Balivs
GothenburgBali vs Gothenburg: cost, size & quality of life compared
Trying to decide between Bali and Gothenburg? Here's the honest bottom line first — then the full, sourced breakdown on cost of living, salary, safety and quality of life.
Gothenburg comes out ahead overall — decisively.
But the "winner" depends on what you care about. Here's who takes each dimension:
GothenburgBaliGothenburgGothenburgComposite scores
Overall: Gothenburg wins by 1.7 points
Population & size
Is Bali bigger than Gothenburg?
Bali is the bigger city: about 4.3M people versus Gothenburg's 580k — roughly 7.4× larger.
City-proper / metro population estimates. Size is one input — scroll on for cost of living, salary equivalence and quality-of-life scoring.
National income
Is Bali richer than Gothenburg?
The two sit on different measures, so we are not ranking them: Indonesia is reported as income per capita (GNI, PPP) ($16,010), Sweden as average annual wage ($60,415). A full-time wage and a whole-population income per head are not the same quantity.
Country-level figures — Bali is not Indonesia and Gothenburg is not Sweden, and both cities typically pay above their national average. Gross, before tax: see take-home pay by country for what lands in the account.
Distance
How far is Bali from Gothenburg?
Bali is about 11,610 km (7,210 mi) from Gothenburg in a straight line — roughly 14 h 25 m of nonstop flight time.
Great-circle distance, not a routed itinerary; flight estimate assumes ~850 km/h cruise plus 45 minutes of taxi, climb and descent.
Climate
Is Bali warmer than Gothenburg?
Bali is the warmer city: January highs average 31°C vs 2°C, and July 29°C vs 21°C. Bali gets noticeably more sun — about 780 more sunshine hours per year.
| Month | Bali | Gothenburg |
|---|---|---|
| January (high / low) | 31° / 24°C | 2° / -3°C |
| July (high / low) | 29° / 22°C | 21° / 13°C |
Tropical — warm year-round with a real dry season (May-Sep, the digital-nomad high season) and a humid rainy season Dec-Mar.
Maritime Nordic — milder than Stockholm thanks to the Atlantic, but wetter and windier. Short bright summers, long dark wet winters.
Gothenburg's 5.7 rating edges Bali's 5.4 by a narrow margin, suggesting they serve fundamentally different visitor profiles rather than one being objectively superior.
Bali draws 6 million annual tourists while Gothenburg attracts 2.3 million, yet scores nearly identically, indicating vastly different value propositions for travelers.
Choose based on your trip priority: Bali for beach-culture immersion at scale, Gothenburg for Nordic design and food scenes with fewer crowds and lower costs.
Data signals
What separates Bali and Gothenburg
How decisive
Gothenburg comes out ahead by 1.7 composite points — a decisive win.
Biggest difference
The widest gap is healthcare, where Gothenburg leads by 3.1 points.
Where they match
They're most evenly matched on affordability — within 0.1 points of each other.
Overall cost gap
Total monthly costs in Gothenburg run about 30% higher than in Bali.
Where budgets split most
Transport is the line item that diverges most: roughly 941% pricier in Gothenburg than Bali.
Size difference
Bali is the larger metro — about 7.4× the population of the other, which shapes commute times, housing supply and how "big-city" daily life feels.
Home internet
Gothenburg has the faster typical broadband (250 vs 50 Mbps median) — worth weighing if you work remotely or move large files.
Safety
Bali scores higher on safety (62 vs 52 / 100) — a common deciding factor for families.
Score-by-score, side-by-side
Each axis is scored independently with disclosed weights and a calculation string.
The exact scores and winners:
| Axis | Bali | Gothenburg | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability | 7.3 | 7.2 | Bali +0.1 |
| Quality of life | 5.9 | 6.6 | Gothenburg +0.7 |
| Remote-work friendliness | 5.2 | 7.9 | Gothenburg +2.7 |
| Healthcare | 3.4 | 6.5 | Gothenburg +3.1 |
Each axis is a weighted aggregate of underlying indicators normalized to a 0–10 scale. Weights are explicit and disclosed per axis. The composite is the unweighted mean of the four axes — axes are not collapsed further because the underlying trade-offs (e.g. low cost vs poor air quality) are user-dependent.
