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: $2,667 in Lake Charles, LA versus $2,127 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,925 in Lake Charles, LA versus $3,216 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,183 in Lake Charles, LA versus $4,305 in Gothenburg.

Living in Lake Charles, LA is roughly 25% more expensive than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Charles, LA 100% above, Gothenburg 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.83 $25.83

$13.49 SEK 131

91.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 $91.4

$90.8 SEK 881

0.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$10.36 SEK 100

-4.05%

Cappuccino

$4.31 $4.31

$4.77 SEK 46.26

-9.64%

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

$1.68 $1.68

$3.11 SEK 30.18

-45.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.64 SEK 25.57

-21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$7.23 SEK 70.1

-14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$7.81 SEK 75.8

3.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.70 SEK 16.50

-21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.87 SEK 27.80

44.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.24 SEK 31.37

87.96%

Eggs

$4.51 $4.51

$4.47 SEK 43.35

0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.67 $14.67

$11.69 SEK 113

25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$12.35 SEK 120

-9.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 $14.56

$18.96 SEK 184

-23.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.08 SEK 29.88

41.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.69 SEK 26.08

-52.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.04 SEK 29.46

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$4.24 SEK 41.14

25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.67 SEK 16.24

140.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.89 SEK 18.32

18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.31 SEK 22.38

-2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.55 SEK 15.03

96.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.45 $8.45

$7.92 SEK 76.8

6.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.68 $16.68

$14.41 SEK 140

15.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.26 SEK 21.96

-9.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.61 SEK 25.35

38.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.84 SEK 37.20

-46.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 854

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$10.31 SEK 100.0

-65.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.61 SEK 15.60

-4.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.90 $34.90

$62.7 SEK 608

-44.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.94 SEK 18.83

-57.22%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$32.9K SEK 319.1K

8.14%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.8K SEK 337.8K

-19.21%

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

$237 $237

$138 SEK 1,337

72.16%

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

$58.6 $58.6

$25.69 SEK 249

128.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 $60.4

$37.95 SEK 368

59.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.51 $42.51

$42.04 SEK 408

1.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.25 $14.25

$25.19 SEK 244

-43.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.56 $11.56

$18.03 SEK 175

-35.88%

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

$1,571 $1,571

$177 SEK 1,717

787.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$4,144 SEK 40.2K

146.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.11 $48.11

$88.6 SEK 859

-45.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 $41.22

$39.22 SEK 380

5.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 $76.5

$97.9 SEK 949

-21.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$155 SEK 1,506

-34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$1,108 SEK 10.7K

43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

$879 SEK 8,524

55.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 $2,617

$1,924 SEK 18.7K

36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,243 $2,243

$1,421 SEK 13.8K

57.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,400 $1,400

$6,255 SEK 60.7K

-77.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 $1,375

$3,622 SEK 35.1K

-62.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,692 $3,692

$3,613 SEK 35.0K

2.18%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,593 in Lake Charles, LA and $1,108 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake Charles, LA pays 2% 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: $91.0 in Lake Charles, LA vs $91.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $377, 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 25% 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.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Lake Charles, LA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,593 in Lake Charles, LA versus $1,108 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,571 in Lake Charles, LA versus $177 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 $91.0 versus $91.0 in Lake Charles, LA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,127 in Gothenburg versus $2,667 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 $2,127 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 25% less than in Lake Charles, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.