Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Charles, LA and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Charles, LA and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,675 in Lake Charles, LA versus $2,113 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,929 in Lake Charles, LA versus $3,197 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,183 in Lake Charles, LA versus $4,282 in Gothenburg.

Living in Lake Charles, LA is roughly 27% more expensive than Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Charles, LA 100% above, Gothenburg 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.19 $26.19

$13.60 SEK 125

92.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 $91.7

$92.0 SEK 846

-0.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$10.52 SEK 96.8

-3.61%

Cappuccino

$4.35 $4.35

$4.96 SEK 45.68

-12.30%

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

$1.67 $1.67

$3.07 SEK 28.25

-45.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.63 SEK 24.19

-18.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 $5.82

$7.58 SEK 69.8

-23.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.97 SEK 73.3

-0.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.71 SEK 15.73

-22.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.01 SEK 27.66

35.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$3.32 SEK 30.54

81.02%

Eggs

$4.50 $4.50

$4.62 SEK 42.53

-2.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.78 $14.78

$11.58 SEK 107

27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$12.56 SEK 116

-9.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 $14.75

$18.93 SEK 174

-22.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.18 SEK 29.26

35.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.68 SEK 24.66

-52.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.94 SEK 27.04

-31.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.21 SEK 38.75

23.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.72 SEK 15.83

133.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.93 SEK 17.73

11.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.27 SEK 20.90

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.54 SEK 14.19

90.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.72 $8.72

$7.85 SEK 72.2

11.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.14 $17.14

$12.53 SEK 115

36.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.25 SEK 20.70

-7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.58 SEK 23.78

39.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.96 SEK 36.44

-50.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 815

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$10.46 SEK 96.3

-65.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.67 SEK 15.35

-13.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.75 $34.75

$63.0 SEK 580

-44.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.89 SEK 17.43

-56.08%

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

$34.7K $34.7K

$33.0K SEK 303.4K

5.39%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$35.0K SEK 321.9K

-20.13%

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

$239 $239

$141 SEK 1,294

70.10%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$25.24 SEK 232

130.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$38.61 SEK 355

54.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 $42.45

$40.96 SEK 377

3.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.18 $14.18

$24.80 SEK 228

-42.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 $11.43

$17.54 SEK 161

-34.83%

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

$1,594 $1,594

$175 SEK 1,614

808.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$4,120 SEK 37.9K

147.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.13 $47.13

$87.5 SEK 805

-46.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.52 $40.52

$40.39 SEK 372

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 $77.2

$97.5 SEK 897

-20.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$154 SEK 1,414

-34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

42.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$870 SEK 8,005

52.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$1,885 SEK 17.3K

38.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,403 SEK 12.9K

57.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,367 $1,367

$6,641 SEK 61.1K

-79.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,357 $1,357

$3,944 SEK 36.3K

-65.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,676 $3,676

$3,970 SEK 36.5K

-7.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.33

51.73%

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

Last update for Lake Charles, LA: April 22, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,574 in Lake Charles, LA and $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $92 in Lake Charles, LA vs $92 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $376, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lake Charles, LA vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Lake Charles, LA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 8% 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: $1,574 in Lake Charles, LA versus $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,594 in Lake Charles, LA versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gothenburg – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $92.0 in Lake Charles, LA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,113 in Gothenburg versus $2,675 in Lake Charles, LA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Lake Charles, LA. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,113 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lake Charles, LA 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 Gothenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lake Charles, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.