Cost of Living Comparison Between Varberg and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Varberg and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,873 in Varberg versus $2,113 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,861 in Varberg versus $3,197 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,850 in Varberg versus $4,282 in Gothenburg.

Living in Varberg costs roughly 11% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varberg 40% above, Gothenburg 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.52 SEK 124

$13.60 SEK 125

-0.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 SEK 789

$92.0 SEK 846

-6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 SEK 93.4

$10.52 SEK 96.8

-3.42%

Cappuccino

$4.10 SEK 37.70

$4.96 SEK 45.68

-17.34%

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

$0.99 SEK 9.13

$3.07 SEK 28.25

-67.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 SEK 8.99

$2.63 SEK 24.19

-62.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.92 SEK 72.9

$7.58 SEK 69.8

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 SEK 72.5

$7.97 SEK 73.3

-1.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SEK 13.73

$1.71 SEK 15.73

-12.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 SEK 29.02

$3.01 SEK 27.66

4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 32.29

$3.32 SEK 30.54

5.72%

Eggs

$4.45 SEK 40.90

$4.62 SEK 42.53

-3.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.13 SEK 112

$11.58 SEK 107

4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 SEK 107

$12.56 SEK 116

-7.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.32 SEK 196

$18.93 SEK 174

12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.51

$3.18 SEK 29.26

4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.00

$2.68 SEK 24.66

5.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 SEK 31.58

$2.94 SEK 27.04

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 SEK 44.24

$4.21 SEK 38.75

14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 14.11

$1.72 SEK 15.83

-11.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 17.88

$1.93 SEK 17.73

0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 23.17

$2.27 SEK 20.90

11.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 SEK 10.46

$1.54 SEK 14.19

-25.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.21 SEK 66.4

$7.85 SEK 72.2

-8.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 SEK 98.8

$12.53 SEK 115

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 SEK 19.17

$2.25 SEK 20.70

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 SEK 11.96

$2.58 SEK 23.78

-49.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 SEK 26.99

$3.96 SEK 36.44

-26.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 SEK 686

$88.6 SEK 815

-15.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 SEK 48.97

$10.46 SEK 96.3

-49.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 SEK 23.55

$1.67 SEK 15.35

53.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.0 SEK 515

$63.0 SEK 580

-11.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 17.65

$1.89 SEK 17.43

1.59%

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

$32.9K SEK 302.4K

$33.0K SEK 303.4K

-0.33%

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

$33.3K SEK 306.8K

$35.0K SEK 321.9K

-4.70%

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

$154 SEK 1,419

$141 SEK 1,294

9.69%

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

$21.13 SEK 194

$25.24 SEK 232

-16.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.27 SEK 297

$38.61 SEK 355

-16.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.09 SEK 378

$40.96 SEK 377

0.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.52 SEK 235

$24.80 SEK 228

2.90%

Cinema Ticket

$16.57 SEK 152

$17.54 SEK 161

-5.53%

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

$156 SEK 1,432

$175 SEK 1,614

-11.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,124 SEK 37.9K

$4,120 SEK 37.9K

0.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 824

$87.5 SEK 805

2.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.66 SEK 383

$40.39 SEK 372

3.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SEK 925

$97.5 SEK 897

3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 SEK 1,468

$154 SEK 1,414

3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 SEK 7,795

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

-23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 SEK 6,109

$870 SEK 8,005

-23.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 SEK 12.8K

$1,885 SEK 17.3K

-25.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 SEK 10.0K

$1,403 SEK 12.9K

-22.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,272 SEK 39.3K

$6,641 SEK 61.1K

-35.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,993 SEK 27.5K

$3,944 SEK 36.3K

-24.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,434 SEK 31.6K

$3,970 SEK 36.5K

-13.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

4.33

-56.12%

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

Last update for Varberg: April 20, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $847 in Varberg and $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 16% 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: $86 in Varberg vs $92 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $376 per month, with Varberg 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

Varberg vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varberg wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varberg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $847 in Varberg versus $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $156 in Varberg versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,873 in Varberg versus $2,113 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varberg but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Varberg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varberg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,873 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varberg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varberg and Gothenburg 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 Varberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.