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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,542 per month in Stockholm vs $1,804 in Varberg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,878 per month in Stockholm vs $2,844 in Varberg, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,214 per month in Stockholm vs $3,885 in Varberg, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 41% more than Varberg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stockholm and Varberg sit above the global median – Stockholm by 90%, Varberg by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.06 SEK 156

$13.56 SEK 132

18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 SEK 1,080

$82.8 SEK 805

34.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 SEK 112

$10.03 SEK 97.4

14.96%

Cappuccino

$5.00 SEK 48.52

$4.14 SEK 40.23

20.77%

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

$3.13 SEK 30.44

$0.97 SEK 9.46

222.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 24.33

$0.98 SEK 9.50

156.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 SEK 81.0

$8.07 SEK 78.3

3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 SEK 83.8

$7.78 SEK 75.5

10.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.88

$1.57 SEK 15.26

10.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 33.09

$3.05 SEK 29.58

11.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 SEK 39.15

$3.53 SEK 34.26

14.16%

Eggs

$4.67 SEK 45.38

$4.33 SEK 42.06

7.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 SEK 122

$12.21 SEK 119

3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 SEK 126

$11.81 SEK 115

10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 SEK 184

$21.19 SEK 206

-10.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 SEK 34.59

$3.32 SEK 32.21

7.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 SEK 28.95

$2.93 SEK 28.43

1.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.40

$3.28 SEK 31.82

1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 SEK 44.50

$4.74 SEK 46.05

-3.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 SEK 19.27

$1.62 SEK 15.74

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.23

$1.95 SEK 18.95

-3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.79

$2.61 SEK 25.34

-2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 15.10

$1.15 SEK 11.16

34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.97 SEK 77.4

$7.01 SEK 68.1

13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 SEK 122

$10.37 SEK 101

21.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 21.16

$2.07 SEK 20.11

5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.00

$1.25 SEK 12.17

89.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 SEK 43.94

$2.82 SEK 27.38

60.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 SEK 1,077

$73.0 SEK 709

51.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 SEK 60.8

$5.12 SEK 49.68

22.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.90

$2.55 SEK 24.73

-35.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.9 SEK 611

$55.8 SEK 542

12.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.51

$1.93 SEK 18.78

-6.74%

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

$32.5K SEK 315.7K

$32.9K SEK 319.2K

-1.09%

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

$35.6K SEK 345.6K

$33.7K SEK 327.0K

5.71%

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

$227 SEK 2,204

$157 SEK 1,529

44.19%

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

$28.85 SEK 280

$20.83 SEK 202

38.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.64 SEK 404

$32.21 SEK 313

29.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 SEK 451

$40.62 SEK 395

14.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.77 SEK 367

$25.23 SEK 245

49.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 SEK 173

$16.86 SEK 164

5.81%

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

$164 SEK 1,592

$161 SEK 1,564

1.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,466 SEK 62.8K

$4,058 SEK 39.4K

59.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 SEK 959

$88.2 SEK 856

12.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.18 SEK 478

$41.66 SEK 405

18.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,163

$101 SEK 978

18.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 SEK 1,954

$157 SEK 1,521

28.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 SEK 15.4K

$836 SEK 8,120

89.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 SEK 10.8K

$645 SEK 6,267

72.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 SEK 27.4K

$1,380 SEK 13.4K

104.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,776 SEK 17.2K

$1,103 SEK 10.7K

61.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 114.6K

$6,638 SEK 64.5K

77.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,591 SEK 64.0K

$3,652 SEK 35.5K

80.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,558 SEK 34.6K

$3,197 SEK 31.0K

11.28%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Varberg: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,588 in Stockholm versus $836 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 11% 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 $111 in Stockholm versus $83.0 in Varberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $374 – 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 41% 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 $3,813 per month in Stockholm and $2,707 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 52% less in Varberg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $164 per month in Stockholm and $161 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 $1,804, than in Stockholm at $2,542. 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 $1,804 versus $2,542 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.