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: $1,478 in Sala versus $2,068 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,218 in Sala versus $3,219 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,957 in Sala versus $4,369 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 11% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 SEK 119

$13.85 SEK 132

-9.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 SEK 605

$92.8 SEK 882

-31.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 SEK 96.9

$10.57 SEK 100

-3.50%

Cappuccino

$3.19 SEK 30.28

$4.95 SEK 47.04

-35.56%

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

$1.86 SEK 17.70

$3.04 SEK 28.90

-38.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 SEK 22.67

$2.66 SEK 25.25

-10.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 SEK 70.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 SEK 68.8

$8.01 SEK 76.1

-9.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 SEK 16.87

$1.68 SEK 15.96

5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 25.53

$2.89 SEK 27.43

-6.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 SEK 34.44

$3.33 SEK 31.65

9.01%

Eggs

$3.86 SEK 36.68

$4.49 SEK 42.68

-14.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 SEK 115

$11.70 SEK 111

3.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 SEK 113

$12.25 SEK 116

-2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 SEK 152

$18.65 SEK 177

-14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 29.85

$3.06 SEK 29.10

2.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.45

$2.73 SEK 25.91

-5.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.01

$2.99 SEK 28.45

-5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 SEK 48.74

$4.16 SEK 39.48

23.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 SEK 14.78

$1.74 SEK 16.55

-10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 SEK 11.17

$1.94 SEK 18.42

-39.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 SEK 25.77

$2.23 SEK 21.20

21.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 9.71

$1.60 SEK 15.18

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 SEK 68.4

$7.91 SEK 75.1

-8.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 SEK 59.3

$14.41 SEK 137

-56.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.73

$2.27 SEK 21.57

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 SEK 18.28

$2.53 SEK 24.02

-24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 SEK 30.83

$3.87 SEK 36.79

-16.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.30 SEK 212

$89.6 SEK 851

-75.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 SEK 58.5

$10.31 SEK 98.0

-40.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 15.05

$1.60 SEK 15.23

-1.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.29 SEK 202

$62.1 SEK 590

-65.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 SEK 18.69

$1.93 SEK 18.34

2.07%

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

$41.4K SEK 393.5K

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

28.63%

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

$34.5K SEK 328.1K

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

-1.27%

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

$89.6 SEK 852

$136 SEK 1,290

-33.99%

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

$21.17 SEK 201

$25.35 SEK 241

-16.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.99 SEK 351

$39.47 SEK 375

-6.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.67 SEK 462

$40.88 SEK 388

19.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.31 SEK 202

$24.69 SEK 235

-13.69%

Cinema Ticket

$18.75 SEK 178

$18.13 SEK 172

3.42%

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

$148 SEK 1,404

$176 SEK 1,676

-16.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,284 SEK 12.2K

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

-68.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.96 SEK 437

$90.0 SEK 855

-48.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 SEK 351

$39.38 SEK 374

-6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 SEK 517

$97.3 SEK 924

-44.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 SEK 554

$155 SEK 1,477

-62.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 SEK 7,261

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

-32.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$531 SEK 5,044

$859 SEK 8,162

-38.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 SEK 9,354

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

-46.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 SEK 7,002

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

-48.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,100 SEK 38.9K

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

-35.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,033 SEK 28.8K

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

-15.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,507 SEK 23.8K

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

-32.04%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Sala and $1,136 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 47% 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: $64.0 in Sala vs $93.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $376 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 40% 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 47% 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: $764 in Sala versus $1,136 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $148 in Sala versus $176 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,478 in Sala versus $2,068 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 $1,478 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 40% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.