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: $2,732 in Stockholm versus $2,128 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Stockholm versus $3,175 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Stockholm versus $4,222 in Gothenburg.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 28% more expensive than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 99% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 SEK 177

$13.76 SEK 133

33.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 SEK 988

$91.9 SEK 885

11.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 SEK 110

$12.84 SEK 124

-10.98%

Cappuccino

$5.35 SEK 51.5

$5.06 SEK 48.77

5.73%

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

$3.89 SEK 37.43

$2.94 SEK 28.33

32.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 SEK 30.85

$2.19 SEK 21.08

46.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 81.5

$7.18 SEK 69.2

17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 SEK 88.5

$7.86 SEK 75.7

16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.80

$1.80 SEK 17.30

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 SEK 40.14

$2.77 SEK 26.68

50.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 SEK 39.39

$3.17 SEK 30.49

29.02%

Eggs

$5.19 SEK 49.96

$4.10 SEK 39.45

26.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$12.10 SEK 117

9.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.55 SEK 131

$11.67 SEK 112

16.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.30 SEK 215

$17.76 SEK 171

25.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 34.19

$3.23 SEK 31.09

9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 28.63

$2.64 SEK 25.42

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.57

$3.22 SEK 31.00

-1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 45.23

$4.37 SEK 42.11

7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.97

$1.82 SEK 17.52

2.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.37

$1.68 SEK 16.13

7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 23.95

$2.03 SEK 19.51

22.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.95

$1.78 SEK 17.13

39.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 SEK 87.7

$8.50 SEK 81.8

7.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 SEK 122

$14.55 SEK 140

-12.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.66

$2.20 SEK 21.16

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.64

$2.38 SEK 22.91

7.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 SEK 44.44

$3.85 SEK 37.06

19.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 SEK 1,085

$88.8 SEK 855

26.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 59.7

$6.45 SEK 62.1

-3.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 SEK 14.74

$1.73 SEK 16.62

-11.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 570

$61.3 SEK 590

-3.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.55

$1.90 SEK 18.34

-4.21%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.1K

$34.0K SEK 327.1K

1.54%

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

$35.1K SEK 338.3K

$34.4K SEK 330.9K

2.24%

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

$281 SEK 2,709

$110 SEK 1,060

155.63%

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

$22.69 SEK 218

$19.66 SEK 189

15.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 SEK 392

$36.30 SEK 350

12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 SEK 463

$37.94 SEK 365

26.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.41 SEK 399

$25.89 SEK 249

59.95%

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 SEK 191

$19.34 SEK 186

2.28%

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

$172 SEK 1,658

$230 SEK 2,212

-25.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K SEK 162.2K

$4,554 SEK 43.9K

269.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 SEK 1,157

$91.0 SEK 876

32.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 SEK 557

$34.36 SEK 331

68.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 SEK 1,365

$94.0 SEK 906

50.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 SEK 1,952

$135 SEK 1,303

49.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 SEK 17.2K

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

68.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$961 SEK 9,255

14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,323 SEK 32.0K

$1,849 SEK 17.8K

79.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 SEK 17.9K

$1,440 SEK 13.9K

29.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K SEK 113.0K

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

80.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,611 SEK 63.7K

$3,613 SEK 34.8K

82.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,662 SEK 35.3K

$3,639 SEK 35.0K

0.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

3.06

8.17%

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

Last update for Stockholm: August 29, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,787 in Stockholm and $1,061 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: $103 in Stockholm vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $372 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 28% 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: $1,787 in Stockholm versus $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $172 in Stockholm versus $230 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $2,732 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 $2,128 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 28% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.