Affordability
- Cost-of-living index (weight 60%)29
- Rent index (weight 40%)25
How this is calculated
Affordability = ((100 − costIndex)/100 × 0.6 + (100 − rentIndex)/100 × 0.4) × 10. For Bali: ((100 − 29)/100 × 0.6 + (100 − 25)/100 × 0.4) × 10 = 7.3.
Bali sits well below the New York baseline on both cost-of-living and rent. Budgets stretch further here than in benchmark Tier-1 cities.
Quality of life
- Safety index (weight 40%)62
- Healthcare index (weight 35%)48
- Air quality index (weight 25%)70
How this is calculated
QoL = (safety/100 × 0.4 + healthcare/100 × 0.35 + airQuality/100 × 0.25) × 10. For Bali: (62/100 × 0.4 + 48/100 × 0.35 + 70/100 × 0.25) × 10 = 5.9.
Bali has a mixed quality profile. Safety: good; healthcare: fair; air: good. Weigh the weakest axis against your personal priorities.
Remote-work friendliness
- Internet (median Mbps) (weight 45%)50 Mbps
- Effective income tax (lower = better) (weight 30%)10.0%
- Cost-of-living (lower = better) (weight 25%)29
How this is calculated
RemoteWork = (min(Mbps/300, 1) × 0.45 + (1 − incomeTax) × 0.3 + (100 − costIndex)/100 × 0.25) × 10. For Bali: (min(50/300, 1) × 0.45 + (1 − 0.1) × 0.3 + (100 − 29)/100 × 0.25) × 10 = 5.2.
Bali works for remote work but isn't optimized for it: internet 50 Mbps, income tax 10%, cost index 29.
Healthcare
- Healthcare quality index (weight 70%)48
- Healthcare out-of-pocket / month (lower = better) (weight 30%)661267
How this is calculated
Healthcare = (qualityIndex/100 × 0.7 + max(0, 1 − OOP/500) × 0.3) × 10. For Bali: (48/100 × 0.7 + max(0, 1 − 661267/500) × 0.3) × 10 = 3.4.
Bali has trade-offs in healthcare: quality is fair, typical out-of-pocket cost is ~661267 IDR/month. Cross-border insurance closes the gap.
Each axis is a weighted aggregate of underlying indicators normalized to a 0–10 scale. Weights are explicit and disclosed per axis. The composite is the unweighted mean of the four axes — axes are not collapsed further because the underlying trade-offs (e.g. low cost vs poor air quality) are user-dependent.
Affordability
- Cost-of-living index (weight 60%)32
- Rent index (weight 40%)23
How this is calculated
Affordability = ((100 − costIndex)/100 × 0.6 + (100 − rentIndex)/100 × 0.4) × 10. For Gothenburg: ((100 − 32)/100 × 0.6 + (100 − 23)/100 × 0.4) × 10 = 7.2.
Gothenburg sits well below the New York baseline on both cost-of-living and rent. Budgets stretch further here than in benchmark Tier-1 cities.
Quality of life
- Safety index (weight 40%)52
- Healthcare index (weight 35%)75
- Air quality index (weight 25%)74
How this is calculated
QoL = (safety/100 × 0.4 + healthcare/100 × 0.35 + airQuality/100 × 0.25) × 10. For Gothenburg: (52/100 × 0.4 + 75/100 × 0.35 + 74/100 × 0.25) × 10 = 6.6.
Gothenburg has a mixed quality profile. Safety: fair; healthcare: good; air: good. Weigh the weakest axis against your personal priorities.
Remote-work friendliness
- Internet (median Mbps) (weight 45%)250 Mbps
- Effective income tax (lower = better) (weight 30%)16.9%
- Cost-of-living (lower = better) (weight 25%)32
How this is calculated
RemoteWork = (min(Mbps/300, 1) × 0.45 + (1 − incomeTax) × 0.3 + (100 − costIndex)/100 × 0.25) × 10. For Gothenburg: (min(250/300, 1) × 0.45 + (1 − 0.169) × 0.3 + (100 − 32)/100 × 0.25) × 10 = 7.9.
Gothenburg combines fast internet (250 Mbps median), a 17% effective income tax and cost index 32 — a strong configuration for remote workers earning in a stronger currency.
