Gothenburg Cost Breakdown: Surviving on a Freelance Photographer's Budget

okay, so here’s the deal with living in gothenburg as a freelance photographer. it’s not exactly cheap, but it’s not stockholm either. think of it as the sweet spot between broke and boujee. i moved here last year chasing the nordic light and honestly? the light’s great, but the rent’s a killer.

let’s start with the basics:

*rent: if you want to live near the city center (haga or linne are cute af), expect to pay around 8,000-10,000 sek/month for a one-bedroom. if you’re okay with a 20-minute tram ride, you can drop that to 6,000-7,500 sek. i’m currently in a shoebox in olivedal and it’s 7,200 sek. worth it for the coffee shop downstairs.

food: groceries here are surprisingly reasonable if you shop at willy’s or iceland. i spend about 2,500 sek/month on food, but that’s because i meal prep like a psychopath. eating out? one decent meal will run you 150-250 sek. add a beer and you’re at 350 sek easy.

transport: the public transport is solid. a monthly pass is 930 sek. i bike everywhere in summer (free!) and take the tram in winter (freezing my ass off otherwise).

gear & misc: camera gear is my biggest expense after rent. i just dropped 12,000 sek on a new lens and my wallet still hasn’t recovered. internet + phone = 500 sek/month. spotify = 99 sek/month (non-negotiable).

here’s a quick breakdown:

now, the weather. it’s march and it’s been drizzling for 12 days straight. the sky looks like a dirty dishcloth. but when the sun comes out? magic. the canals sparkle, the buildings glow, and suddenly you forget you’re damp 80% of the time.

neighboring cities? copenhagen is 3.5 hours by train (perfect for a weekend shoot). oslo is 4 hours. stockholm is 4 hours too, but honestly, gothenburg feels more real. less polished, more character.

overheard at a cafe: "gothenburg’s the city where everyone’s either starting a podcast or opening a sourdough bakery." sounds about right.

pro tips from a local barista: "don’t rent in majorna unless you like hearing your upstairs neighbor’s kid practice violin at 7am. also, always carry a reusable bag-they charge for plastic here and it’s embarrassing."

if you’re thinking of moving here, check out gothenburg subreddit for apartment leads. for food recs, yelp gothenburg is surprisingly good. and if you want to see what the light actually looks like, tripadvisor’s gothenburg photo gallery is worth a scroll.

anyway, that’s the messy truth. gothenburg’s not cheap, but it’s worth it if you can handle the grey skies and the occasional existential crisis in a cozy cafe.

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