Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Varnamo

For one person, living is cheaper in Varnamo: $1,692 a month against $2,008 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Varnamo
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Varnamo Living Index

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Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,008

/mo nomad

Varnamo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Varnamo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gothenburg and in Varnamo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,008 in Gothenburg versus $1,692 in Varnamo.

Gothenburg $2,008
Varnamo $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,067 in Gothenburg versus $2,672 in Varnamo.

Gothenburg $3,067
Varnamo $2,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,127 in Gothenburg versus $3,652 in Varnamo.

Gothenburg $4,127
Varnamo $3,652

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 19% more expensive than in Varnamo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 48% above, Varnamo 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 SEK 134

$13.01 SEK 128

5.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 SEK 851

$89.7 SEK 881

-3.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.40 SEK 122

$12.23 SEK 120

1.39%

Cappuccino

$5.04 SEK 49.51

$4.68 SEK 45.94

7.69%

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

$2.99 SEK 29.33

$2.72 SEK 26.68

9.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 22.91

$2.13 SEK 20.91

9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.6

$7.81 SEK 76.7

-11.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 SEK 74.4

$7.08 SEK 69.6

6.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.98

$1.71 SEK 16.84

1.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 SEK 27.38

$2.50 SEK 24.53

11.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 31.99

$3.54 SEK 34.80

-7.91%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.28

$4.63 SEK 45.45

-15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 SEK 110

$12.57 SEK 123

-10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 SEK 114

$11.73 SEK 115

-1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 SEK 161

$15.69 SEK 154

4.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.56

$3.11 SEK 30.57

-3.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 SEK 24.08

$2.55 SEK 25.03

-3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.49

$2.82 SEK 27.67

2.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 SEK 44.12

$4.52 SEK 44.38

-0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.96

$1.72 SEK 16.93

6.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.37

$1.41 SEK 13.86

18.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 SEK 20.12

$2.57 SEK 25.24

-20.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.73

$1.52 SEK 14.96

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.35 SEK 82.0

$7.81 SEK 76.7

6.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 SEK 149

$11.14 SEK 109

36.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 20.05

$1.93 SEK 19.00

5.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 22.13

$2.64 SEK 25.96

-14.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 SEK 37.58

$3.19 SEK 31.35

20.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 SEK 848

$74.7 SEK 734

15.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.21 SEK 60.9

$5.04 SEK 49.51

23.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.39

$1.08 SEK 10.59

54.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 581

$41.06 SEK 403

44.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.21

$1.72 SEK 16.88

1.74%

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

$33.4K SEK 328.1K

$33.6K SEK 329.7K

-0.49%

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

$33.8K SEK 331.9K

$34.2K SEK 336.3K

-1.31%

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

$104 SEK 1,017

$77.0 SEK 756

34.66%

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

$19.70 SEK 193

$17.22 SEK 169

14.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.35 SEK 337

$30.45 SEK 299

12.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.01 SEK 334

$39.03 SEK 383

-12.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.39 SEK 240

$22.33 SEK 219

9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$16.98 SEK 167

$15.36 SEK 151

10.55%

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

$222 SEK 2,182

$157 SEK 1,540

41.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,336 SEK 42.6K

$4,450 SEK 43.7K

-2.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 SEK 871

$80.4 SEK 790

10.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.91 SEK 323

$56.8 SEK 557

-42.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 SEK 862

$99.9 SEK 981

-12.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 SEK 1,316

$123 SEK 1,209

8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.9K

$794 SEK 7,800

39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 SEK 8,580

$612 SEK 6,006

42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 SEK 18.3K

$1,178 SEK 11.6K

58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SEK 13.7K

$985 SEK 9,670

42.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,415 SEK 63.0K

$4,023 SEK 39.5K

59.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,026 SEK 39.5K

$2,853 SEK 28.0K

41.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,521 SEK 34.6K

$2,032 SEK 20.0K

73.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.03

0.99%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: October 27, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Gothenburg

$874 43.5%

Varnamo

$612 36.2% 30% $262

Groceries & Markets

Gothenburg

$360 17.9%

Varnamo

$357 21.1% 0.9% $3.1

Eating Out

Gothenburg

$278 13.8%

Varnamo

$269 15.9% 3% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gothenburg

$158 7.9%

Varnamo

$125 7.4% 21% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Gothenburg

$155 7.7%

Varnamo

$162 9.6% 4.9% $7.6

Getting Around

Gothenburg

$116 5.8%

Varnamo

$98 5.8% 15.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Gothenburg

$68 3.4%

Varnamo

$70 4.1% 2.6% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Gothenburg and $794 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $87 in Gothenburg vs $90 in Varnamo. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $357, with Varnamo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Varnamo

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

Same time as Gothenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,882

19,778

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Gothenburg Varnamo 140 km

From you

Gothenburg
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 16% 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.

Average pay runs 73% 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: $1,107 in Gothenburg versus $794 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Gothenburg versus $157 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gothenburg – a meal for two runs $87 versus $90 in Varnamo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Varnamo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Varnamo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Varnamo wins on affordability, Gothenburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.