Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Whangarei Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Whangarei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,693 in Whangarei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,627 in Whangarei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,561 in Whangarei.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 22% more expensive than in Whangarei, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Whangarei 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$21.27 NZ$36.50

-35.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 885

$85.1 NZ$146

7.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$10.43 NZ$17.90

-0.10%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.12

$4.00 NZ$6.87

21.50%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.85

$2.15 NZ$3.69

43.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.86

$1.70 NZ$2.91

50.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 72.0

$6.41 NZ$11.00

15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.9

$8.20 NZ$14.07

-5.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.06

$1.95 NZ$3.35

-9.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.88

$2.19 NZ$3.76

31.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.41

$1.99 NZ$3.41

67.84%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.96

$6.62 NZ$11.36

-30.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$9.81 NZ$16.84

18.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$10.71 NZ$18.38

15.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$16.50 NZ$28.32

13.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.83

$3.03 NZ$5.20

1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.65

$2.40 NZ$4.11

10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.40

$3.02 NZ$5.18

-2.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.82

$4.48 NZ$7.68

-3.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 17.03

$2.54 NZ$4.36

-30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.17

$1.96 NZ$3.37

-4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.49

$2.44 NZ$4.19

-9.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.43

$1.11 NZ$1.91

43.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 77.1

$24.06 NZ$41.29

-67.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$9.66 NZ$16.57

48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.33

$2.37 NZ$4.07

-7.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.53

$2.88 NZ$4.94

-12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.07

$1.78 NZ$3.05

120.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 882

$140 NZ$240

-35.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.6

$3.82 NZ$6.56

165.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.15

$1.61 NZ$2.76

3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 597

$14.60 NZ$25.06

321.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 19.01

$1.66 NZ$2.85

18.07%

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

$32.2K SEK 312.2K

$45.5K NZ$78.0K

-29.22%

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

$35.6K SEK 345.0K

$22.1K NZ$38.0K

60.77%

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

$140 SEK 1,361

$135 NZ$232

3.82%

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

$25.00 SEK 243

$39.36 NZ$67.5

-36.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 374

$53.6 NZ$91.9

-27.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$37.35 NZ$64.1

10.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 241

$3.07 NZ$5.27

708.14%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$10.96 NZ$18.82

64.60%

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

$178 SEK 1,725

$775 NZ$1,331

-77.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.5K

$12.3K NZ$21.1K

-65.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 869

$66.9 NZ$115

33.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 382

$34.30 NZ$58.9

14.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 925

$83.2 NZ$143

14.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,480

$102 NZ$175

49.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$545 NZ$935

101.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,344

$471 NZ$808

82.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,006 NZ$1,727

86.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$769 NZ$1,320

82.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 63.0K

$4,338 NZ$7,445

49.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 34.0K

$3,391 NZ$5,819

3.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$2,474 NZ$4,245

45.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

6.7

-35.37%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $545 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 45% 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 $85.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $344 per month, with Whangarei 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 Whangarei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whangarei wins on cost – living expenses run 22% 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 45% 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $545 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $775 in Whangarei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,693 in Whangarei versus $2,063 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 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 $1,693 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 22% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.