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: $1,694 in Umea versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Umea versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,638 in Umea versus $4,328 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 26% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 151

$13.74 SEK 129

16.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 SEK 802

$93.9 SEK 882

-9.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 SEK 107

$10.34 SEK 97.1

10.35%

Cappuccino

$4.29 SEK 40.26

$4.73 SEK 44.47

-9.30%

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

$3.39 SEK 31.86

$2.97 SEK 27.88

14.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 23.61

$2.53 SEK 23.80

-0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 SEK 85.6

$7.26 SEK 68.2

25.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 70.9

$7.72 SEK 72.5

-2.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 15.90

$1.68 SEK 15.77

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 SEK 33.59

$2.85 SEK 26.80

25.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 SEK 40.58

$3.32 SEK 31.15

30.12%

Eggs

$4.29 SEK 40.26

$4.65 SEK 43.70

-7.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 SEK 112

$11.80 SEK 111

1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 SEK 104

$12.61 SEK 118

-12.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 SEK 172

$19.02 SEK 179

-3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.65

$3.10 SEK 29.11

-8.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 SEK 22.44

$2.74 SEK 25.71

-12.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.65

$2.91 SEK 27.29

-2.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 41.68

$4.18 SEK 39.22

6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 15.75

$1.66 SEK 15.61

1.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.07

$1.85 SEK 17.37

-1.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 24.57

$2.27 SEK 21.36

15.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SEK 13.87

$1.55 SEK 14.55

-4.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 SEK 62.9

$7.82 SEK 73.5

-14.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 SEK 107

$15.32 SEK 144

-25.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.56

$2.26 SEK 21.22

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 20.89

$2.61 SEK 24.49

-14.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 SEK 29.51

$3.80 SEK 35.69

-17.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 SEK 555

$88.6 SEK 832

-33.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 SEK 49.06

$10.11 SEK 94.9

-48.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.07

$1.66 SEK 15.58

-3.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.06 SEK 442

$61.7 SEK 580

-23.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.30

$1.89 SEK 17.76

3.17%

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

$32.7K SEK 307.4K

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

2.17%

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

$35.2K SEK 330.9K

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

2.20%

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

$67.8 SEK 637

$138 SEK 1,301

-51.05%

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

$34.49 SEK 324

$24.95 SEK 234

38.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.30 SEK 256

$38.25 SEK 359

-28.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 SEK 486

$41.78 SEK 392

23.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SEK 363

$25.26 SEK 237

52.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 SEK 150

$17.98 SEK 169

-11.46%

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

$149 SEK 1,398

$175 SEK 1,648

-15.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.5K

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

-2.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 931

$87.6 SEK 823

13.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 SEK 359

$40.28 SEK 378

-5.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,179

$96.9 SEK 910

29.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 SEK 1,275

$156 SEK 1,468

-13.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 SEK 7,444

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

-29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 SEK 4,975

$873 SEK 8,203

-39.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 SEK 11.2K

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

-37.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 SEK 8,402

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

-37.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,972 SEK 46.7K

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

-25.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,309 SEK 31.1K

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

-12.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,875 SEK 27.0K

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

-27.26%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $793 in Umea and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 37% 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: $85.0 in Umea vs $94.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $381 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, Gothenburg earns 37% less. 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: $793 in Umea versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $149 in Umea versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,694 in Umea versus $2,058 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 $1,694 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.