Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Stockholm versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Stockholm versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Stockholm versus $4,328 in Gothenburg.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 22% more expensive than Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 87% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 150

$13.74 SEK 128

17.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,045

$93.9 SEK 876

19.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 108

$10.34 SEK 96.5

11.99%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.40

$4.73 SEK 44.18

7.40%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.79

$2.97 SEK 27.70

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.35

$2.53 SEK 23.64

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 80.9

$7.26 SEK 67.8

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 77.5

$7.72 SEK 72.0

7.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.03

$1.68 SEK 15.67

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.29

$2.85 SEK 26.62

21.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.28

$3.32 SEK 30.95

20.18%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.00

$4.65 SEK 43.41

1.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$11.80 SEK 110

10.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$12.61 SEK 118

2.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 183

$19.02 SEK 178

2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.73

$3.10 SEK 28.92

16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.37

$2.74 SEK 25.54

3.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.62

$2.91 SEK 27.11

16.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 42.88

$4.18 SEK 38.96

10.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.70

$1.66 SEK 15.50

14.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.54

$1.85 SEK 17.25

1.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.27

$2.27 SEK 21.22

14.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.98

$1.55 SEK 14.46

3.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 120

$15.32 SEK 143

-16.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.15

$2.26 SEK 21.08

-4.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 20.95

$2.61 SEK 24.32

-14.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.60

$3.80 SEK 35.45

20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,028

$88.6 SEK 827

24.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.5

$10.11 SEK 94.3

-37.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.67

$1.66 SEK 15.48

-5.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 583

$61.7 SEK 576

1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.89 SEK 17.64

-3.70%

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

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

$32.0K SEK 298.9K

2.91%

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

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

$34.5K SEK 321.6K

2.75%

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

$229 SEK 2,133

$138 SEK 1,292

65.13%

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

$28.82 SEK 269

$24.95 SEK 233

15.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 389

$38.25 SEK 357

8.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 435

$41.78 SEK 390

11.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 359

$25.26 SEK 236

52.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 165

$17.98 SEK 168

-1.84%

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

$165 SEK 1,541

$175 SEK 1,637

-5.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

$4,215 SEK 39.3K

58.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 909

$87.6 SEK 817

11.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 461

$40.28 SEK 376

22.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,090

$96.9 SEK 904

20.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,907

$156 SEK 1,458

30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

$1,125 SEK 10.5K

41.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

$873 SEK 8,148

26.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

$1,917 SEK 17.9K

44.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

25.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

$6,696 SEK 62.5K

82.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

$3,764 SEK 35.1K

77.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

$3,953 SEK 36.9K

-4.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.33

-3.93%

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

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Stockholm and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $112 in Stockholm vs $94.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $381 per month, with Gothenburg 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

Stockholm vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Stockholm. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 5% 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: $1,589 in Stockholm versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $165 in Stockholm 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 5% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $2,505 in Stockholm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,058 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Stockholm 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 Gothenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.