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: $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Lulea versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,161 in Lulea versus $4,328 in Gothenburg.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 8% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 41% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 121

$13.74 SEK 129

-6.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 SEK 881

$93.9 SEK 882

-0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 SEK 113

$10.34 SEK 97.1

16.15%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 43.68

$4.73 SEK 44.47

-1.69%

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

$2.56 SEK 24.04

$2.97 SEK 27.88

-13.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.38

$2.53 SEK 23.80

-18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 79.5

$7.26 SEK 68.2

16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 SEK 93.8

$7.72 SEK 72.5

29.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.14

$1.68 SEK 15.77

14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 SEK 33.37

$2.85 SEK 26.80

24.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 SEK 47.17

$3.32 SEK 31.15

51.20%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 46.52

$4.65 SEK 43.70

6.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 121

$11.80 SEK 111

9.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 131

$12.61 SEK 118

10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 SEK 257

$19.02 SEK 179

43.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.30

$3.10 SEK 29.11

-13.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 26.32

$2.74 SEK 25.71

2.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.65

$2.91 SEK 27.29

-9.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 42.45

$4.18 SEK 39.22

8.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 SEK 20.47

$1.66 SEK 15.61

31.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.36

$1.85 SEK 17.37

-11.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 32.09

$2.27 SEK 21.36

50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.62

$1.55 SEK 14.55

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.45 SEK 70.0

$7.82 SEK 73.5

-4.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 SEK 119

$15.32 SEK 144

-17.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.22

$2.26 SEK 21.22

-19.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.89

$2.61 SEK 24.49

-31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.60

$3.80 SEK 35.69

-11.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 565

$88.6 SEK 832

-32.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 SEK 89.5

$10.11 SEK 94.9

-5.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.10

$1.66 SEK 15.58

3.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.1 SEK 705

$61.7 SEK 580

21.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.72

$1.89 SEK 17.76

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

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

-0.16%

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

$34.9K SEK 327.7K

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

1.21%

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

$174 SEK 1,638

$138 SEK 1,301

25.97%

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

$33.07 SEK 311

$24.95 SEK 234

32.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 SEK 267

$38.25 SEK 359

-25.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 SEK 462

$41.78 SEK 392

17.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.67 SEK 344

$25.26 SEK 237

45.17%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 129

$17.98 SEK 169

-23.53%

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

$159 SEK 1,491

$175 SEK 1,648

-9.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 SEK 54.1K

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

36.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,176

$87.6 SEK 823

42.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 SEK 317

$40.28 SEK 378

-16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,182

$96.9 SEK 910

29.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,616

$156 SEK 1,468

10.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,425

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

-29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SEK 5,431

$873 SEK 8,203

-33.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.3K

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

-26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 SEK 9,890

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

-26.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 SEK 31.3K

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

-50.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 SEK 22.3K

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

-36.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 SEK 25.7K

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

-30.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.33

-3.00%

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

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Lulea and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 45% 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: $94.0 in Lulea vs $94.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $428 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

Lulea vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 9% 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, Gothenburg earns 45% 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: $791 in Lulea versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $159 in Lulea versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,058 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 $1,885 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 9% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.