Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Varnamo Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Varnamo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,120 in Gothenburg versus $1,814 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,250 in Gothenburg versus $2,828 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,380 in Gothenburg versus $3,842 in Varnamo.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 17% more expensive than Varnamo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 58% above, Varnamo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 SEK 126

$12.57 SEK 117

7.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.2 SEK 857

$87.3 SEK 812

5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 SEK 96.8

$12.19 SEK 113

-14.60%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 46.57

$5.05 SEK 46.93

-0.79%

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

$3.11 SEK 28.92

$2.84 SEK 26.38

9.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 23.40

$2.07 SEK 19.28

21.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 SEK 69.5

$8.00 SEK 74.4

-6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 73.1

$7.51 SEK 69.8

4.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.62

$1.60 SEK 14.90

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 SEK 27.77

$2.13 SEK 19.83

40.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 30.29

$2.94 SEK 27.34

10.88%

Eggs

$4.45 SEK 41.40

$4.44 SEK 41.29

0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 SEK 107

$13.16 SEK 122

-12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 SEK 114

$11.74 SEK 109

4.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 SEK 173

$16.83 SEK 157

10.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 SEK 29.64

$3.17 SEK 29.50

0.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.09

$2.82 SEK 26.23

-4.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 SEK 27.87

$2.77 SEK 25.75

8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 SEK 40.27

$4.52 SEK 42.07

-4.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.56

$1.69 SEK 15.69

-1.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 17.54

$1.59 SEK 14.83

18.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 SEK 20.76

$2.66 SEK 24.78

-16.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.98

$1.28 SEK 11.89

25.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.02 SEK 74.6

$8.20 SEK 76.3

-2.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 SEK 117

$12.22 SEK 114

2.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.06

$2.02 SEK 18.80

11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.22

$2.25 SEK 20.91

11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 SEK 36.98

$3.48 SEK 32.36

14.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 824

$73.7 SEK 686

20.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.0

$5.61 SEK 52.2

80.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 14.79

$2.56 SEK 23.77

-37.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.3 SEK 579

$63.8 SEK 593

-2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.01

$1.89 SEK 17.61

2.65%

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

$32.2K SEK 299.4K

$32.7K SEK 303.8K

-1.44%

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

$35.0K SEK 325.2K

$34.1K SEK 316.8K

2.65%

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

$139 SEK 1,295

$123 SEK 1,141

13.48%

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

$25.22 SEK 235

$29.26 SEK 272

-13.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.47 SEK 367

$40.11 SEK 373

-1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 SEK 392

$41.27 SEK 384

2.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 SEK 235

$24.88 SEK 231

1.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.60 SEK 164

$17.70 SEK 165

-0.56%

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

$175 SEK 1,623

$179 SEK 1,664

-2.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,140 SEK 38.5K

$4,165 SEK 38.7K

-0.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.0 SEK 818

$80.2 SEK 746

9.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 SEK 370

$61.0 SEK 567

-34.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 SEK 913

$106 SEK 986

-7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,452

$127 SEK 1,181

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 SEK 10.3K

$833 SEK 7,743

32.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 SEK 8,150

$663 SEK 6,169

32.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,865 SEK 17.3K

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

35.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 SEK 13.1K

$1,065 SEK 9,902

32.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,531 SEK 60.7K

$4,394 SEK 40.9K

48.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,920 SEK 36.5K

$3,014 SEK 28.0K

30.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,025 SEK 37.4K

$2,169 SEK 20.2K

85.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.8

-9.79%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: April 26, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,104 in Gothenburg and $833 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 86% 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: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $87.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $355 per month, with Varnamo 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 Varnamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varnamo wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varnamo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 86% 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 $833 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $179 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,814 in Varnamo versus $2,120 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Varnamo but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Varnamo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varnamo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,814 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varnamo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Varnamo 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 Varnamo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.