Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,695 in Umea versus $2,063 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,667 in Umea versus $3,240 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,639 in Umea versus $4,417 in Gothenburg.

Living in Umea costs roughly 18% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 27% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 155

$13.74 SEK 132

16.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 SEK 803

$91.2 SEK 879

-8.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 SEK 113

$10.42 SEK 100

12.76%

Cappuccino

$4.12 SEK 39.68

$4.86 SEK 46.80

-15.23%

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

$3.39 SEK 32.70

$3.08 SEK 29.65

10.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SEK 24.97

$2.56 SEK 24.69

1.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 SEK 87.8

$7.43 SEK 71.6

22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 SEK 71.6

$7.72 SEK 74.4

-3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.66

$1.76 SEK 16.94

-1.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 SEK 33.61

$2.87 SEK 27.70

21.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 40.86

$3.34 SEK 32.20

26.95%

Eggs

$4.32 SEK 41.61

$4.63 SEK 44.66

-6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 SEK 111

$11.67 SEK 113

-1.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 SEK 106

$12.41 SEK 120

-11.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 SEK 178

$18.65 SEK 180

-0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.18

$3.07 SEK 29.63

-8.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 SEK 22.35

$2.64 SEK 25.48

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.77

$2.93 SEK 28.21

2.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 43.21

$4.31 SEK 41.54

3.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.55

$1.76 SEK 16.92

-2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 17.74

$1.87 SEK 18.05

-1.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 25.21

$2.22 SEK 21.35

18.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SEK 14.43

$1.59 SEK 15.33

-5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SEK 65.8

$7.94 SEK 76.6

-13.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 SEK 105

$14.36 SEK 138

-23.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.99

$2.20 SEK 21.19

-24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.28

$2.53 SEK 24.36

-17.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 SEK 29.11

$3.92 SEK 37.82

-22.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 579

$90.9 SEK 876

-33.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 SEK 50.5

$10.16 SEK 97.9

-48.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.00

$1.67 SEK 16.05

-0.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.83 SEK 451

$61.6 SEK 593

-23.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.39

$1.96 SEK 18.89

-2.55%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.7K

$32.2K SEK 310.1K

0.20%

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

$34.9K SEK 336.4K

$35.6K SEK 342.7K

-1.82%

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

$69.4 SEK 668

$140 SEK 1,352

-50.57%

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

$34.68 SEK 334

$25.00 SEK 241

38.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.86 SEK 259

$38.56 SEK 372

-30.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 SEK 490

$41.38 SEK 399

22.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.23 SEK 378

$24.81 SEK 239

58.12%

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 SEK 154

$18.04 SEK 174

-11.31%

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

$147 SEK 1,417

$178 SEK 1,714

-17.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,186 SEK 40.3K

$4,177 SEK 40.2K

0.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 SEK 978

$89.5 SEK 863

13.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 SEK 371

$39.39 SEK 380

-2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,213

$95.4 SEK 919

32.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 SEK 1,318

$153 SEK 1,470

-10.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SEK 7,733

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

-26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 SEK 5,233

$860 SEK 8,288

-36.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 SEK 11.4K

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

-36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 SEK 8,660

$1,404 SEK 13.5K

-36.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,763 SEK 45.9K

$6,493 SEK 62.6K

-26.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,146 SEK 30.3K

$3,504 SEK 33.8K

-10.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,703 SEK 26.1K

$3,590 SEK 34.6K

-24.69%

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 Umea: July 12, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Umea and $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 33% 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: $83.0 in Umea vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $377 per month, with Umea 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

Umea vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 33% 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: $803 in Umea versus $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Umea 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 3% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,695 in Umea versus $2,063 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Umea but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Umea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Umea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,695 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Umea hard to pass up.

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