Healthcare
- Healthcare quality index (weight 70%)75
- Healthcare out-of-pocket / month (lower = better) (weight 30%)290
How this is calculated
Healthcare = (qualityIndex/100 × 0.7 + max(0, 1 − OOP/500) × 0.3) × 10. For Gothenburg: (75/100 × 0.7 + max(0, 1 − 290/500) × 0.3) × 10 = 6.5.
Gothenburg has trade-offs in healthcare: quality is good, typical out-of-pocket cost is ~290 SEK/month. Cross-border insurance closes the gap.
Monthly cost delta: Bali vs Gothenburg
Normalized to IDR at 1 SEK = 1784.6767 IDR.
| Category | Bali | Gothenburg | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| housing | IDR 17,490,230 | SEK 10,427 | +6% |
| food | IDR 3,857,393 | SEK 3,769 | +74% |
| transport | IDR 147,469 | SEK 860 | +941% |
| utilities | IDR 1,460,256 | SEK 1,077 | +32% |
| leisure | IDR 4,408,450 | SEK 4,059 | +64% |
| healthcare | IDR 661,267 | SEK 290 | -22% |
Where each city's money goes
Two cities can have the same monthly total but very different shapes — one might burn 50% on housing while the other splits more evenly. The composition matters as much as the headline.
The biggest shape difference is housing: Bali spends 11.5 percentage points more of its budget on it (62% vs. 51%). If you're sensitive to that category, weight the per-axis scores accordingly.
Buying property
Apartment prices: Bali vs Gothenburg
Approximate asking prices in EUR per square meter (as of 2025-01), central vs mid-distance neighborhoods.
Buying in central Bali runs about 56% cheaper per square meter (€2,400/m² vs €5,400/m²).
Midpoints of public listing ranges — a scoping number for rent-vs-buy thinking, not a valuation. Renting comparisons live in the cost table above.
Getting around
Public transport: Bali vs Gothenburg
Monthly pass and casual-ride pricing in EUR (as of 2025-01) plus the modes each network runs.
Trans Metro Dewata buses exist on paper-thin coverage — Bali life runs on scooters and Gojek/Grab. The figure reflects bus fares few expats actually use.
Single ride: €0.25 · Modes: Bus
Västtrafik zone A monthly SEK 860 includes the archipelago ferries; the tram network is Scandinavia's largest.
Single ride: €3.25 · Modes: Tram, Bus, Ferry
Salary equivalence: Bali ↔ Gothenburg
What earning the same purchasing power costs in each city. Cost-adjusted using the local cost-of-living index (Bali = 29, Gothenburg = 32); currency-converted at 1 SEK = 1784.6767 IDR. Tax differences are not modeled.
| Bali gross | Gothenburg equivalent |
|---|---|
| IDR 40,000 | SEK 25 |
| IDR 75,000 | SEK 46 |
| IDR 120,000 | SEK 74 |
| Gothenburg gross | Bali equivalent |
|---|---|
| SEK 40,000 | IDR 64,694,531 |
| SEK 75,000 | IDR 121,302,245 |
| SEK 120,000 | IDR 194,083,592 |
Equivalence here means same cost-of-living purchasing power, not same net take-home. Effective tax rates differ between countries; a salary equivalent on cost can still net more or less depending on the destination's tax regime. Use the calculator for tax-adjusted figures at a specific lifestyle tier.
Pros and cons
Why pick Bali
Bali doesn't have any standout advantages of ≥0.3 points on the scoring model.
Why pick Gothenburg
- Wins on quality of life (+0.7 points vs Bali).
- Wins on remote-work friendliness (+2.7 points vs Bali).
- Wins on healthcare (+3.1 points vs Bali).
Bali trade-offs
- Trails Gothenburg on quality of life by 0.7 points.
- Trails Gothenburg on remote-work friendliness by 2.7 points.
- Trails Gothenburg on healthcare by 3.1 points.
Gothenburg trade-offs
No material trade-offs versus Bali on the scored axes.
