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: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $1,788 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $2,849 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $3,910 in Varnamo.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than in Varnamo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Varnamo 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 133

$13.63 SEK 134

-1.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 901

$94.6 SEK 932

-3.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 130

$12.37 SEK 122

6.22%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.93

$4.93 SEK 48.62

0.81%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.77

$2.76 SEK 27.22

9.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.93

$2.23 SEK 21.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.8

$8.28 SEK 81.6

-16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.4

$7.34 SEK 72.4

2.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.07

$1.71 SEK 16.84

1.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.78

$2.73 SEK 26.91

-0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.32

$3.92 SEK 38.63

-18.88%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.82

$4.70 SEK 46.33

-16.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$13.11 SEK 129

-9.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$12.30 SEK 121

-5.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 166

$17.53 SEK 173

-3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.51

$3.13 SEK 30.89

2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.34

$3.00 SEK 29.57

-14.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.40

$2.89 SEK 28.44

6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.82

$4.68 SEK 46.08

-9.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.24

$1.79 SEK 17.66

3.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.29

$1.49 SEK 14.70

10.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.51

$2.74 SEK 27.00

-27.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 17.01

$1.60 SEK 15.81

8.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.4

$8.02 SEK 79.0

4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 141

$11.67 SEK 115

22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.38

$2.03 SEK 19.96

1.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.96

$2.79 SEK 27.45

-20.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.89

$3.41 SEK 33.57

9.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 867

$80.1 SEK 789

9.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.3

$5.14 SEK 50.6

21.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.82

$1.16 SEK 11.45

47.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 594

$43.03 SEK 424

40.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.80 SEK 17.72

1.67%

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

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

$34.1K SEK 336.2K

-2.15%

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

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

$34.4K SEK 338.5K

1.25%

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

$107 SEK 1,057

$81.5 SEK 803

31.68%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$32.13 SEK 317

-40.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 354

$42.81 SEK 422

-16.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 365

$39.50 SEK 389

-6.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 249

$26.42 SEK 260

-4.54%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 193

$15.50 SEK 153

26.06%

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

$229 SEK 2,253

$165 SEK 1,628

38.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

$5,125 SEK 50.5K

-12.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 879

$83.1 SEK 819

7.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 327

$60.5 SEK 596

-45.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 919

$106 SEK 1,043

-11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,308

$129 SEK 1,271

2.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$844 SEK 8,319

23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,380

$621 SEK 6,118

53.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$1,410 SEK 13.9K

32.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

$1,038 SEK 10.2K

35.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

$4,235 SEK 41.7K

51.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

$2,859 SEK 28.2K

24.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

$2,104 SEK 20.7K

72.32%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $844 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 72% 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 $95.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $379 per month, with Gothenburg 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 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 72% 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $844 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $165 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,788 in Varnamo versus $2,066 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 $1,788 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.