Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Lulea: $1,820 a month against $2,026 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gothenburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Lulea
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Lulea Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Lulea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,820

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lulea and in Gothenburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lulea and in Gothenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,820 in Lulea versus $2,026 in Gothenburg.

Lulea $1,820
Gothenburg $2,026

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,946 in Lulea versus $3,062 in Gothenburg.

Lulea $2,946
Gothenburg $3,062

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,073 in Lulea versus $4,099 in Gothenburg.

Lulea $4,073
Gothenburg $4,099

Living in Lulea costs roughly 10% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 35% above, Gothenburg 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 SEK 116

$13.13 SEK 130

-10.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.1 SEK 952

$83.8 SEK 830

14.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 SEK 109

$12.47 SEK 124

-11.47%

Cappuccino

$4.38 SEK 43.41

$5.03 SEK 49.80

-12.92%

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

$2.45 SEK 24.24

$2.84 SEK 28.14

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 SEK 19.20

$2.37 SEK 23.44

-18.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.56 SEK 84.8

$6.84 SEK 67.8

25.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 SEK 93.2

$7.51 SEK 74.4

25.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.99

$1.68 SEK 16.68

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 SEK 33.84

$2.69 SEK 26.63

27.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 SEK 47.11

$3.09 SEK 30.60

53.72%

Eggs

$4.67 SEK 46.31

$3.81 SEK 37.74

22.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 SEK 124

$11.45 SEK 113

9.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 SEK 130

$11.32 SEK 112

15.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.07 SEK 258

$16.54 SEK 164

57.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 24.16

$3.07 SEK 30.42

-20.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 26.36

$2.41 SEK 23.88

10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 SEK 23.36

$3.01 SEK 29.83

-21.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 SEK 41.21

$4.25 SEK 42.09

-2.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 SEK 20.69

$1.74 SEK 17.24

20.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 14.82

$1.62 SEK 16.06

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.30 SEK 32.69

$1.96 SEK 19.47

68.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 SEK 12.59

$1.65 SEK 16.30

-23.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 SEK 70.0

$8.38 SEK 83.0

-15.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.04 SEK 119

$14.69 SEK 146

-18.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.63

$2.03 SEK 20.14

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 SEK 17.53

$2.24 SEK 22.24

-20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 SEK 31.99

$3.63 SEK 35.97

-11.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 SEK 560

$86.4 SEK 857

-34.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 SEK 86.5

$5.92 SEK 58.7

47.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 SEK 20.33

$1.72 SEK 17.01

19.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.8 SEK 702

$58.6 SEK 581

20.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.24

$1.74 SEK 17.29

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

$31.9K SEK 316.5K

$33.5K SEK 331.8K

-4.61%

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

$33.3K SEK 329.9K

$33.4K SEK 331.3K

-0.44%

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

$161 SEK 1,595

$102 SEK 1,011

57.71%

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

$31.36 SEK 311

$19.73 SEK 196

58.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.51 SEK 263

$33.00 SEK 327

-19.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.47 SEK 450

$35.48 SEK 352

28.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.02 SEK 347

$24.00 SEK 238

45.92%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 SEK 127

$18.32 SEK 182

-29.86%

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

$150 SEK 1,490

$217 SEK 2,147

-30.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,570 SEK 55.2K

$4,293 SEK 42.5K

29.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 SEK 1,189

$87.5 SEK 867

37.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.64 SEK 323

$33.46 SEK 332

-2.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,188

$87.0 SEK 862

37.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 SEK 1,593

$131 SEK 1,298

22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 SEK 7,763

$1,026 SEK 10.2K

-23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 SEK 5,786

$903 SEK 8,951

-35.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 SEK 14.4K

$1,791 SEK 17.7K

-19.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 SEK 10.9K

$1,409 SEK 14.0K

-21.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,072 SEK 30.4K

$6,190 SEK 61.3K

-50.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,194 SEK 21.7K

$3,427 SEK 34.0K

-35.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,498 SEK 24.8K

$3,492 SEK 34.6K

-28.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.06

25.82%

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

Last update for Lulea: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lulea

$584 32.1%

Gothenburg

$903 44.6% 54.7% $319

Groceries & Markets

Lulea

$404 22.2%

Gothenburg

$355 17.5% 12.1% $49

Eating Out

Lulea

$259 14.2%

Gothenburg

$273 13.5% 5.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lulea

$219 12%

Gothenburg

$155 7.6% 29.3% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Lulea

$195 10.7%

Gothenburg

$153 7.5% 21.8% $43

Getting Around

Lulea

$88 4.9%

Gothenburg

$115 5.7% 30.6% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Lulea

$71 3.9%

Gothenburg

$72 3.6% 1.3% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Lulea and $1,026 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 40% 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: $96.0 in Lulea vs $84.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $355 per month, with Gothenburg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lulea

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

Same time as Lulea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,864

607,882

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lulea Gothenburg 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lulea
Gothenburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Lulea vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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: $783 in Lulea versus $1,026 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $150 in Lulea versus $217 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,820 in Lulea versus $2,026 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,820 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.