries run 5% 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: $838 in Kiruna versus $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Kiruna versus $229 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,817 in Kiruna versus $2,066 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 $1,817 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 14% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.