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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,501 per month in Stockholm vs $1,810 in Varberg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,835 per month in Stockholm vs $2,840 in Varberg, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,169 per month in Stockholm vs $3,870 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 86%, Varberg by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.55 SEK 147

$13.96 SEK 132

11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 SEK 1,068

$84.2 SEK 799

33.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 SEK 111

$9.95 SEK 94.4

17.89%

Cappuccino

$5.07 SEK 48.07

$4.23 SEK 40.12

19.86%

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

$3.18 SEK 30.11

$0.92 SEK 8.74

245.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 23.88

$0.91 SEK 8.68

176.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 SEK 81.5

$7.79 SEK 73.8

10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 SEK 78.9

$8.08 SEK 76.7

2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.07

$1.52 SEK 14.40

18.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 SEK 32.58

$3.12 SEK 29.59

10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.85

$3.51 SEK 33.27

13.68%

Eggs

$4.69 SEK 44.44

$4.41 SEK 41.83

6.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 SEK 120

$12.15 SEK 115

4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.20 SEK 125

$11.51 SEK 109

14.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.66 SEK 186

$20.97 SEK 199

-6.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 34.30

$3.39 SEK 32.10

6.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 SEK 27.24

$2.90 SEK 27.48

-1.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 SEK 33.44

$3.29 SEK 31.23

7.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 SEK 42.40

$4.98 SEK 47.19

-10.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 SEK 18.87

$1.55 SEK 14.74

28.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 SEK 17.14

$1.89 SEK 17.96

-4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 SEK 23.74

$2.49 SEK 23.64

0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.66

$1.18 SEK 11.22

31.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 75.3

$7.35 SEK 69.7

8.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 SEK 121

$10.61 SEK 101

20.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.26

$2.07 SEK 19.62

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 SEK 22.32

$1.26 SEK 11.92

86.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 SEK 42.82

$2.93 SEK 27.77

54.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 SEK 1,074

$74.8 SEK 709

51.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 SEK 60.3

$5.24 SEK 49.69

21.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.55

$2.65 SEK 25.14

-38.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 593

$56.3 SEK 534

11.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.26

$1.99 SEK 18.91

-8.54%

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

$32.1K SEK 304.6K

$32.3K SEK 305.8K

-0.40%

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

$34.8K SEK 329.9K

$34.3K SEK 325.0K

1.50%

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

$225 SEK 2,131

$157 SEK 1,491

42.90%

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

$28.52 SEK 270

$21.27 SEK 202

34.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.74 SEK 396

$31.22 SEK 296

33.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.32 SEK 449

$41.03 SEK 389

15.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.97 SEK 360

$25.33 SEK 240

49.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.82 SEK 169

$16.62 SEK 158

7.22%

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

$164 SEK 1,558

$161 SEK 1,526

2.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,429 SEK 61.0K

$4,144 SEK 39.3K

55.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 SEK 909

$90.2 SEK 855

6.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 SEK 467

$42.45 SEK 402

16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 SEK 1,104

$98.2 SEK 931

18.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,930

$155 SEK 1,474

30.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 SEK 15.1K

$834 SEK 7,911

90.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 SEK 10.6K

$653 SEK 6,195

70.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,737 SEK 26.0K

$1,413 SEK 13.4K

93.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 SEK 17.0K

$1,093 SEK 10.4K

63.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K SEK 112.8K

$6,916 SEK 65.6K

72.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,717 SEK 63.7K

$3,720 SEK 35.3K

80.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,731 SEK 35.4K

$3,323 SEK 31.5K

12.27%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Varberg: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,591 in Stockholm versus $834 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 12% 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 $113 in Stockholm versus $84.0 in Varberg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 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 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 $3,752 per month in Stockholm and $2,715 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 51% 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 $1,810, than in Stockholm at $2,501. 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 $1,810 versus $2,501 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.