TL;DRGothenburg is 12% cheaper on rent ($1,080/mo vs $1,233/mo). Gothenburg scores 9.4 vs 8.1 on democracy. Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Gothenburg edges ahead 80 to 74. Lagos isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Gothenburg

Lagos

18.5/25

💰 Affordability

17/25

13.9/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14.3/15

5.4/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

6.1/10

12.3/15

⚡ Internet

6.3/15

14.1/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.1/15

8.6/10

🗣️ English

8.7/10

7/10

☀️ Climate

8.3/10

7.2/10

📊 Stability

7.6/10

10/10

🚗 Road Safety

7.5/10

7.2/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8.5/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇵🇹 Lagos

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Stockholm vs Gothenburg

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Gothenburg

Metric

Lagos

$631/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$518/mo✓

✓$3,302

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$5,682

85 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

82 / 100

1.1 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.7 / 100k✓

✓2.1 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

7.2 / 100k

54 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

61 / 100✓

66°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

82°F

27°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

50°F

✓163 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

84 Mbps

5.6 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

—

84 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

✓9.4 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.1 / 10

✓7.9 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.7 / 9

64 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

67 / 100

71/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

72/100

✓$72k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$52k

2.8% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.4% · Boringly steady✓

93/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

—

99/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

96/100

A median Software Engineer in Gothenburg takes home $3,686/mo under Standard employee. In Lagos: $2,624/mo under Standard employee.

$1,062/mo more in Gothenburg

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$78k

💰

Gross income

$50k

−$28k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$13k

−$5k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$6k

✓$44k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$31k/yr

$3k/mo

−$34k

🏠

Cost of living

−$34k

✓$11k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

−$3k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated May 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Gothenburg

$153/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Lagos

0.7 homicides per 100k

🗳️

Democracy

Gothenburg

9.4/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

66°F vs 82°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

41% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

62% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

6.5h

Shortest day

Dec

9.7h

18.1h

Longest day

Jun

14.7h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

improving ↑

Inflation trend

declining ↓

automotivemaritimecleantechfintech

Industries

—

active

Startup ecosystem

—

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

—

Recognized

sambo

Partner pathway

Recognized (2+ yr)

união de facto

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

18 wk

Gestational limit

10 wk

On request up to 18 weeks. Between 18-22 weeks requires board approval.

On request up to 10 weeks since 2007 referendum. Mandatory 3-day reflection period.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Gothenburg vs Lagos — Common Questions

Is Gothenburg cheaper than Lagos?▾

Gothenburg is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1080/month there vs $1233/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Gothenburg or Lagos?▾

Lagos is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Gothenburg has a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 and Lagos has 0.72 per 100,000.

Should I move to Gothenburg or Lagos?▾

Gothenburg edges ahead 80 to 74. Lagos isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Gothenburg or Lagos?▾

Gothenburg: Sweden Self-Employment Permit (complex process, 2 years (renewable)). Lagos: no specific remote work visa. See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Gothenburg or Lagos?▾

Lagos is warmer in summer (82°F vs 66°F). Gothenburg has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Gothenburg vs Lagos?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1080/month in Gothenburg, $1233/month in Lagos (Numbeo). That's 12% cheaper rent in Gothenburg.

Is Gothenburg or Lagos better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Gothenburg scores 9.4/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.1/10 for Lagos. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.