Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Varberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Varberg: $1,635 a month against $2,531 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Varberg
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Varberg Living Index

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Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,531

/mo nomad

Varberg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stockholm and in Varberg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Stockholm and in Varberg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,531 per month in Stockholm vs $1,635 in Varberg, rent included.

Stockholm $2,531
Varberg $1,635

A couple spends around $3,823 per month in Stockholm vs $2,623 in Varberg, rent included.

Stockholm $3,823
Varberg $2,623

A family of three spends $5,114 per month in Stockholm vs $3,610 in Varberg, rent included.

Stockholm $5,114
Varberg $3,610

Stockholm costs about 55% more than Varberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stockholm and Varberg sit above the global median – Stockholm by 86%, Varberg by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 SEK 178

$15.35 SEK 152

16.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 SEK 1,012

$76.3 SEK 758

33.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 SEK 117

$10.20 SEK 101

15.29%

Cappuccino

$5.17 SEK 51.4

$3.83 SEK 38.04

34.99%

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

$3.66 SEK 36.40

$1.19 SEK 11.82

207.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 SEK 30.52

$1.02 SEK 10.13

200.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 SEK 78.1

$6.18 SEK 61.4

27.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 SEK 90.4

$7.42 SEK 73.7

22.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SEK 16.40

$1.43 SEK 14.17

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 SEK 38.84

$2.96 SEK 29.43

32.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 SEK 36.91

$3.44 SEK 34.16

8.14%

Eggs

$5.09 SEK 50.6

$4.13 SEK 41.00

23.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 SEK 127

$12.77 SEK 127

0.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 127

$10.88 SEK 108

17.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.47 SEK 223

$19.85 SEK 197

13.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 35.30

$2.97 SEK 29.50

19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 SEK 28.54

$2.53 SEK 25.10

13.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 32.36

$2.95 SEK 29.25

10.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 43.28

$4.21 SEK 41.80

3.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 17.50

$1.47 SEK 14.59

19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.75

$1.49 SEK 14.75

20.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 SEK 24.34

$2.53 SEK 25.15

-3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.56

$0.97 SEK 9.65

144.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 SEK 86.2

$6.77 SEK 67.3

28.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 SEK 121

$10.24 SEK 102

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 SEK 21.13

$2.07 SEK 20.54

2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 25.09

$1.18 SEK 11.71

114.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 SEK 42.44

$2.94 SEK 29.15

45.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,058

$77.8 SEK 773

36.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 SEK 60.1

$4.93 SEK 49.01

22.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 15.32

$2.41 SEK 23.89

-36.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.7 SEK 553

$49.63 SEK 493

12.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 18.03

$1.81 SEK 18.01

0.55%

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

$32.8K SEK 325.4K

$33.0K SEK 327.6K

-0.68%

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

$33.7K SEK 334.8K

$33.6K SEK 333.5K

0.38%

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

$254 SEK 2,522

$141 SEK 1,400

80.20%

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

$21.66 SEK 215

$19.92 SEK 198

8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.33 SEK 410

$29.69 SEK 295

39.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.32 SEK 460

$40.37 SEK 401

14.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.99 SEK 387

$40.39 SEK 401

-3.47%

Cinema Ticket

$18.53 SEK 184

$15.84 SEK 157

16.98%

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

$160 SEK 1,585

$149 SEK 1,477

7.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SEK 160.9K

$3,455 SEK 34.3K

369.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 SEK 1,104

$70.9 SEK 704

56.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 SEK 593

$40.23 SEK 400

48.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 SEK 1,321

$108 SEK 1,077

22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 SEK 1,821

$149 SEK 1,479

23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 SEK 16.0K

$798 SEK 7,926

102.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 SEK 10.2K

$495 SEK 4,916

108.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 SEK 26.0K

$1,221 SEK 12.1K

114.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 SEK 16.7K

$915 SEK 9,087

83.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 117.3K

$6,532 SEK 64.9K

80.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,816 SEK 67.7K

$3,568 SEK 35.4K

91.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,521 SEK 35.0K

$3,103 SEK 30.8K

13.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

1.9

75.26%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 24, 2026

Last update for Varberg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockholm

$1K 40.8%

Varberg

$495 30.3% 52% $536

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$418 16.5%

Varberg

$352 21.5% 15.8% $66

Eating Out

Stockholm

$325 12.9%

Varberg

$254 15.5% 21.9% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$317 12.5%

Varberg

$191 11.7% 39.9% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$219 8.7%

Varberg

$166 10.1% 24.4% $53

Getting Around

Stockholm

$137 5.4%

Varberg

$107 6.5% 22.5% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$83 3.3%

Varberg

$72 4.4% 13.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Stockholm versus $798 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 13% 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 $102 in Stockholm versus $76 in Varberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $418 vs $352 – making Varberg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇸🇪 Varberg

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

Same time as Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

27,602

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Stockholm Varberg 420 km

From you

Stockholm
Varberg

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

Stockholm vs Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm costs about 55% more than Varberg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $3,796 per month in Stockholm and $2,453 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,614 in Stockholm.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Varberg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $160 per month in Stockholm and $149 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 $1,635, than in Stockholm at $2,531. In Varberg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Varberg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.