Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,496 in Sala versus $2,120 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,234 in Sala versus $3,250 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,973 in Sala versus $4,380 in Gothenburg.

Living in Sala costs roughly 29% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 12% above, Gothenburg 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.80 SEK 119

$13.54 SEK 126

-5.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 SEK 589

$92.2 SEK 854

-31.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 SEK 94.1

$10.41 SEK 96.5

-2.50%

Cappuccino

$3.18 SEK 29.46

$5.01 SEK 46.42

-36.53%

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

$1.83 SEK 17.00

$3.11 SEK 28.82

-41.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 22.92

$2.52 SEK 23.33

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 SEK 67.6

$7.47 SEK 69.2

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 SEK 70.1

$7.86 SEK 72.9

-3.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.01

$1.68 SEK 15.57

8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 SEK 24.57

$2.99 SEK 27.68

-11.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 SEK 34.12

$3.26 SEK 30.19

12.88%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 37.73

$4.45 SEK 41.27

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 109

$11.52 SEK 107

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 SEK 110

$12.21 SEK 113

-2.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 SEK 148

$18.59 SEK 172

-14.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 28.01

$3.19 SEK 29.54

-5.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.03

$2.70 SEK 25.01

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.25

$3.00 SEK 27.78

-9.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 SEK 47.63

$4.33 SEK 40.14

18.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.08

$1.67 SEK 15.51

-8.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 SEK 11.10

$1.89 SEK 17.48

-36.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 SEK 25.24

$2.23 SEK 20.70

21.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SEK 9.88

$1.61 SEK 14.93

-33.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.55 SEK 70.0

$8.02 SEK 74.4

-5.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 SEK 60.0

$12.58 SEK 117

-48.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 SEK 22.95

$2.26 SEK 20.99

9.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.46

$2.50 SEK 23.14

-24.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 SEK 29.81

$3.98 SEK 36.86

-19.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.91 SEK 203

$88.6 SEK 821

-75.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 SEK 58.0

$10.11 SEK 93.7

-38.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.39

$1.59 SEK 14.74

4.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 SEK 195

$62.3 SEK 577

-66.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.34

$1.94 SEK 17.96

2.06%

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

$42.7K SEK 395.4K

$32.2K SEK 298.4K

32.49%

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

$34.4K SEK 318.6K

$35.0K SEK 324.1K

-1.70%

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

$88.1 SEK 816

$139 SEK 1,291

-36.76%

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

$21.33 SEK 198

$25.22 SEK 234

-15.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.05 SEK 343

$39.47 SEK 366

-6.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.76 SEK 452

$42.17 SEK 391

15.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.11 SEK 196

$25.32 SEK 235

-16.63%

Cinema Ticket

$19.10 SEK 177

$17.60 SEK 163

8.52%

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

$147 SEK 1,362

$175 SEK 1,618

-15.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,286 SEK 11.9K

$4,140 SEK 38.4K

-68.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.81 SEK 443

$88.0 SEK 816

-45.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.57 SEK 339

$39.75 SEK 368

-8.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 SEK 516

$98.2 SEK 910

-43.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 SEK 545

$156 SEK 1,448

-62.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 SEK 7,000

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

-31.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 SEK 4,949

$876 SEK 8,123

-39.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 SEK 9,125

$1,865 SEK 17.3K

-47.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 SEK 6,676

$1,414 SEK 13.1K

-49.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,275 SEK 39.6K

$6,531 SEK 60.5K

-34.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,074 SEK 28.5K

$3,920 SEK 36.3K

-21.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,601 SEK 24.1K

$4,025 SEK 37.3K

-35.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

4.33

4.62%

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

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Sala and $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 55% 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: $63 in Sala vs $92 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $373 per month, with Sala 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

Sala vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sala wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 55% 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: $755 in Sala versus $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Sala versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,496 in Sala versus $2,120 in Gothenburg, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Sala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,496 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.