Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,128 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,101 in Lulea versus $3,175 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,283 in Lulea versus $4,222 in Gothenburg.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 10% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 40% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.44 SEK 120

$13.76 SEK 133

-9.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 SEK 954

$91.9 SEK 885

7.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 SEK 112

$12.84 SEK 124

-9.74%

Cappuccino

$4.58 SEK 44.07

$5.06 SEK 48.77

-9.49%

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

$2.64 SEK 25.39

$2.94 SEK 28.33

-10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.94

$2.19 SEK 21.08

-10.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.32 SEK 89.8

$7.18 SEK 69.2

29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 SEK 94.4

$7.86 SEK 75.7

24.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 SEK 18.01

$1.80 SEK 17.30

3.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 SEK 33.03

$2.77 SEK 26.68

23.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 SEK 47.27

$3.17 SEK 30.49

54.89%

Eggs

$4.67 SEK 44.95

$4.10 SEK 39.45

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 122

$12.10 SEK 117

4.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 SEK 131

$11.67 SEK 112

16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.73 SEK 267

$17.76 SEK 171

56.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 25.59

$3.23 SEK 31.09

-17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.20

$2.64 SEK 25.42

6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.06

$3.22 SEK 31.00

-22.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 41.88

$4.37 SEK 42.11

-0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 SEK 21.40

$1.82 SEK 17.52

21.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.95

$1.68 SEK 16.13

-7.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 SEK 33.16

$2.03 SEK 19.51

69.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.37

$1.78 SEK 17.13

-28.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 SEK 69.1

$8.50 SEK 81.8

-15.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 SEK 122

$14.55 SEK 140

-12.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.14

$2.20 SEK 21.16

-14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SEK 17.71

$2.38 SEK 22.91

-22.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.96

$3.85 SEK 37.06

-11.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 SEK 555

$88.8 SEK 855

-35.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 SEK 91.6

$6.45 SEK 62.1

47.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 SEK 21.67

$1.73 SEK 16.62

30.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 SEK 693

$61.3 SEK 590

17.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 16.98

$1.90 SEK 18.34

-7.37%

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

$33.5K SEK 322.7K

$34.0K SEK 327.1K

-1.35%

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

$35.8K SEK 344.4K

$34.4K SEK 330.9K

4.09%

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

$173 SEK 1,663

$110 SEK 1,060

56.97%

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

$32.34 SEK 312

$19.66 SEK 189

64.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 SEK 269

$36.30 SEK 350

-23.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 SEK 475

$37.94 SEK 365

30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.98 SEK 356

$25.89 SEK 249

42.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 SEK 130

$19.34 SEK 186

-30.40%

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

$161 SEK 1,552

$230 SEK 2,212

-29.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,808 SEK 55.9K

$4,554 SEK 43.9K

27.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 SEK 1,182

$91.0 SEK 876

34.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 SEK 329

$34.36 SEK 331

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,211

$94.0 SEK 906

33.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,599

$135 SEK 1,303

22.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,766

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

-24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 SEK 5,775

$961 SEK 9,255

-37.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 SEK 14.8K

$1,849 SEK 17.8K

-17.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 SEK 11.1K

$1,440 SEK 13.9K

-20.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,240 SEK 31.2K

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

-50.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,346 SEK 22.6K

$3,613 SEK 34.8K

-35.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,633 SEK 25.4K

$3,639 SEK 35.0K

-27.65%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 38% 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: $99.0 in Lulea vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $372 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

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 38% 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: $806 in Lulea versus $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Lulea versus $230 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,128 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 $1,919 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.