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: $2,097 in Gothenburg versus $1,671 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,218 in Gothenburg versus $2,673 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,339 in Gothenburg versus $3,675 in Varberg.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 25% more expensive than in Varberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 52% above, Varberg 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 SEK 133

$15.62 SEK 151

-11.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 886

$79.9 SEK 774

14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.46 SEK 131

$10.59 SEK 103

27.10%

Cappuccino

$5.14 SEK 49.80

$3.90 SEK 37.85

31.79%

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

$3.03 SEK 29.41

$1.23 SEK 11.90

146.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SEK 22.30

$1.12 SEK 10.81

105.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 SEK 68.6

$6.35 SEK 61.6

11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 SEK 74.5

$7.90 SEK 76.6

-2.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.72

$1.55 SEK 15.04

18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 SEK 26.27

$3.07 SEK 29.80

-11.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 SEK 31.98

$3.52 SEK 34.15

-6.25%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 39.47

$4.33 SEK 41.99

-6.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 119

$13.25 SEK 128

-7.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 SEK 115

$11.64 SEK 113

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 SEK 170

$20.42 SEK 198

-14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 31.18

$3.19 SEK 30.94

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 25.96

$2.60 SEK 25.19

3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 30.27

$3.15 SEK 30.58

-0.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 42.16

$4.37 SEK 42.33

-0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.26

$1.55 SEK 15.02

21.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 SEK 16.77

$1.62 SEK 15.66

6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 SEK 20.42

$2.65 SEK 25.72

-20.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.21

$1.02 SEK 9.91

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 SEK 79.1

$7.11 SEK 68.9

14.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 SEK 139

$10.47 SEK 102

36.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 SEK 21.41

$2.10 SEK 20.35

5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 21.80

$1.27 SEK 12.29

77.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 SEK 36.39

$2.97 SEK 28.81

26.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 SEK 855

$81.6 SEK 791

8.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 SEK 62.9

$5.31 SEK 51.5

22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.76

$2.53 SEK 24.50

-31.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.2 SEK 593

$51.5 SEK 499

18.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.47

$1.81 SEK 17.53

4.97%

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

$34.4K SEK 333.9K

$34.3K SEK 332.8K

0.35%

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

$34.7K SEK 336.2K

$35.2K SEK 340.8K

-1.36%

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

$107 SEK 1,035

$146 SEK 1,411

-26.67%

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

$20.02 SEK 194

$20.72 SEK 201

-3.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 SEK 353

$30.78 SEK 298

18.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.87 SEK 367

$41.70 SEK 404

-9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.91 SEK 251

$41.46 SEK 402

-37.51%

Cinema Ticket

$19.30 SEK 187

$16.46 SEK 160

17.25%

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

$226 SEK 2,192

$159 SEK 1,544

41.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,552 SEK 44.1K

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

26.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 SEK 892

$74.0 SEK 718

24.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.33 SEK 333

$41.00 SEK 397

-16.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 SEK 930

$113 SEK 1,093

-14.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 SEK 1,336

$159 SEK 1,544

-13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 SEK 10.6K

$844 SEK 8,185

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 SEK 9,446

$529 SEK 5,130

84.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 SEK 18.4K

$1,244 SEK 12.1K

52.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 SEK 14.2K

$950 SEK 9,211

54.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,464 SEK 62.7K

$6,747 SEK 65.4K

-4.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,660 SEK 35.5K

$3,577 SEK 34.7K

2.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 SEK 35.8K

$3,274 SEK 31.7K

12.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

1.9

61.05%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 7, 2026

Last update for Varberg: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,093 in Gothenburg and $844 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 $80.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $368 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 25% 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: $1,093 in Gothenburg versus $844 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Gothenburg versus $159 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 $1,671 in Varberg versus $2,097 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 $1,671 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 25% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.