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: $2,072 in Gothenburg versus $1,841 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,179 in Gothenburg versus $2,819 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,287 in Gothenburg versus $3,796 in Varnamo.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 13% more expensive than Varnamo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Varnamo 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.87 SEK 130

$12.64 SEK 119

9.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 SEK 849

$88.6 SEK 831

2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 SEK 98.0

$11.82 SEK 111

-11.68%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 46.25

$4.89 SEK 45.83

0.82%

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

$2.96 SEK 27.81

$2.90 SEK 27.24

2.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.67

$2.14 SEK 20.08

22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 SEK 68.9

$8.11 SEK 76.1

-9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 SEK 73.9

$7.21 SEK 67.6

9.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.35

$1.61 SEK 15.06

8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 SEK 27.27

$2.21 SEK 20.77

31.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 SEK 31.02

$2.96 SEK 27.79

11.82%

Eggs

$4.43 SEK 41.55

$4.44 SEK 41.61

-0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 109

$13.09 SEK 123

-11.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.52 SEK 117

$11.54 SEK 108

8.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 SEK 178

$17.41 SEK 163

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.30

$3.17 SEK 29.70

-1.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.67

$2.89 SEK 27.10

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 SEK 27.00

$2.82 SEK 26.47

2.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.18

$4.31 SEK 40.44

-3.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.57

$1.67 SEK 15.71

-0.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 SEK 17.97

$1.58 SEK 14.86

21.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 SEK 21.72

$2.64 SEK 24.78

-12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SEK 15.25

$1.28 SEK 12.02

27.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SEK 73.6

$7.86 SEK 73.7

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 SEK 140

$11.90 SEK 112

25.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 20.93

$1.94 SEK 18.22

14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.77

$2.22 SEK 20.81

13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 SEK 35.72

$3.29 SEK 30.82

15.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 826

$73.2 SEK 687

20.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 SEK 94.9

$5.66 SEK 53.1

78.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.01

$2.57 SEK 24.09

-37.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 588

$62.9 SEK 590

-0.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 SEK 18.24

$1.95 SEK 18.25

-0.51%

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

$32.3K SEK 303.3K

$33.2K SEK 311.5K

-2.66%

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

$35.6K SEK 333.6K

$34.1K SEK 319.6K

4.38%

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

$141 SEK 1,318

$122 SEK 1,143

15.37%

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

$25.19 SEK 236

$28.28 SEK 265

-10.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.13 SEK 367

$41.20 SEK 387

-5.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 SEK 395

$40.64 SEK 381

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.07 SEK 235

$25.11 SEK 236

-0.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.71 SEK 166

$17.74 SEK 166

-0.17%

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

$178 SEK 1,669

$174 SEK 1,635

2.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,090 SEK 38.4K

$4,125 SEK 38.7K

-0.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 SEK 817

$78.6 SEK 737

10.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 SEK 368

$60.7 SEK 569

-35.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 SEK 913

$104 SEK 977

-6.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,434

$131 SEK 1,225

17.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 SEK 10.5K

$852 SEK 7,988

31.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 7,988

$645 SEK 6,047

32.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 SEK 17.7K

$1,375 SEK 12.9K

37.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 SEK 13.2K

$1,070 SEK 10.0K

31.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,604 SEK 61.9K

$4,312 SEK 40.4K

53.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,695 SEK 34.7K

$3,016 SEK 28.3K

22.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,705 SEK 34.8K

$2,115 SEK 19.8K

75.16%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,120 in Gothenburg and $852 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 75% 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 $89.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 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 13% 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 75% 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: $1,120 in Gothenburg versus $852 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $174 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,841 in Varnamo versus $2,072 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 $1,841 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 13% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.