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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,698 in Whangarei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,673 in Whangarei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,648 in Whangarei.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 21% more expensive than 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 129

$20.97 NZ$35.72

-34.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 880

$84.9 NZ$145

10.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.0

$10.34 NZ$17.62

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.40

$3.82 NZ$6.51

23.82%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.84

$2.17 NZ$3.69

36.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.76

$1.75 NZ$2.99

44.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.1

$6.40 NZ$10.90

13.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.4

$7.99 NZ$13.61

-3.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.75

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.75

$2.16 NZ$3.69

31.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.11

$2.03 NZ$3.46

63.55%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.63

$6.73 NZ$11.46

-30.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$9.73 NZ$16.57

21.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$10.71 NZ$18.24

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$16.70 NZ$28.45

13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.07

$2.99 NZ$5.09

3.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.67

$2.33 NZ$3.97

17.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.25

$2.98 NZ$5.08

-2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.16

$4.70 NZ$8.01

-11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$2.58 NZ$4.39

-35.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.34

$1.90 NZ$3.23

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.33

$2.46 NZ$4.19

-7.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.53

$1.12 NZ$1.90

38.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.3

$23.68 NZ$40.33

-66.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$10.19 NZ$17.36

50.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.19

$2.35 NZ$4.01

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.45

$2.88 NZ$4.90

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.63

$1.78 NZ$3.03

113.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 831

$138 NZ$235

-35.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.8

$3.97 NZ$6.76

154.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.56

$1.64 NZ$2.79

1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 579

$14.27 NZ$24.31

332.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.73

$1.64 NZ$2.80

15.24%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

$44.9K NZ$76.5K

-28.71%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.3K

$22.3K NZ$38.1K

54.27%

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

$138 SEK 1,299

$132 NZ$224

5.13%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$39.38 NZ$67.1

-36.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$52.9 NZ$90.1

-27.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$37.94 NZ$64.6

10.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$3.07 NZ$5.24

722.80%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$10.65 NZ$18.15

68.83%

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

$175 SEK 1,646

$783 NZ$1,333

-77.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.5K

$12.1K NZ$20.6K

-65.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 822

$69.1 NZ$118

26.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$34.32 NZ$58.5

17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 909

$81.7 NZ$139

18.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,466

$102 NZ$173

53.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$544 NZ$927

106.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,190

$454 NZ$773

92.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$1,012 NZ$1,724

89.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$776 NZ$1,322

84.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.8K

$4,472 NZ$7,618

49.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.3K

$3,393 NZ$5,780

10.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$2,515 NZ$4,285

57.15%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $544 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 57% 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: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $85.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $346 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 21% 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.

Gothenburg pays 57% 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $544 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $783 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 $1,698 in Whangarei versus $2,058 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 $1,698 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 21% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.