Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Whangarei

For one person, living is cheaper in Whangarei: $1,458 a month against $2,044 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Whangarei
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Whangarei Living Index

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Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,044

/mo nomad

Whangarei

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Whangarei

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 Whangarei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,044 in Gothenburg versus $1,458 in Whangarei.

Gothenburg $2,044
Whangarei $1,458

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,078 in Gothenburg versus $2,290 in Whangarei.

Gothenburg $3,078
Whangarei $2,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,113 in Gothenburg versus $3,121 in Whangarei.

Gothenburg $4,113
Whangarei $3,121

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 40% more expensive than in Whangarei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Whangarei 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.77 SEK 136

$12.15 NZ$21.49

13.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 SEK 866

$74.0 NZ$131

18.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.41 SEK 123

$8.48 NZ$14.99

46.34%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 48.30

$3.32 NZ$5.88

46.69%

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

$2.89 SEK 28.62

$2.02 NZ$3.57

43.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.76

$1.61 NZ$2.85

49.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 SEK 69.6

$6.01 NZ$10.62

16.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 SEK 76.2

$5.78 NZ$10.23

33.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 16.58

$1.48 NZ$2.62

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 SEK 26.73

$1.24 NZ$2.20

117.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 SEK 31.32

$1.68 NZ$2.97

88.10%

Eggs

$3.86 SEK 38.28

$5.44 NZ$9.61

-29.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 SEK 114

$5.51 NZ$9.74

109.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 SEK 115

$7.52 NZ$13.30

53.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 SEK 162

$15.29 NZ$27.04

6.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 29.92

$2.56 NZ$4.52

17.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 SEK 23.90

$2.11 NZ$3.73

14.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 SEK 29.77

$2.90 NZ$5.13

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 SEK 44.10

$3.05 NZ$5.40

45.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.51

$2.28 NZ$4.04

-22.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.80

$1.71 NZ$3.03

-0.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 SEK 20.22

$1.66 NZ$2.93

22.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SEK 16.05

$1.17 NZ$2.07

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.32 SEK 82.4

$25.92 NZ$45.84

-67.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 SEK 149

$9.81 NZ$17.35

53.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 20.21

$2.21 NZ$3.90

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 22.24

$2.74 NZ$4.85

-17.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 SEK 38.05

$1.71 NZ$3.03

124.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 SEK 867

$130 NZ$230

-32.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 SEK 62.7

$3.63 NZ$6.42

74.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 SEK 16.38

$1.60 NZ$2.82

3.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 SEK 591

$13.85 NZ$24.50

330.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.28

$1.74 NZ$3.07

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

$33.9K SEK 336.0K

$28.9K NZ$51.1K

17.41%

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

$34.0K SEK 337.3K

$22.0K NZ$38.9K

54.81%

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

$106 SEK 1,046

$149 NZ$264

-29.22%

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

$19.51 SEK 193

$27.61 NZ$48.83

-29.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.69 SEK 334

$50.2 NZ$88.7

-32.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.23 SEK 349

$35.33 NZ$62.5

-0.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.38 SEK 242

$2.85 NZ$5.04

755.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.18 SEK 170

$10.25 NZ$18.13

67.61%

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

$221 SEK 2,186

$699 NZ$1,236

-68.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,412 SEK 43.7K

$23.1K NZ$40.8K

-80.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 883

$71.7 NZ$127

24.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.97 SEK 327

$32.82 NZ$58.0

0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 SEK 874

$70.1 NZ$124

25.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SEK 1,301

$90.9 NZ$161

44.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 SEK 10.4K

$426 NZ$754

145.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 SEK 8,998

$414 NZ$732

119.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 SEK 17.9K

$766 NZ$1,355

136.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 SEK 13.7K

$739 NZ$1,307

87.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,137 SEK 60.8K

$4,260 NZ$7,535

44.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,523 SEK 34.9K

$3,263 NZ$5,770

7.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,594 SEK 35.6K

$2,346 NZ$4,149

53.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

5.75

-46.78%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: October 18, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gothenburg

$908 44.4%

Whangarei

$414 28.4% 54.4% $494

Groceries & Markets

Gothenburg

$358 17.5%

Whangarei

$275 18.9% 23.2% $83

Eating Out

Gothenburg

$278 13.6%

Whangarei

$219 15% 21.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gothenburg

$159 7.8%

Whangarei

$227 15.6% 42.9% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Gothenburg

$154 7.5%

Whangarei

$119 8.2% 22.3% $34

Getting Around

Gothenburg

$117 5.8%

Whangarei

$149 10.2% 26.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Gothenburg

$70 3.4%

Whangarei

$56 3.8% 19.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,046 in Gothenburg and $426 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 53% 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: $87.0 in Gothenburg vs $74.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $275 per month, with Whangarei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🇳🇿 Whangarei

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

05:12 5:12 AM

11 h ahead of Gothenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,882

54,300

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gothenburg Whangarei 17,240 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Gothenburg
Whangarei

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 Whangarei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whangarei wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Whangarei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $1,046 in Gothenburg versus $426 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $221 in Gothenburg versus $699 in Whangarei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,458 in Whangarei versus $2,044 in Gothenburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Whangarei but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Whangarei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Whangarei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,458 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Whangarei hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Whangarei 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 Whangarei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.