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: $2,113 in Gothenburg versus $1,873 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Gothenburg versus $2,861 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,282 in Gothenburg versus $3,850 in Varberg.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 13% more expensive than Varberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 58% above, Varberg 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.60 SEK 125

$13.52 SEK 124

0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 SEK 846

$85.8 SEK 789

7.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 SEK 96.8

$10.16 SEK 93.4

3.54%

Cappuccino

$4.96 SEK 45.68

$4.10 SEK 37.70

20.98%

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

$3.07 SEK 28.25

$0.99 SEK 9.13

210.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.19

$0.98 SEK 8.99

168.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 SEK 69.8

$7.92 SEK 72.9

-4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 SEK 73.3

$7.89 SEK 72.5

1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 15.73

$1.49 SEK 13.73

14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 27.66

$3.15 SEK 29.02

-4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.54

$3.51 SEK 32.29

-5.41%

Eggs

$4.62 SEK 42.53

$4.45 SEK 40.90

3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 SEK 107

$12.13 SEK 112

-4.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 SEK 116

$11.62 SEK 107

8.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 SEK 174

$21.32 SEK 196

-11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 29.26

$3.32 SEK 30.51

-4.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 24.66

$2.83 SEK 26.00

-5.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.04

$3.43 SEK 31.58

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 SEK 38.75

$4.81 SEK 44.24

-12.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 15.83

$1.53 SEK 14.11

12.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 SEK 17.73

$1.94 SEK 17.88

-0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 20.90

$2.52 SEK 23.17

-9.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 14.19

$1.14 SEK 10.46

35.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SEK 72.2

$7.21 SEK 66.4

8.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 115

$10.74 SEK 98.8

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.70

$2.08 SEK 19.17

8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SEK 23.78

$1.30 SEK 11.96

98.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.96 SEK 36.44

$2.93 SEK 26.99

35.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 815

$74.6 SEK 686

18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.46 SEK 96.3

$5.32 SEK 48.97

96.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 15.35

$2.56 SEK 23.55

-34.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 580

$56.0 SEK 515

12.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.43

$1.92 SEK 17.65

-1.56%

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

$33.0K SEK 303.4K

$32.9K SEK 302.4K

0.33%

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

$35.0K SEK 321.9K

$33.3K SEK 306.8K

4.93%

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

$141 SEK 1,294

$154 SEK 1,419

-8.84%

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

$25.24 SEK 232

$21.13 SEK 194

19.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.61 SEK 355

$32.27 SEK 297

19.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.96 SEK 377

$41.09 SEK 378

-0.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.80 SEK 228

$25.52 SEK 235

-2.82%

Cinema Ticket

$17.54 SEK 161

$16.57 SEK 152

5.85%

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

$175 SEK 1,614

$156 SEK 1,432

12.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,120 SEK 37.9K

$4,124 SEK 37.9K

-0.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 SEK 805

$89.5 SEK 824

-2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 SEK 372

$41.66 SEK 383

-3.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 SEK 897

$101 SEK 925

-3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 SEK 1,414

$160 SEK 1,468

-3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

$847 SEK 7,795

30.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 SEK 8,005

$664 SEK 6,109

31.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,885 SEK 17.3K

$1,395 SEK 12.8K

35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 SEK 12.9K

$1,089 SEK 10.0K

28.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,641 SEK 61.1K

$4,272 SEK 39.3K

55.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,944 SEK 36.3K

$2,993 SEK 27.5K

31.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,970 SEK 36.5K

$3,434 SEK 31.6K

15.59%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Varberg: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,104 in Gothenburg and $847 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 16% 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: $92 in Gothenburg vs $86 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $375 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 13% 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 16% 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: $1,104 in Gothenburg versus $847 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $156 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,873 in Varberg versus $2,113 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 $1,873 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 13% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.