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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Gothenburg air quality: AQI 14 — excellent. Green space 35%. Compared to Västra Götaland cities in 2026.
Gothenburg air quality: AQI 14 — excellent. Green space 35%. Compared to Västra Götaland cities in 2026.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gothenburg | 112 | 10 100 kr | 395 000 kr |
| 2 | Östersund | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 3 | Luleå | 96 | 7 600 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 4 | Visby | 100 | 8 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 5 | Falun | 93 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 6 | Umeå | 101 | 8 300 kr | 373 000 kr |
| 7 | Sundsvall | 93 | 7 400 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 8 | Växjö | 95 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 9 | Karlstad | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 10 | Jönköping | 96 | 7 900 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 11 | Gävle | 93 | 7 500 kr | 352 000 kr |
| 12 | Kalmar | 90 | 7 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 13 | Karlskrona | 90 | 6 900 kr | 341 000 kr |
| 14 | Örebro | 97 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 15 | Västerås | 99 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 16 | Linköping | 102 | 8 700 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 17 | Uppsala | 114 | 10 400 kr | 405 000 kr |
| 18 | Halmstad | 104 | 8 700 kr | 383 000 kr |
| 19 | Eskilstuna | 96 | 7 700 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 20 | Lund | 112 | 9 700 kr | 400 000 kr |
Gothenburg: cost index 112 (+11 vs national avg 101), rent 10 100 kr/month.
Västra Götaland region average cost index: 101. Gothenburg is +11 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 68/100 — safety 68, healthcare 80, walkability 82.
Safety score: 68/100 (crime rate 64.2/1k). National average: 73/100.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Gothenburg has a cost index of 112 — 11 points above the Sweden national average of 101. Median income is 395 000 kr with rent at 10 100 kr/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 31%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
And here's the trade-off: looking at Västra Götaland as a whole, the spread across all 24 cities is 4 points on the cost index. Malmö sits at the other end with index 108 and rent of 9 500 kr/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Gothenburg scores a composite score of 68/100 — reflecting its safety (68), healthcare (80), and walkability (82) metrics. But here's the flip side: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Sweden is a good example of that tension.
Gothenburg — cost index 112, rent 10 100 kr/mo, income 395 000 kr, QoL 68/100.
Östersund — cost index 94, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Luleå — cost index 96, rent 7 600 kr/mo, income 378 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Visby — cost index 100, rent 8 200 kr/mo, income 347 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Falun — cost index 93, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Gothenburg has a cost index of 112 (national avg: 101), rent 10 100 kr/mo, median income 395 000 kr/yr, and a quality of life score of 68/100.
The Västra Götaland region of average QoL score is 69/100. Gothenburg leads with 68/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include SCB, Lantmäteriet, Skatteverket.
Gothenburg: cost index 112, rent 10 100 kr/mo, income 395 000 kr/yr, QoL 68/100. Östersund: cost index 94, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr/yr, QoL 71/100.
This analysis uses data from SCB, Lantmäteriet, Skatteverket to rank cities in Sweden. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.