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: $1,972 in Uppsala versus $2,063 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,967 in Uppsala versus $3,240 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Uppsala versus $4,417 in Gothenburg.

Living in Uppsala costs roughly 4% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uppsala 48% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.00 SEK 155

$13.74 SEK 133

16.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 SEK 665

$91.2 SEK 883

-24.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 SEK 113

$10.42 SEK 101

12.48%

Cappuccino

$4.89 SEK 47.37

$4.86 SEK 47.02

0.62%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.91

$3.08 SEK 29.79

-12.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.87

$2.56 SEK 24.81

-11.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 SEK 80.5

$7.43 SEK 71.9

11.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.53 SEK 82.6

$7.72 SEK 74.7

10.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 15.81

$1.76 SEK 17.02

-7.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 27.97

$2.87 SEK 27.83

0.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 SEK 45.21

$3.34 SEK 32.35

39.82%

Eggs

$5.19 SEK 50.2

$4.63 SEK 44.87

12.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 SEK 118

$11.67 SEK 113

4.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.90 SEK 135

$12.41 SEK 120

12.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 SEK 168

$18.65 SEK 181

-6.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 SEK 37.69

$3.07 SEK 29.77

26.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.40

$2.64 SEK 25.60

7.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 34.94

$2.93 SEK 28.35

23.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 SEK 50.2

$4.31 SEK 41.74

20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.10

$1.76 SEK 16.99

-5.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 SEK 18.01

$1.87 SEK 18.13

-0.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 SEK 26.17

$2.22 SEK 21.45

21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.73

$1.59 SEK 15.40

-17.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.15 SEK 78.9

$7.94 SEK 76.9

2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 SEK 101

$14.36 SEK 139

-27.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.88

$2.20 SEK 21.29

12.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 25.50

$2.53 SEK 24.48

3.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 SEK 40.38

$3.92 SEK 38.00

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 SEK 1,050

$90.9 SEK 880

19.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 SEK 54.6

$10.16 SEK 98.4

-44.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 SEK 11.60

$1.67 SEK 16.12

-28.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 SEK 621

$61.6 SEK 596

4.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 19.26

$1.96 SEK 18.98

1.53%

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

$32.1K SEK 310.4K

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

-0.37%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

-4.71%

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

$110 SEK 1,063

$140 SEK 1,358

-21.73%

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

$28.97 SEK 280

$25.00 SEK 242

15.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 SEK 416

$38.56 SEK 373

11.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.06 SEK 378

$41.38 SEK 401

-5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.76 SEK 269

$24.81 SEK 240

11.89%

Cinema Ticket

$20.37 SEK 197

$18.04 SEK 175

12.92%

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

$145 SEK 1,406

$178 SEK 1,722

-18.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,535 SEK 53.6K

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

32.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 SEK 850

$89.5 SEK 867

-1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.63 SEK 403

$39.39 SEK 381

5.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 SEK 964

$95.4 SEK 923

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,517

$153 SEK 1,477

2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 SEK 8,982

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

-15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 SEK 7,323

$860 SEK 8,328

-12.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 SEK 14.5K

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

-20.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

-22.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,452 SEK 52.8K

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

-16.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 SEK 25.4K

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

-25.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 SEK 29.7K

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

-14.60%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $928 in Uppsala and $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 17% 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: $69.0 in Uppsala vs $91.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $377, 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 and Gothenburg differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,972 vs $2,063 including rent). Uppsala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $928 in Uppsala versus $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in Uppsala versus $178 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,972 in Uppsala versus $2,063 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 $1,972 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 5% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.