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: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,604 in Whangarei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $2,500 in Whangarei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $3,396 in Whangarei.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 33% more expensive than in Whangarei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Whangarei 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 132

$21.00 NZ$35.70

-34.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 879

$84.0 NZ$143

9.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 123

$9.94 NZ$16.89

29.18%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.44

$3.92 NZ$6.66

29.08%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.14

$2.19 NZ$3.72

34.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.94

$1.67 NZ$2.83

31.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 68.7

$5.88 NZ$10.00

22.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.2

$7.23 NZ$12.30

8.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.19

$1.62 NZ$2.76

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.50

$1.99 NZ$3.39

39.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.28

$1.75 NZ$2.97

81.14%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.18

$6.38 NZ$10.84

-35.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 116

$8.42 NZ$14.31

43.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$9.30 NZ$15.81

25.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 170

$15.89 NZ$27.01

11.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.88

$3.59 NZ$6.10

-10.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.25

$2.21 NZ$3.75

19.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 30.79

$3.13 NZ$5.32

2.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.82

$3.21 NZ$5.46

36.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.41

$2.31 NZ$3.93

-21.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.02

$1.75 NZ$2.98

-4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.38

$1.78 NZ$3.03

14.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.01

$1.25 NZ$2.12

42.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.3

$26.20 NZ$44.54

-67.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 139

$10.11 NZ$17.18

43.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.02

$2.35 NZ$3.99

-6.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.76

$2.91 NZ$4.95

-18.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 36.81

$1.76 NZ$2.99

118.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 849

$139 NZ$236

-35.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.7

$3.94 NZ$6.71

63.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.50

$1.71 NZ$2.91

1.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 586

$14.11 NZ$23.98

334.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.22

$1.65 NZ$2.80

15.15%

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

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

$44.4K NZ$75.6K

-23.59%

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

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

$23.4K NZ$39.8K

46.62%

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

$110 SEK 1,052

$139 NZ$236

-20.75%

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

$19.66 SEK 188

$35.99 NZ$61.2

-45.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 347

$52.9 NZ$89.9

-31.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 363

$36.08 NZ$61.3

5.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 248

$2.99 NZ$5.08

765.89%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 185

$10.51 NZ$17.87

84.02%

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

$230 SEK 2,196

$748 NZ$1,272

-69.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 870

$75.3 NZ$128

20.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 329

$34.18 NZ$58.1

0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 900

$74.9 NZ$127

25.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,294

$97.9 NZ$166

38.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$449 NZ$763

136.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,192

$432 NZ$735

122.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

$732 NZ$1,244

152.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

$598 NZ$1,016

140.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

$4,538 NZ$7,715

43.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

$3,383 NZ$5,751

6.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

$2,446 NZ$4,158

48.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

6.36

-51.89%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $449 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 49% 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: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $84.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $318 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 33% 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 49% 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $449 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $748 in Whangarei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,604 in Whangarei versus $2,128 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 $1,604 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 33% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.