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: $1,619 in Sala versus $2,066 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,351 in Sala versus $3,137 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,083 in Sala versus $4,208 in Gothenburg.

Living in Sala costs roughly 22% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 18% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.46 SEK 123

$13.45 SEK 133

-7.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 SEK 608

$91.4 SEK 901

-32.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 SEK 99.2

$13.14 SEK 130

-23.44%

Cappuccino

$3.30 SEK 32.50

$4.97 SEK 48.93

-33.60%

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

$1.87 SEK 18.44

$3.02 SEK 29.77

-38.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 23.01

$2.23 SEK 21.93

4.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 SEK 70.2

$6.88 SEK 67.8

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 SEK 72.2

$7.55 SEK 74.4

-3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.88

$1.73 SEK 17.07

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$2.72 SEK 26.78

-3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 35.85

$3.18 SEK 31.32

14.47%

Eggs

$5.00 SEK 49.28

$3.94 SEK 38.82

26.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 SEK 117

$11.92 SEK 117

-0.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.80 SEK 136

$11.66 SEK 115

18.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 SEK 225

$16.83 SEK 166

35.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.39

$3.20 SEK 31.51

-3.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 26.39

$2.57 SEK 25.34

4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 26.85

$3.08 SEK 30.40

-11.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 SEK 48.51

$4.24 SEK 41.82

16.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SEK 15.16

$1.85 SEK 18.24

-16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 SEK 12.06

$1.65 SEK 16.29

-26.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 SEK 26.82

$1.98 SEK 19.51

37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 10.05

$1.73 SEK 17.01

-41.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.33 SEK 72.2

$8.36 SEK 82.4

-12.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 SEK 62.1

$14.27 SEK 141

-55.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.80

$2.07 SEK 20.38

-2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SEK 19.00

$2.23 SEK 21.96

-13.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 SEK 30.65

$3.74 SEK 36.89

-16.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.82 SEK 215

$88.0 SEK 867

-75.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 SEK 59.4

$6.22 SEK 61.3

-3.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SEK 18.17

$1.71 SEK 16.82

7.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$83.3 SEK 820

$60.3 SEK 594

38.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.31

$1.83 SEK 17.99

-3.83%

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

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

3.28%

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

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

-1.48%

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

$186 SEK 1,835

$107 SEK 1,057

73.63%

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

$21.01 SEK 207

$19.22 SEK 189

9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 385

$35.96 SEK 354

8.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.16 SEK 465

$37.06 SEK 365

27.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.57 SEK 203

$25.22 SEK 249

-18.44%

Cinema Ticket

$16.44 SEK 162

$19.54 SEK 193

-15.86%

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

$164 SEK 1,618

$229 SEK 2,253

-28.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

-71.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.96 SEK 453

$89.2 SEK 879

-48.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 SEK 360

$33.16 SEK 327

10.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 SEK 544

$93.3 SEK 919

-40.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 SEK 570

$133 SEK 1,308

-56.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 SEK 7,464

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

-27.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 SEK 5,285

$952 SEK 9,380

-43.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 SEK 9,533

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

-48.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 SEK 7,040

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

-49.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

-34.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

-18.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

-31.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.06

4.58%

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

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $757 in Sala and $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 46% 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: $62.0 in Sala vs $91.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $376 vs $363, 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

Sala vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sala wins on cost – living expenses run 28% 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, salaries run 46% 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: $757 in Sala versus $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Sala versus $229 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,619 in Sala versus $2,066 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 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 $1,619 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 28% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.