Living in Gothenburg, Sweden
Gothenburg is a mid-sized coastal city in Västra Götaland, Sweden (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a cool climate, averaging 9°C over the year with about 882 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,669 a month to live centrally, and Sweden sits in our high tax tier. For citizens from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, long-term residency in Sweden is possible, with conditions.
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- Est. cost
- €3,669
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- High
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 9°C
- 882 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 60/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~180 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Possible, with conditions
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Gothenburg
- Colder than 94% of the cities we track
- On or near the sea
Climate
Gothenburg averages 9°C across the year with about 882 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 6% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €3,669 a month to live centrally in Gothenburg, 34% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 20% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Taxes
Sweden sits in our high tax tier: high personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at low to medium will not see Gothenburg in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Residency and visas
Possible, with conditions, for people from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Long-term residency realistically runs through skilled employment (a work permit or EU Blue Card, both requiring a job offer) or a residence permit to actively run your own business, as Sweden offers no golden visa or passive-income route.
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Sweden:
- Investment: about $22k (Sweden self-employed/own-business residence permit, SEK 200,000 self-support funds required in your bank account (converted at SEK 9.28/USD, June 2026); active business capital is additional and unspecified; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 93 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 105 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Healthcare
Sweden scores 70 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 71% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Sweden.
Language and culture
Main languages: Swedish, English. English proficiency: good. Social openness scores 92 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Sweden runs at about 180 Mbps, faster than 61% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Safety and stability
Sweden scores 60 out of 100 on safety, safer than 50% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 9.3 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Sweden. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Questions couples ask about Gothenburg
Is Gothenburg a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Gothenburg scores well on healthcare, English, political stability and social openness. It is weaker on affordability. Expect a cool, moderately wet climate (9°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Gothenburg and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Gothenburg?
We estimate about €3,669 a month for a couple living centrally, 34% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Gothenburg?
Sweden is in our high tax tier (high personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make low or medium tax a must-have will not see Gothenburg in their results.
Can foreigners live in Sweden long term?
Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: possible, with conditions. Long-term residency realistically runs through skilled employment (a work permit or EU Blue Card, both requiring a job offer) or a residence permit to actively run your own business, as Sweden offers no golden visa or passive-income route. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $22k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Gothenburg?
Gothenburg averages 9°C across the year with about 882 mm of rain, which makes it cool and moderately wet. It is warmer than 6% of the cities we track.
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