Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Varberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Varberg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,580 per month in Stockholm vs $1,873 in Varberg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,866 per month in Stockholm vs $2,861 in Varberg, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,151 per month in Stockholm vs $3,850 in Varberg, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 38% more than Varberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stockholm and Varberg sit above the global median – Stockholm by 93%, Varberg by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.62 SEK 144

$13.52 SEK 124

15.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,014

$85.8 SEK 789

28.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 SEK 107

$10.16 SEK 93.4

14.86%

Cappuccino

$5.22 SEK 47.98

$4.10 SEK 37.70

27.32%

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

$3.31 SEK 30.44

$0.99 SEK 9.13

234.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 SEK 23.39

$0.98 SEK 8.99

159.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 SEK 79.2

$7.92 SEK 72.9

8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 SEK 77.4

$7.89 SEK 72.5

6.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 15.84

$1.49 SEK 13.73

15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 31.79

$3.15 SEK 29.02

9.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 SEK 36.39

$3.51 SEK 32.29

12.54%

Eggs

$4.54 SEK 41.80

$4.45 SEK 40.90

2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.85 SEK 118

$12.13 SEK 112

5.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 SEK 123

$11.62 SEK 107

15.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.44 SEK 179

$21.32 SEK 196

-8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 SEK 31.89

$3.32 SEK 30.51

4.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 26.61

$2.83 SEK 26.00

2.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 SEK 30.84

$3.43 SEK 31.58

-2.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 41.19

$4.81 SEK 44.24

-6.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 SEK 17.77

$1.53 SEK 14.11

26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.25

$1.94 SEK 17.88

-3.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 23.15

$2.52 SEK 23.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.30

$1.14 SEK 10.46

35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.07 SEK 74.3

$7.21 SEK 66.4

11.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 SEK 131

$10.74 SEK 98.8

32.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.68

$2.08 SEK 19.17

8.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 SEK 21.57

$1.30 SEK 11.96

80.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 SEK 40.82

$2.93 SEK 26.99

51.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,009

$74.6 SEK 686

47.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 58.2

$5.32 SEK 48.97

18.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.32

$2.56 SEK 23.55

-35.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 SEK 581

$56.0 SEK 515

12.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.12

$1.92 SEK 17.65

-3.12%

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

$32.6K SEK 299.8K

$32.9K SEK 302.4K

-0.85%

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

$35.2K SEK 323.6K

$33.3K SEK 306.8K

5.47%

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

$231 SEK 2,124

$154 SEK 1,419

49.64%

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

$29.34 SEK 270

$21.13 SEK 194

38.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.99 SEK 396

$32.27 SEK 297

33.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.13 SEK 434

$41.09 SEK 378

14.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.17 SEK 342

$25.52 SEK 235

45.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.86 SEK 164

$16.57 SEK 152

7.79%

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

$165 SEK 1,520

$156 SEK 1,432

6.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,422 SEK 59.1K

$4,124 SEK 37.9K

55.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 SEK 882

$89.5 SEK 824

7.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.30 SEK 444

$41.66 SEK 383

15.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,106

$101 SEK 925

19.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$207 SEK 1,907

$160 SEK 1,468

29.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 SEK 14.4K

$847 SEK 7,795

84.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 SEK 10.1K

$664 SEK 6,109

65.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,821 SEK 26.0K

$1,395 SEK 12.8K

102.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 SEK 16.5K

$1,089 SEK 10.0K

65.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K SEK 111.6K

$4,272 SEK 39.3K

183.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,566 SEK 60.4K

$2,993 SEK 27.5K

119.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,927 SEK 36.1K

$3,434 SEK 31.6K

14.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

1.9

118.95%

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

Last update for Stockholm: April 20, 2026

Last update for Varberg: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,562 in Stockholm versus $847 in Varberg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Stockholm, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Stockholm versus $86 in Varberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $375 – making Varberg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Stockholm vs Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm costs about 38% more than Varberg, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,870 per month in Stockholm and $2,809 in Varberg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varberg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Varberg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $165 per month in Stockholm and $156 in Varberg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Varberg, where all-in costs run around $1,873, than in Stockholm at $2,580. In Varberg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Varberg costs $1,873 versus $2,580 in Stockholm. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Varberg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.