Cost of living in Gothenburg 2026
Realistic monthly budgets for a single person, a couple and a family of four, built from Konsumentverket's 2026 reference costs, 2026 rents from SCB and Qasa, and this year's transit and childcare prices.
Quick answer
A single person needs about SEK 15,100 a month with a first-hand one-room rental, or about SEK 17,800 with a sublet. A couple needs roughly SEK 23,900-27,200 and a family of four SEK 35,400-40,300. Rent is the swing factor: first-hand rentals are much cheaper than sublets, but people housed through the Boplats queue in 2025 had waited 6.8 years on average.
Monthly budgets (SEK, after tax)
| Household | Rent: first-hand / sublet | Living costs | Transit | Preschool | Total, first-hand | Total, sublet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single adult (25-50), 1 room | 5,785 / 8,500 | 8,400 | 890 | - | ~15,100 | ~17,800 |
| Couple (both 25-50), 2 rooms | 7,978 / 11,250 | 14,130 | 1,780 | - | ~23,900 | ~27,200 |
| Family of four (children 4-6 and 7-10), 3 rooms | 9,273 / 14,180 | 23,340 | 1,780 | 1,031 | ~35,400 | ~40,300 |
Living costs: Konsumentverket's 2026 reference costs for food, personal costs and shared household costs (including electricity, internet, mobile and home insurance). Rent: SCB 2026 average first-hand rent and Qasa's median sublet (January-June 2026). Transit: adult 30-day zone A pass at the ordinary price (SEK 750 with the Göteborg resident discount). Preschool: the Göteborg cap for a youngest child aged 3-5 since 1 July 2026. Not included: healthcare fees, travel, eating out, savings.
Living costs in detail (Konsumentverket 2026)
| SEK per month | Single (25-50) | Couple (25-50) | Family of four |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food (all meals at home) | 2,730 | 5,460 | 8,440 |
| Clothes, leisure, hygiene, phone handset | 2,140 | 4,280 | 8,370 |
| Internet and mobile subscriptions | 1,000 | 1,230 | 1,690 |
| Household electricity | 400 | 530 | 870 |
| Home equipment and consumables | 1,120 | 1,330 | 2,120 |
| Other media | 640 | 690 | 720 |
| Water and sewage (usually in the rent) | 220 | 440 | 880 |
| Home insurance (hemförsäkring) | 150 | 170 | 250 |
| Total before rent | 8,400 | 14,130 | 23,340 |
Konsumentverket's figures are reasonable-level reference costs, not minimums. Food for an adult aged 25-50 is SEK 2,730 a month if all meals are eaten at home. Since 1 April 2026 food VAT has been 6% instead of 12%, and shop prices for food fell 5.5% in April 2026.
Sources: Konsumentverket: household costs 2026 · Konsumentverket: food costs · Konsumentverket: food VAT cut
What things cost
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lunch of the day (dagens lunch), median | SEK 135 | Lunchzonen / Menydags, Oct 2026 (restaurant listings) |
| Single transit ticket, zone A | SEK 38 | Västtrafik, from 9 Jun 2026 |
| 30-day transit pass, zone A | SEK 890 (SEK 445 at the temporary half price) | Västtrafik |
| Doctor's visit at your own vårdcentral | SEK 200 | Västra Götalandsregionen 2026 |
| Preschool, youngest child, monthly cap | SEK 1,547 (SEK 1,031 for ages 3-5) | Göteborgs Stad, from 1 Jul 2026 |
| Fixed broadband 100/100 Mbit/s, median | SEK 399 / month | PTS price report (2023 data) |
| Mobile subscription, median | SEK 259 / month | PTS price report (2023 data) |
| Electricity, typical apartment (2,000 kWh a year) | about SEK 450-500 / month | Our calculation: Göteborg Energi grid tariff 2026, energy tax, SCB offered prices |
| Tenant-owned flat (bostadsrätt), Göteborg | SEK 53,050 per m² | Svensk Mäklarstatistik, 3 months to Sep 2026 |
Prices from restaurant listings and PTS are indicative. Inflation is low: CPI was 0.3% in August 2026, with a preliminary 1.1% for September (SCB).
Rent
Rental flats in Göteborg cost SEK 8,462 a month on average in 2026 (1 room SEK 5,785; 2 rooms SEK 7,978; 3 rooms SEK 9,273), 3.3% more than in 2025. These first-hand contracts come through the Boplats queue or private landlords. Most newcomers start with a sublet: Qasa's medians for January-June 2026 were SEK 8,500 (1 room), SEK 11,250 (2 rooms) and SEK 14,180 (3+ rooms). Newly built rental flats cost more: SEK 11,405 a month on average for flats completed in 2025.
Every figure, by district and flat size: Gothenburg Rent Report 2026. Where to look: housing directory and neighbourhoods.
