Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,999 in Uppsala versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,014 in Uppsala versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,028 in Uppsala versus $4,328 in Gothenburg.

Living in Uppsala costs roughly 3% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uppsala 49% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 SEK 148

$13.74 SEK 129

14.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 SEK 656

$93.9 SEK 882

-25.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 SEK 107

$10.34 SEK 97.1

10.25%

Cappuccino

$5.00 SEK 47.00

$4.73 SEK 44.47

5.71%

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

$2.67 SEK 25.05

$2.97 SEK 27.88

-10.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.56

$2.53 SEK 23.80

-13.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 SEK 78.8

$7.26 SEK 68.2

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.66 SEK 81.4

$7.72 SEK 72.5

12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 15.33

$1.68 SEK 15.77

-2.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 SEK 25.83

$2.85 SEK 26.80

-3.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 SEK 42.59

$3.32 SEK 31.15

36.45%

Eggs

$5.10 SEK 47.92

$4.65 SEK 43.70

9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 SEK 112

$11.80 SEK 111

0.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 131

$12.61 SEK 118

10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 SEK 158

$19.02 SEK 179

-11.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 SEK 35.09

$3.10 SEK 29.11

20.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 SEK 26.21

$2.74 SEK 25.71

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 SEK 33.51

$2.91 SEK 27.29

22.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 SEK 48.69

$4.18 SEK 39.22

23.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 14.82

$1.66 SEK 15.61

-4.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 16.81

$1.85 SEK 17.37

-3.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.72

$2.27 SEK 21.36

15.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 SEK 12.41

$1.55 SEK 14.55

-14.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 SEK 76.4

$7.82 SEK 73.5

4.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 SEK 102

$15.32 SEK 144

-29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 22.62

$2.26 SEK 21.22

6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 SEK 24.13

$2.61 SEK 24.49

-1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 SEK 37.63

$3.80 SEK 35.69

5.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 SEK 1,023

$88.6 SEK 832

22.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 SEK 53.4

$10.11 SEK 94.9

-43.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 SEK 11.17

$1.66 SEK 15.58

-28.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.5 SEK 597

$61.7 SEK 580

2.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 SEK 18.84

$1.89 SEK 17.76

6.35%

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

$33.2K SEK 311.7K

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

3.58%

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

$33.8K SEK 317.6K

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

-1.91%

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

$111 SEK 1,040

$138 SEK 1,301

-20.01%

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

$29.67 SEK 279

$24.95 SEK 234

18.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.81 SEK 412

$38.25 SEK 359

14.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 SEK 358

$41.78 SEK 392

-8.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.06 SEK 264

$25.26 SEK 237

11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$19.76 SEK 186

$17.98 SEK 169

9.90%

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

$149 SEK 1,400

$175 SEK 1,648

-15.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,570 SEK 52.3K

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

32.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 SEK 833

$87.6 SEK 823

1.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.94 SEK 394

$40.28 SEK 378

4.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 SEK 927

$96.9 SEK 910

1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,471

$156 SEK 1,468

0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 SEK 8,862

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

-16.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 SEK 7,087

$873 SEK 8,203

-13.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 SEK 14.1K

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

-21.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 SEK 10.1K

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

-25.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,511 SEK 51.8K

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

-17.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,972 SEK 27.9K

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

-21.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,097 SEK 29.1K

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

-21.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.33

10.85%

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

Last update for Uppsala: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $943 in Uppsala and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 28% 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: $70.0 in Uppsala vs $94.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $387 vs $381, with Gothenburg cheaper for home cooking.

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

Uppsala vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uppsala wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Uppsala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 28% 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: $943 in Uppsala versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,999 in Uppsala versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Uppsala but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Uppsala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Uppsala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,999 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Uppsala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Uppsala 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 Uppsala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.