Remote work logistics
Time zones and language: Bali vs Gothenburg
Bali (Asia/Makassar) and Gothenburg (Europe/Stockholm) sit 7 hours apart in standard time. A 9-to-5 in one overlaps the other's for 1 hour a day. Note: Gothenburg observes daylight saving while Bali doesn't, so the gap shifts by an hour part of the year.
Official: Indonesian · English: High · Local language: Helpful
The nomad economy (Canggu, Ubud) runs in English end-to-end. Bahasa Indonesia is appreciated and helps outside the expat bubbles; Balinese is the local layer.
Official: Swedish · English: Native-equivalent · Local language: Not needed
Scandinavian-typical near-universal English; Volvo and the tech sector operate substantially in English. Swedish is for integration and long-term settling, not survival.
Who should choose which
The composite winner doesn't always match what matters to you. These four reader profiles weigh the axes differently — find the closest fit.
Single, salaried remote worker, 25-40, optimizing for runway + bandwidth.
Axes scored: affordability, remoteWork
Couple with school-age children, prioritizing safety, healthcare, and air quality.
Axes scored: qualityOfLife, healthcare
Fixed income, healthcare-sensitive, prefers low cost and stable infrastructure.
Axes scored: healthcare, qualityOfLife, affordability
Salary stretch matters most. Cuts everything else if it lowers the burn rate.
Axes scored: affordability
Profiles use simple axis averaging — for a deeper read with your own weights, use the per-axis breakdown above.
Going deeper
Visa landscape for both countries — and case studies that touch this corridor.
Tools that work for either choice
Some links below are affiliate links — if you sign up we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
How this page is calculated
Data sources
- Mundevo per-city dataset. Cost basket, rent index, safety, healthcare, air quality and median internet for both cities. Reference date: 2026-06-10 (Bali) and 2026-06-10 (Gothenburg).
- FX rate. 1 SEK = 1784.6767 IDR, used to normalize cost baskets.
- CityScoreCalculator. Four axes (Affordability, Quality of life, Remote work, Healthcare) computed with explicit weights and explanations. See per-axis calculation strings rendered on this page.
- ComparisonService. Per-category cost deltas (housing, food, transport, utilities, leisure, healthcare) normalized to the origin currency.
Update cadence
Data as of . Last reviewed .
Calculation
For each of the four axes we compute an independent 0–10 score using the formulas printed beside each axis. The composite is the unweighted mean of the four axes. The overall winner is the city with the higher composite, unless the margin is under 0.05 points — in which case Bali is shown first as a tiebreaker to keep results stable.
Limitations
- Climate is not scored — we don't yet hold a maintained climate dataset, so weather-driven preferences are not modeled.
- Tax differences between cities in the same country are not modeled (Spain and Germany don't have material regional differences for this dataset).
- Indices are population-level. Personal cost varies with neighborhood, employer benefits and family status.
- Quality-of-life axis weights (safety 0.4 / healthcare 0.35 / air 0.25) are editorial defaults — readers with strong preferences should re-weight manually.
Frequently asked questions
Bali vs Gothenburg: which is cheaper?
Bali is roughly 30% cheaper than Gothenburg on the monthly cost basket (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). Bali has cost index 29 vs Gothenburg at 32 (both with New York = 100).
Which city has better quality of life?
Bali scores 5.4/10 on the Mundevo composite versus Gothenburg at 7.1/10. The composite weights safety (40%), healthcare (35%) and air quality (25%). Gothenburg wins overall by 1.7 points.
Is Bali or Gothenburg better for remote work?
Bali has 50 Mbps median internet vs Gothenburg at 250 Mbps. The four-axis decision rubric on this page (affordability, quality of life, remote work, healthcare) gives a per-dimension breakdown rather than a single answer.
Is Bali bigger than Gothenburg?
Bali is larger — about 4.3M people versus Gothenburg's 580k, roughly 7.4× the size.
Is Bali safer than Gothenburg?
Bali scores higher on safety — 62 vs 52 / 100 on the Mundevo safety index (crime and personal-security signals).
Should I move to Bali or Gothenburg?
It depends on what you weight. Gothenburg wins the overall Mundevo composite by 1.7 points, but Bali is cheaper, and the two split differently across affordability, quality of life, remote work and healthcare. Use the per-axis table and the reader-profile section above to match the verdict to your own priorities.