Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Umea: $1,655 a month against $2,044 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gothenburg outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Umea
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Umea Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Umea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,655

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Umea and in Gothenburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Umea and in Gothenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,655 in Umea versus $2,044 in Gothenburg.

Umea $1,655
Gothenburg $2,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,631 in Umea versus $3,078 in Gothenburg.

Umea $2,631
Gothenburg $3,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,607 in Umea versus $4,113 in Gothenburg.

Umea $3,607
Gothenburg $4,113

Living in Umea costs roughly 19% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 22% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 SEK 149

$13.77 SEK 136

9.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 SEK 812

$87.4 SEK 866

-6.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 SEK 120

$12.41 SEK 123

-2.74%

Cappuccino

$3.95 SEK 39.10

$4.87 SEK 48.30

-18.89%

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

$3.14 SEK 31.09

$2.89 SEK 28.62

8.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 23.58

$2.40 SEK 23.76

-0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.49 SEK 84.1

$7.03 SEK 69.6

20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 SEK 74.2

$7.69 SEK 76.2

-2.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 17.03

$1.67 SEK 16.58

2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 SEK 33.88

$2.70 SEK 26.73

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 40.74

$3.16 SEK 31.32

30.06%

Eggs

$3.96 SEK 39.25

$3.86 SEK 38.28

2.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 SEK 113

$11.53 SEK 114

-1.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 SEK 104

$11.57 SEK 115

-9.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.92 SEK 168

$16.35 SEK 162

3.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 SEK 24.31

$3.02 SEK 29.92

-18.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 SEK 22.07

$2.41 SEK 23.90

-7.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 26.71

$3.00 SEK 29.77

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 SEK 41.18

$4.45 SEK 44.10

-6.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.76

$1.77 SEK 17.51

-10.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.58

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-1.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 SEK 23.84

$2.04 SEK 20.22

18.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 SEK 13.11

$1.62 SEK 16.05

-18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.35 SEK 72.8

$8.32 SEK 82.4

-11.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 SEK 101

$15.06 SEK 149

-32.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 SEK 22.64

$2.04 SEK 20.21

12.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.84

$2.25 SEK 22.24

7.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 SEK 29.34

$3.84 SEK 38.05

-22.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 SEK 571

$87.5 SEK 867

-34.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 SEK 71.6

$6.33 SEK 62.7

14.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.91 SEK 48.61

$1.65 SEK 16.38

197.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 SEK 591

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 16.95

$1.74 SEK 17.28

-1.72%

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

$32.9K SEK 326.2K

$33.9K SEK 336.0K

-2.91%

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

$33.2K SEK 328.5K

$34.0K SEK 337.3K

-2.62%

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

$85.6 SEK 848

$106 SEK 1,046

-18.92%

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

$33.72 SEK 334

$19.51 SEK 193

72.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.59 SEK 273

$33.69 SEK 334

-18.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 SEK 496

$35.23 SEK 349

42.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.99 SEK 357

$24.38 SEK 242

47.62%

Cinema Ticket

$16.97 SEK 168

$17.18 SEK 170

-1.22%

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

$143 SEK 1,414

$221 SEK 2,186

-35.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,412 SEK 43.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 982

$89.2 SEK 883

11.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 SEK 360

$32.97 SEK 327

10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,187

$88.3 SEK 874

35.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 SEK 1,417

$131 SEK 1,301

8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 SEK 7,566

$1,046 SEK 10.4K

-26.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 SEK 5,066

$908 SEK 8,998

-43.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 SEK 11.0K

$1,809 SEK 17.9K

-38.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 SEK 8,385

$1,383 SEK 13.7K

-38.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,601 SEK 45.6K

$6,137 SEK 60.8K

-25.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,107 SEK 30.8K

$3,523 SEK 34.9K

-11.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 SEK 27.0K

$3,594 SEK 35.6K

-24.14%

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: October 18, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Umea

$511 30.9%

Gothenburg

$908 44.4% 77.6% $397

Groceries & Markets

Umea

$349 21.1%

Gothenburg

$358 17.5% 2.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Umea

$283 17.1%

Gothenburg

$278 13.6% 2.1% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Umea

$179 10.8%

Gothenburg

$154 7.5% 14.2% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Umea

$147 8.9%

Gothenburg

$159 7.8% 8.1% $12

Getting Around

Umea

$101 6.1%

Gothenburg

$117 5.8% 16.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Umea

$84 5.1%

Gothenburg

$70 3.4% 17.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Umea and $1,046 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 32% 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: $82.0 in Umea vs $87.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $358 per month, with Umea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Umea

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Umea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,594

607,882

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Umea Gothenburg 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Umea
Gothenburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 24% 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 32% 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: $764 in Umea versus $1,046 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $143 in Umea versus $221 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 $1,655 in Umea versus $2,044 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 $1,655 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 24% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.