Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Varberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Varberg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,072 in Gothenburg versus $1,810 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Gothenburg versus $2,840 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,287 in Gothenburg versus $3,870 in Varberg.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 14% more expensive than Varberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Varberg 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 SEK 132

$13.96 SEK 132

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 SEK 859

$84.2 SEK 799

7.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 SEK 99.0

$9.95 SEK 94.4

4.92%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 46.75

$4.23 SEK 40.12

16.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 SEK 28.11

$0.92 SEK 8.74

221.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.93

$0.91 SEK 8.68

189.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 SEK 69.7

$7.79 SEK 73.8

-5.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 SEK 74.7

$8.08 SEK 76.7

-2.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.52

$1.52 SEK 14.40

14.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 SEK 27.56

$3.12 SEK 29.59

-6.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 SEK 31.36

$3.51 SEK 33.27

-5.70%

Eggs

$4.43 SEK 41.99

$4.41 SEK 41.83

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 110

$12.15 SEK 115

-4.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 SEK 119

$11.51 SEK 109

8.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 SEK 180

$20.97 SEK 199

-9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.62

$3.39 SEK 32.10

-7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.95

$2.90 SEK 27.48

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 SEK 27.29

$3.29 SEK 31.23

-12.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.60

$4.98 SEK 47.19

-16.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.74

$1.55 SEK 14.74

7.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 SEK 18.16

$1.89 SEK 17.96

1.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 SEK 21.95

$2.49 SEK 23.64

-6.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SEK 15.41

$1.18 SEK 11.22

38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SEK 74.4

$7.35 SEK 69.7

6.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 SEK 142

$10.61 SEK 101

41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.16

$2.07 SEK 19.62

7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.03

$1.26 SEK 11.92

100.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 SEK 36.11

$2.93 SEK 27.77

30.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 834

$74.8 SEK 709

17.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 SEK 95.9

$5.24 SEK 49.69

93.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.17

$2.65 SEK 25.14

-39.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 594

$56.3 SEK 534

11.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.44

$1.99 SEK 18.91

-2.51%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.3K SEK 306.5K

$32.3K SEK 305.8K

0.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.6K SEK 337.2K

$34.3K SEK 325.0K

3.75%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$141 SEK 1,332

$157 SEK 1,491

-10.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.19 SEK 239

$21.27 SEK 202

18.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.13 SEK 371

$31.22 SEK 296

25.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 SEK 400

$41.03 SEK 389

2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.07 SEK 238

$25.33 SEK 240

-1.03%

Cinema Ticket

$17.71 SEK 168

$16.62 SEK 158

6.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$178 SEK 1,687

$161 SEK 1,526

10.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 SEK 38.8K

$4,144 SEK 39.3K

-1.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 SEK 826

$90.2 SEK 855

-3.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 SEK 372

$42.45 SEK 402

-7.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 SEK 923

$98.2 SEK 931

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,449

$155 SEK 1,474

-1.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 SEK 10.6K

$834 SEK 7,911

34.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 8,074

$653 SEK 6,195

30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 SEK 17.9K

$1,413 SEK 13.4K

33.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 SEK 13.3K

$1,093 SEK 10.4K

28.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,604 SEK 62.6K

$6,916 SEK 65.6K

-4.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,695 SEK 35.0K

$3,720 SEK 35.3K

-0.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,705 SEK 35.1K

$3,323 SEK 31.5K

11.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

1.9

127.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Gothenburg: June 8, 2026

Last update for Varberg: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,120 in Gothenburg and $834 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $84.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $374 per month, with Varberg cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Gothenburg vs Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varberg wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varberg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 11% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,120 in Gothenburg versus $834 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $161 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,810 in Varberg versus $2,072 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varberg but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Varberg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varberg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,810 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varberg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Varberg are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Varberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.