🇸🇪 Sweden · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Gothenburg? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
One-bed flat, second-hand contract, Hisingen or the eastern suburbsSEK 7,500–11,000 / month
Utilities and broadband, one personSEK 600–1,300 / month — heating and water are normally included in the rent
Groceries, one personSEK 3,000–4,500 / month
Västtrafik 30-day pass, Gothenburg zoneSEK 700–850 / month, and it covers the archipelago ferries
Good to know
Population
≈620,000 in the municipality; ≈1.1 million in the Gothenburg metropolitan area — Sweden's second city
Languages
Swedish; English is spoken to a high standard almost universally and the automotive and tech employers largely operate in it
Currency
Swedish krona (SEK) — Sweden is in the EU but not the euro
Time zone
CET (GMT+1), CEST (GMT+2) in summer
Power plug
Type C and F, 230 V, 50 Hz
Climate
Humid continental with a strong Atlantic influence — milder and much wetter than Stockholm, with about 917 mm of precipitation a year
Municipal tax rate
32.60% total for 2026 (municipality plus Västra Götalandsregionen), against Stockholm's 30.55%
Getting around
Sweden's largest tram network, run by Västtrafik, plus free passenger ferries across the river and paid ferries to the car-free southern archipelago
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Gothenburg checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Gothenburg
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.