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: $1,703 in Umea versus $2,128 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,689 in Umea versus $3,175 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,674 in Umea versus $4,222 in Gothenburg.

Living in Umea costs roughly 20% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 24% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.72 SEK 150

$13.76 SEK 132

14.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 SEK 806

$91.9 SEK 879

-8.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 SEK 120

$12.84 SEK 123

-2.49%

Cappuccino

$4.14 SEK 39.63

$5.06 SEK 48.44

-18.18%

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

$3.35 SEK 32.06

$2.94 SEK 28.14

13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.87

$2.19 SEK 20.94

14.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 SEK 82.8

$7.18 SEK 68.7

20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 SEK 74.4

$7.86 SEK 75.2

-1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.51

$1.80 SEK 17.19

-3.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 SEK 32.97

$2.77 SEK 26.50

24.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 39.27

$3.17 SEK 30.28

29.65%

Eggs

$4.24 SEK 40.60

$4.10 SEK 39.18

3.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 SEK 112

$12.10 SEK 116

-2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 SEK 107

$11.67 SEK 112

-4.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 SEK 171

$17.76 SEK 170

0.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.57

$3.23 SEK 30.88

-20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 SEK 22.07

$2.64 SEK 25.25

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 26.75

$3.22 SEK 30.79

-13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 SEK 43.02

$4.37 SEK 41.82

2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.72

$1.82 SEK 17.41

-9.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 SEK 16.58

$1.68 SEK 16.02

2.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 SEK 23.73

$2.03 SEK 19.38

22.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.81

$1.78 SEK 17.01

-24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.47 SEK 71.5

$8.50 SEK 81.3

-12.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 SEK 98.0

$14.55 SEK 139

-29.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 21.73

$2.20 SEK 21.02

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.44

$2.38 SEK 22.76

7.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 SEK 28.30

$3.85 SEK 36.81

-23.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 SEK 573

$88.8 SEK 849

-32.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.48 SEK 71.6

$6.45 SEK 61.7

15.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 SEK 16.65

$1.73 SEK 16.50

0.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 SEK 629

$61.3 SEK 586

7.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.56

$1.90 SEK 18.22

-8.95%

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

$35.0K SEK 334.9K

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

3.10%

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

$34.7K SEK 332.3K

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

1.10%

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

$88.6 SEK 848

$110 SEK 1,052

-19.46%

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

$34.80 SEK 333

$19.66 SEK 188

77.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.77 SEK 266

$36.30 SEK 347

-23.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 SEK 487

$37.94 SEK 363

34.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.65 SEK 351

$25.89 SEK 248

41.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 SEK 168

$19.34 SEK 185

-9.26%

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

$145 SEK 1,386

$230 SEK 2,196

-36.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,984 SEK 47.7K

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

9.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 1,017

$91.0 SEK 870

16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 SEK 370

$34.36 SEK 329

12.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 SEK 1,167

$94.0 SEK 900

29.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 SEK 1,400

$135 SEK 1,294

8.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 SEK 7,579

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

-25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 SEK 5,118

$961 SEK 9,192

-44.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 SEK 11.1K

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

-37.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 SEK 8,442

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

-38.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,859 SEK 46.5K

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

-25.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,171 SEK 30.3K

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

-12.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,805 SEK 26.8K

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

-22.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.06

19.28%

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

Last update for Umea: August 29, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $792 in Umea and $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 30% 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: $84.0 in Umea vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $372 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 25% 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 30% 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: $792 in Umea versus $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Umea 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 3% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,703 in Umea versus $2,128 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 $1,703 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 25% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.