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: $1,923 in Kiruna versus $2,068 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,123 in Kiruna versus $3,219 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,323 in Kiruna versus $4,369 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 45% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 SEK 119

$13.85 SEK 132

-9.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 SEK 895

$92.8 SEK 882

1.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 SEK 113

$10.57 SEK 100

12.58%

Cappuccino

$4.82 SEK 45.76

$4.95 SEK 47.04

-2.63%

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

$2.14 SEK 20.37

$3.04 SEK 28.90

-29.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 SEK 10.08

$2.66 SEK 25.25

-60.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.49 SEK 80.6

$7.42 SEK 70.5

14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 SEK 66.0

$8.01 SEK 76.1

-13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.37

$1.68 SEK 15.96

14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 SEK 32.54

$2.89 SEK 27.43

18.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.03 SEK 47.80

$3.33 SEK 31.65

51.05%

Eggs

$4.76 SEK 45.25

$4.49 SEK 42.68

6.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 SEK 121

$11.70 SEK 111

8.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 SEK 135

$12.25 SEK 116

15.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.29 SEK 259

$18.65 SEK 177

46.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 SEK 24.95

$3.06 SEK 29.10

-14.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.90

$2.73 SEK 25.91

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.89

$2.99 SEK 28.45

-12.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 SEK 41.10

$4.16 SEK 39.48

4.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 SEK 20.93

$1.74 SEK 16.55

26.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.57

$1.94 SEK 18.42

-15.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.53 SEK 33.57

$2.23 SEK 21.20

58.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.80

$1.60 SEK 15.18

-9.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.46 SEK 70.9

$7.91 SEK 75.1

-5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 SEK 90.2

$14.41 SEK 137

-34.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 SEK 17.81

$2.27 SEK 21.57

-17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 16.91

$2.53 SEK 24.02

-29.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 SEK 31.70

$3.87 SEK 36.79

-13.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 SEK 711

$89.6 SEK 851

-16.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.40 SEK 89.3

$10.31 SEK 98.0

-8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 15.12

$1.60 SEK 15.23

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 SEK 691

$62.1 SEK 590

17.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.52

$1.93 SEK 18.34

1.04%

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

$32.9K SEK 312.4K

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

2.12%

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

$34.9K SEK 331.3K

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

-0.31%

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

$169 SEK 1,610

$136 SEK 1,290

24.81%

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

$32.04 SEK 304

$25.35 SEK 241

26.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.79 SEK 264

$39.47 SEK 375

-29.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.83 SEK 445

$40.88 SEK 388

14.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.54 SEK 243

$24.69 SEK 235

3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 SEK 129

$18.13 SEK 172

-25.10%

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

$164 SEK 1,555

$176 SEK 1,676

-7.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,136 SEK 39.3K

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

1.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,185

$90.0 SEK 855

38.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.11 SEK 324

$39.38 SEK 374

-13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 SEK 1,228

$97.3 SEK 924

32.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 SEK 1,609

$155 SEK 1,477

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 SEK 7,972

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

-26.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 SEK 5,970

$859 SEK 8,162

-26.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 SEK 13.3K

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

-24.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 SEK 10.8K

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

-20.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,318 SEK 41.0K

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

-32.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,801 SEK 26.6K

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

-21.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,319 SEK 31.5K

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

-10.02%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Kiruna and $1,136 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 11% 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: $94.0 in Kiruna vs $93.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 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, salaries run 11% 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: $839 in Kiruna versus $1,136 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Kiruna versus $176 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 $1,923 in Kiruna versus $2,068 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 $1,923 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.