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: $2,068 in Gothenburg versus $1,803 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,219 in Gothenburg versus $2,833 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Gothenburg versus $3,863 in Varnamo.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 15% more expensive than in Varnamo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Varnamo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 SEK 132

$12.77 SEK 121

8.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.8 SEK 882

$88.7 SEK 843

4.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 SEK 100

$11.98 SEK 114

-11.77%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 47.04

$4.93 SEK 46.85

0.41%

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

$3.04 SEK 28.90

$2.87 SEK 27.24

5.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 25.25

$2.13 SEK 20.21

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 SEK 70.5

$8.03 SEK 76.3

-7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 76.1

$7.58 SEK 72.0

5.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.96

$1.60 SEK 15.25

5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 27.43

$2.16 SEK 20.55

33.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.65

$3.06 SEK 29.04

8.82%

Eggs

$4.49 SEK 42.68

$4.62 SEK 43.84

-2.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 SEK 111

$12.84 SEK 122

-8.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 116

$11.69 SEK 111

4.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 177

$17.16 SEK 163

8.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 29.10

$3.21 SEK 30.47

-4.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 25.91

$2.87 SEK 27.22

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.45

$2.89 SEK 27.45

3.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 SEK 39.48

$4.45 SEK 42.23

-6.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.55

$1.74 SEK 16.49

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.42

$1.59 SEK 15.06

22.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 SEK 21.20

$2.55 SEK 24.27

-12.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SEK 15.18

$1.24 SEK 11.82

29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 SEK 75.1

$7.84 SEK 74.5

0.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 SEK 137

$11.27 SEK 107

27.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 21.57

$2.03 SEK 19.29

11.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.02

$2.23 SEK 21.21

13.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 SEK 36.79

$3.30 SEK 31.39

17.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.6 SEK 851

$73.4 SEK 697

22.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 SEK 98.0

$5.53 SEK 52.5

86.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.23

$2.53 SEK 24.08

-36.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.1 SEK 590

$63.9 SEK 607

-2.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.34

$1.97 SEK 18.69

-2.03%

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

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

$32.3K SEK 306.9K

-0.31%

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

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

$34.2K SEK 325.1K

2.22%

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

$136 SEK 1,290

$119 SEK 1,132

13.93%

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

$25.35 SEK 241

$29.16 SEK 277

-13.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.47 SEK 375

$40.96 SEK 389

-3.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.88 SEK 388

$41.18 SEK 391

-0.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.69 SEK 235

$25.42 SEK 242

-2.87%

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 172

$18.14 SEK 172

-0.06%

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

$176 SEK 1,676

$176 SEK 1,674

0.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

$4,148 SEK 39.4K

-1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 SEK 855

$81.4 SEK 774

10.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.38 SEK 374

$60.8 SEK 577

-35.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 SEK 924

$104 SEK 991

-6.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,477

$128 SEK 1,217

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

$852 SEK 8,094

33.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 SEK 8,162

$665 SEK 6,320

29.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

$1,387 SEK 13.2K

33.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

$1,098 SEK 10.4K

31.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

$4,181 SEK 39.7K

53.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

$2,906 SEK 27.6K

23.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

$2,092 SEK 19.9K

76.32%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Gothenburg and $852 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 76% 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: $93.0 in Gothenburg vs $89.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 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 15% 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 76% 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: $1,136 in Gothenburg versus $852 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Gothenburg versus $176 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,803 in Varnamo versus $2,068 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 $1,803 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 15% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.