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: $2,638 in Lake Charles, LA versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,944 in Lake Charles, LA versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,249 in Lake Charles, LA versus $4,328 in Gothenburg.

Living in Lake Charles, LA is roughly 28% more expensive than Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Charles, LA 97% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.42 $26.42

$13.74 SEK 130

92.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 $90.4

$93.9 SEK 888

-3.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$10.34 SEK 97.8

-1.55%

Cappuccino

$4.39 $4.39

$4.73 SEK 44.80

-7.19%

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

$1.61 $1.61

$2.97 SEK 28.09

-45.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.53 SEK 23.97

-18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$7.26 SEK 68.7

-15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$7.72 SEK 73.0

6.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.68 SEK 15.89

-20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.85 SEK 26.99

40.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$3.32 SEK 31.38

87.95%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.65 SEK 44.01

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$11.80 SEK 112

28.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 $11.36

$12.61 SEK 119

-9.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.62 $14.62

$19.02 SEK 180

-23.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.10 SEK 29.33

39.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.74 SEK 25.90

-53.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.91 SEK 27.49

-34.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$4.18 SEK 39.50

24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.66 SEK 15.72

134.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.85 SEK 17.50

15.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.27 SEK 21.52

-3.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.55 SEK 14.66

88.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.60 $8.60

$7.82 SEK 74.0

9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 $16.69

$15.32 SEK 145

8.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.26 SEK 21.37

-7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.61 SEK 24.67

34.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.80 SEK 35.95

-48.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 838

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$10.11 SEK 95.6

-66.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.66 SEK 15.70

-9.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.19 $35.19

$61.7 SEK 584

-42.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.89 SEK 17.89

-56.08%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$32.0K SEK 303.1K

7.63%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$34.5K SEK 326.1K

-18.67%

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

$238 $238

$138 SEK 1,310

71.61%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$24.95 SEK 236

130.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 $60.8

$38.25 SEK 362

58.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.95 $42.95

$41.78 SEK 395

2.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 $13.78

$25.26 SEK 239

-45.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 $11.29

$17.98 SEK 170

-37.21%

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

$1,574 $1,574

$175 SEK 1,660

796.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$4,215 SEK 39.9K

145.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 $47.91

$87.6 SEK 829

-45.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.12 $41.12

$40.28 SEK 381

2.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 $75.4

$96.9 SEK 917

-22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$156 SEK 1,479

-36.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 $1,603

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$873 SEK 8,263

54.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,675 $2,675

$1,917 SEK 18.1K

39.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 $2,242

$1,434 SEK 13.6K

56.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,383 $1,383

$6,696 SEK 63.4K

-79.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 $1,395

$3,764 SEK 35.6K

-62.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$3,953 SEK 37.4K

-7.75%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lake Charles, LA and $1,125 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: $90.0 in Lake Charles, LA vs $94.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $381, 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 28% 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: $1,603 in Lake Charles, LA versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,574 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 $94.0 versus $90.0 in Lake Charles, LA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $2,638 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 $2,058 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 28% less than in Lake Charles, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.