How Much Does It Cost to Live in Gothenburg?
Deciding to relocate is not easy and it especially requires a lot of thinking so as to make the right choice about your future place of residence.
No matter whether you have the cheapest paid profession on the planet or your degree enables you earn pretty high amount of money, it is necessary to get acquainted with the possible expenses wherever in the world you go, and especially in Sweden.
Being less expensive than Stockholm and at the same time offering equal opportunities, Gothernburg might be an ideal city for you.
Cost of Living Breakdown in Gothenburg
RESTAURANTS
When spending money in restaurants is in question, your personal habits can influence the numbers quite a bit.
Daily eating out would require quite a lot of money, as the meals are not affordable, and having a drink with your meal might double the price of the bill.
| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $10.75 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $6.99 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.99 |
MARKETS
Grocery shopping is daily expense which is of utmost importance for a living and purchasing foodstuff at lower prices is possible in huge supermarkets which frequently offer discounts.
Cooking at home is a crucial skill if you want to make your eating expenses affordable.
| Average Market Prices | |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 Liter) | $4.63 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.31 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.85 |
TRANSPORTATION
After groceries, as the second biggest expense in Gothenburg, there comes the transport.
It is necessary to commute daily, and obtaining a monthly pass would be a wise decision.
Driving here is not advised due to difficulties in maintaining the vehicle and high gasoline prices.
| Average Transport Prices | |
|---|---|
| One Way Ticket | $2.90 |
| Monthly Pass | $67.22 |
| Gasoline | $6.16 |
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Having in mind that you should support yourself and your family during your staying in Gothenburg, you will need to devote enough money for the services to be paid.
All in all, it can be said that Sweden is not expensive when it comes to utilities, as $100 per month would be enough to pay for them.
| Average Utilities Prices | |
|---|---|
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $56.78 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.07 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $29.13 |
SPORTS & LEISURE
If you are interested in sports, you might find the prices of fitness clubs and tennis courts very useful.
Actually, they are quite high, especially a tennis court rent, where one hour of tennis costs almost as whole month exercising in the gym.
| Average Leisure Prices | |
|---|---|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $34.54 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $24.02 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $13.98 |
CLOTHING & SHOES
The first thing you need to know is that you will need to have sufficient amount of money to cover all the other expenses, and then start thinking about buying some designer clothes here.
The apparel is quite expensive and unaffordable, and if you are a savvy person, you would not buy branded items.
| Average Clothing Prices | |
|---|---|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $98.56 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $39.92 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $94.74 |
RENT PER MONTH
The biggest expense that you can expect to make every month is for your accommodation here.
It is not as expensive as in Stockholm, but it is still above the national average.
You will be able to save around $300, if you do not mind living out of the city center.
| Average Rent Prices | |
|---|---|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $923.92 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $659.62 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1584.06 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Gothenburg?
Getting the information about how Gothenburg’s citizens organize their budgets might be helpful for you to know how to navigate your own expenses once you get there.
Providing for the rent and paying it every month has a huge impact on your budget.
It usually takes the third of monthly income, and the rent in Gothenburg is quite high.
However, besides paying for the rent, you will still need to eat, watch a movie, go out and commute to work, which are all additional and very important monthly expenses.
Average Costs Breakdown
Gothenburg: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
In order to be able to take care of your monthly living cost, it is necessary to make a plan of your earnings and spendings and devote enough money for the most important things.
What is left can be spent on non-essential items, such as clothing, entertainment and sports.
If you are lucky enough to have a job with the salary above the average, you will manage to cover all the expenses and your living conditions in Gothenburg will be ideal.
Gothenburg Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Gothenburg Safety Review
| OVERALL RISK | LOW |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK | LOW |
| PICKPOCKETS RISK | MEDIUM |
| NATURAL DISASTERS RISK | LOW |
| MUGGING RISK | LOW |
| TERRORISM RISK | LOW |
| SCAMS RISK | LOW |
| WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK | LOW |
| TAP WATER RISK | LOW |
Cost of Living by City in Sweden
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
 Malmo |
66.14 |
| Stockholm |
77.23 |
| Uppsala |
68.75 |
Relocating sounds exciting but man, those costs can really add up! It’s good to know Gothenburg is less pricey than Stockholm, though. That might just make the decision a bit easier for people trying to balance opportunities with their budgets.