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: $1,491 in Sala versus $2,072 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,247 in Sala versus $3,179 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,003 in Sala versus $4,287 in Gothenburg.

Living in Sala costs roughly 28% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 11% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.55 SEK 118

$13.87 SEK 130

-9.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 SEK 590

$90.6 SEK 849

-30.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 SEK 98.4

$10.44 SEK 98.0

0.38%

Cappuccino

$3.20 SEK 29.99

$4.93 SEK 46.25

-35.09%

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

$1.81 SEK 17.00

$2.96 SEK 27.81

-38.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 22.50

$2.63 SEK 24.67

-8.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 SEK 70.6

$7.35 SEK 68.9

2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 SEK 71.0

$7.88 SEK 73.9

-3.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SEK 17.26

$1.74 SEK 16.35

5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 25.26

$2.91 SEK 27.27

-7.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 SEK 35.07

$3.31 SEK 31.02

12.99%

Eggs

$4.04 SEK 37.93

$4.43 SEK 41.55

-8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 SEK 111

$11.64 SEK 109

1.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 109

$12.52 SEK 117

-7.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 SEK 149

$19.01 SEK 178

-16.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 29.59

$3.12 SEK 29.30

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.35

$2.74 SEK 25.67

-1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.43

$2.88 SEK 27.00

-2.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 SEK 47.26

$4.18 SEK 39.18

20.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.57

$1.66 SEK 15.57

-6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 SEK 11.15

$1.92 SEK 17.97

-38.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 SEK 25.46

$2.32 SEK 21.72

16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 SEK 9.73

$1.63 SEK 15.25

-36.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SEK 70.7

$7.84 SEK 73.6

-3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 SEK 60.2

$14.97 SEK 140

-57.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.45

$2.23 SEK 20.93

12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SEK 18.14

$2.53 SEK 23.77

-23.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 SEK 29.51

$3.81 SEK 35.72

-17.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.82 SEK 205

$88.0 SEK 826

-75.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 SEK 59.1

$10.12 SEK 94.9

-37.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 14.84

$1.60 SEK 15.01

-1.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.87 SEK 196

$62.6 SEK 588

-66.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 SEK 18.78

$1.94 SEK 18.24

3.09%

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

$42.2K SEK 395.7K

$32.3K SEK 303.3K

30.49%

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

$34.2K SEK 321.0K

$35.6K SEK 333.6K

-3.76%

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

$88.8 SEK 833

$141 SEK 1,318

-36.82%

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

$20.84 SEK 196

$25.19 SEK 236

-17.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.20 SEK 349

$39.13 SEK 367

-4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.92 SEK 450

$42.15 SEK 395

13.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.95 SEK 197

$25.07 SEK 235

-16.43%

Cinema Ticket

$19.22 SEK 180

$17.71 SEK 166

8.53%

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

$146 SEK 1,373

$178 SEK 1,669

-17.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,254 SEK 11.8K

$4,090 SEK 38.4K

-69.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.54 SEK 437

$87.1 SEK 817

-46.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.23 SEK 349

$39.25 SEK 368

-5.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 SEK 514

$97.4 SEK 913

-43.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.4 SEK 538

$153 SEK 1,434

-62.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 SEK 7,256

$1,120 SEK 10.5K

-30.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 SEK 5,113

$852 SEK 7,988

-36.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 SEK 9,049

$1,887 SEK 17.7K

-48.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 SEK 6,811

$1,403 SEK 13.2K

-48.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 SEK 37.5K

$6,604 SEK 61.9K

-39.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 SEK 31.2K

$3,695 SEK 34.7K

-9.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,569 SEK 24.1K

$3,705 SEK 34.8K

-30.65%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in Sala and $1,120 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 44% 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: $63.0 in Sala vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $380 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 39% 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 44% 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: $774 in Sala versus $1,120 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Sala versus $178 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,491 in Sala versus $2,072 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 $1,491 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 39% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.