Electricity
Gothenburg is in price area SE3. For an apartment, Göteborg Energi's 2026 grid tariff is SEK 132.50 a month plus 37.5 öre per kWh (including VAT), and energy tax is 45 öre per kWh including VAT. On top comes the electricity itself: new variable-price contracts for apartments in SE3 were offered at 107 öre per kWh on average in January-August 2026, before VAT (SCB, from Ei's Elpriskollen).
For a typical 2,000 kWh a year, that adds up to roughly SEK 450-500 a month (our calculation). Heating and hot water are usually included in the rent of rental flats.
Sources: Göteborg Energi: grid prices 2026 · Skatteverket: energy tax on electricity
Buying a home
Tenant-owned flats (bostadsrätter) in Göteborg municipality sold for SEK 53,050 per m² on average in the three months to September 2026 (average price SEK 3.32 million), about SEK 70,000 per m² in central Göteborg. The average house in the municipality sold for about SEK 6.96 million. Prices were up about 5% on a year earlier.
Source: Svensk Mäklarstatistik: Göteborg
Salaries and tax
SCB's average monthly salary for 2025 was SEK 42,300 in West Sweden (Västra Götaland and Halland) and SEK 42,900 for Sweden; the national median was SEK 38,300. Göteborg's local income tax is 32.60%. Under Skatteverket's 2026 tax table, a salary of SEK 41,700 a month leaves about SEK 32,700 after tax. Check your own figure with the tax calculator.
Sources: Skatteverket: amounts and rates 2026 · Migrationsverket: salary requirement
Compared with Stockholm and Malmö
| Stockholm | Gothenburg | Malmö | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sublet 2-room flat, median (Qasa, H1 2026) | SEK 14,300 | SEK 11,250 | SEK 10,540 |
| First-hand rent, all rental flats, mean (SCB 2026) | SEK 9,834 | SEK 8,462 | SEK 9,684 |
| Tenant-owned flat, metro area, per m² (Sep 2026) | SEK 74,193 | SEK 49,179 | SEK 37,740 |
| Local income tax 2026 | 30.55% | 32.60% | 32.42% |
| Average monthly salary 2025 (SCB region) | SEK 48,300 | SEK 42,300 | SEK 41,700 |
More on choosing a city: Stockholm vs Gothenburg vs Malmö.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do you need to live in Gothenburg?
Using Konsumentverket's 2026 reference costs plus 2026 rents and transit prices: about SEK 15,100 a month for a single person in a first-hand one-room rental, or about SEK 17,800 with a sublet. A couple needs roughly SEK 23,900-27,200 and a family of four SEK 35,400-40,300, depending mostly on the rent.
Is Gothenburg cheaper than Stockholm?
Yes for housing: the median sublet two-room flat on Qasa cost SEK 11,250 a month in Gothenburg against SEK 14,300 in Stockholm in the first half of 2026, and tenant-owned flats cost about SEK 49,000 per m² in the Gothenburg area against SEK 74,000 in the Stockholm area. Local income tax is higher in Gothenburg (32.60% against 30.55%), and average salaries are lower.
What is a good salary in Gothenburg?
The median monthly salary in Sweden was SEK 38,300 in 2025 and the average in West Sweden (Västra Götaland and Halland) SEK 42,300 (SCB). A salary of about SEK 41,700 a month leaves about SEK 32,700 after tax in Göteborg. The minimum salary for a new work permit is SEK 34,470 a month since 16 June 2026.
How much is rent in Gothenburg?
First-hand rental flats averaged SEK 8,462 a month in 2026 (SEK 7,978 for two rooms), but they come through queues. Sublets on Qasa had a median of SEK 8,500 for one room, SEK 11,250 for two rooms and SEK 14,180 for three or more rooms in the first half of 2026. Full figures in our rent report.
How much does electricity cost in a Gothenburg apartment?
For a typical apartment using about 2,000 kWh a year, expect roughly SEK 450-500 a month in 2026, including Göteborg Energi's grid fee (SEK 132.50 a month plus 37.5 öre per kWh), energy tax (45 öre per kWh including VAT) and the electricity itself. Heating is normally included in the rent.
Sources
- Konsumentverket: household costs 2026
- SCB: rents in rental flats 2026
- SCB: rents for new-build flats 2025
- Qasa: Hyresrapporten January-June 2026
- Svensk Mäklarstatistik, September 2026
- Göteborg Energi: grid prices
- Skatteverket: energy tax on electricity
- PTS: price report 2024
- Västtrafik: 2026 prices
- Västtrafik: half-price 30-day tickets
- Göteborgs Stad: preschool fees
- Lunchzonen: lunch prices in Gothenburg
- Skatteverket: amounts and rates 2026