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: $2,582 in Stockholm versus $2,063 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,840 in Stockholm versus $3,240 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Stockholm versus $4,417 in Gothenburg.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 25% more expensive than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 93% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 155

$13.74 SEK 132

17.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,062

$91.2 SEK 879

20.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 113

$10.42 SEK 100

12.09%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 50.1

$4.86 SEK 46.80

7.00%

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

$3.28 SEK 31.64

$3.08 SEK 29.65

6.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.78

$2.56 SEK 24.69

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 SEK 82.0

$7.43 SEK 71.6

14.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 80.1

$7.72 SEK 74.4

7.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.33

$1.76 SEK 16.94

2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.84

$2.87 SEK 27.70

18.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 39.19

$3.34 SEK 32.20

21.86%

Eggs

$4.70 SEK 45.33

$4.63 SEK 44.66

1.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 123

$11.67 SEK 113

9.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$12.41 SEK 120

6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 SEK 187

$18.65 SEK 180

4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 34.66

$3.07 SEK 29.63

17.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.93

$2.64 SEK 25.48

9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 32.54

$2.93 SEK 28.21

15.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 44.21

$4.31 SEK 41.54

6.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 18.92

$1.76 SEK 16.92

11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.17

$1.87 SEK 18.05

1.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 24.24

$2.22 SEK 21.35

13.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.55

$1.59 SEK 15.33

1.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 77.7

$7.94 SEK 76.6

1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 121

$14.36 SEK 138

-12.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$2.20 SEK 21.19

-0.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 22.76

$2.53 SEK 24.36

-6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 43.89

$3.92 SEK 37.82

16.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,080

$90.9 SEK 876

23.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 61.7

$10.16 SEK 97.9

-37.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$1.67 SEK 16.05

-0.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 SEK 610

$61.6 SEK 593

2.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.92

$1.96 SEK 18.89

-5.10%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.3K

$32.2K SEK 310.1K

2.66%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.9K

$35.6K SEK 342.7K

-2.86%

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

$227 SEK 2,189

$140 SEK 1,352

61.92%

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

$29.59 SEK 285

$25.00 SEK 241

18.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 SEK 405

$38.56 SEK 372

9.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 SEK 443

$41.38 SEK 399

11.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 SEK 367

$24.81 SEK 239

53.53%

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 SEK 171

$18.04 SEK 174

-1.44%

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

$164 SEK 1,582

$178 SEK 1,714

-7.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,573 SEK 63.3K

$4,177 SEK 40.2K

57.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 941

$89.5 SEK 863

9.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 SEK 480

$39.39 SEK 380

26.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,159

$95.4 SEK 919

26.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,945

$153 SEK 1,470

32.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$860 SEK 8,288

26.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 SEK 26.5K

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

46.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

$1,404 SEK 13.5K

28.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 113.3K

$6,493 SEK 62.6K

81.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$3,504 SEK 33.8K

85.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,643 SEK 35.1K

$3,590 SEK 34.6K

1.49%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Stockholm and $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 1% 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: $110 in Stockholm vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $377 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 25% 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.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Stockholm, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,566 in Stockholm versus $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Stockholm 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 6% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,582 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 $2,063 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 25% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.