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: $2,127 in Gothenburg versus $1,804 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,216 in Gothenburg versus $2,844 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,305 in Gothenburg versus $3,885 in Varberg.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 18% more expensive than in Varberg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 59% above, Varberg 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.49 SEK 131

$13.56 SEK 132

-0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.8 SEK 882

$82.8 SEK 805

9.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 SEK 101

$10.03 SEK 97.4

3.29%

Cappuccino

$4.77 SEK 46.34

$4.14 SEK 40.23

15.22%

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

$3.11 SEK 30.23

$0.97 SEK 9.46

220.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SEK 25.61

$0.98 SEK 9.50

169.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 SEK 70.2

$8.07 SEK 78.3

-10.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 SEK 75.9

$7.78 SEK 75.5

0.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.52

$1.57 SEK 15.26

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.84

$3.05 SEK 29.58

-5.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 31.42

$3.53 SEK 34.26

-8.22%

Eggs

$4.47 SEK 43.42

$4.33 SEK 42.06

3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 SEK 114

$12.21 SEK 119

-4.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 SEK 120

$11.81 SEK 115

4.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 SEK 184

$21.19 SEK 206

-10.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 29.93

$3.32 SEK 32.21

-7.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 26.12

$2.93 SEK 28.43

-8.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 SEK 29.51

$3.28 SEK 31.82

-7.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.20

$4.74 SEK 46.05

-10.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.27

$1.62 SEK 15.74

3.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.34

$1.95 SEK 18.95

-3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 SEK 22.41

$2.61 SEK 25.34

-11.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 15.06

$1.15 SEK 11.16

34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 SEK 77.0

$7.01 SEK 68.1

12.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 SEK 140

$10.37 SEK 101

38.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 22.00

$2.07 SEK 20.11

9.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 25.39

$1.25 SEK 12.17

108.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 SEK 37.26

$2.82 SEK 27.38

36.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 855

$73.0 SEK 709

20.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 SEK 100

$5.12 SEK 49.68

101.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 SEK 15.62

$2.55 SEK 24.73

-36.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 SEK 609

$55.8 SEK 542

12.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.86

$1.93 SEK 18.78

0.52%

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

$32.9K SEK 319.6K

$32.9K SEK 319.2K

0.12%

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

$34.8K SEK 338.3K

$33.7K SEK 327.0K

3.47%

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

$138 SEK 1,339

$157 SEK 1,529

-12.41%

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

$25.69 SEK 249

$20.83 SEK 202

23.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.95 SEK 369

$32.21 SEK 313

17.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.04 SEK 408

$40.62 SEK 395

3.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.19 SEK 245

$25.23 SEK 245

-0.16%

Cinema Ticket

$18.03 SEK 175

$16.86 SEK 164

6.94%

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

$177 SEK 1,720

$161 SEK 1,564

9.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,144 SEK 40.2K

$4,058 SEK 39.4K

2.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 SEK 860

$88.2 SEK 856

0.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.22 SEK 381

$41.66 SEK 405

-5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 SEK 951

$101 SEK 978

-2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,509

$157 SEK 1,521

-0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 SEK 10.8K

$836 SEK 8,120

32.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$879 SEK 8,537

$645 SEK 6,267

36.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 SEK 18.7K

$1,380 SEK 13.4K

39.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 SEK 13.8K

$1,103 SEK 10.7K

28.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,255 SEK 60.7K

$6,638 SEK 64.5K

-5.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,622 SEK 35.2K

$3,652 SEK 35.5K

-0.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,613 SEK 35.1K

$3,197 SEK 31.0K

13.01%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Varberg: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,108 in Gothenburg and $836 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 13% 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 $83.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 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 18% 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.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,108 in Gothenburg versus $836 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 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 1% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,804 in Varberg versus $2,127 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 $1,804 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 18% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.