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: $1,810 in Varberg versus $2,072 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,840 in Varberg versus $3,179 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,870 in Varberg versus $4,287 in Gothenburg.

Living in Varberg costs roughly 13% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varberg 35% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.96 SEK 132

$13.87 SEK 132

0.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.2 SEK 799

$90.6 SEK 859

-6.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 SEK 94.4

$10.44 SEK 99.0

-4.69%

Cappuccino

$4.23 SEK 40.12

$4.93 SEK 46.75

-14.20%

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

$0.92 SEK 8.74

$2.96 SEK 28.11

-68.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 SEK 8.68

$2.63 SEK 24.93

-65.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 SEK 73.8

$7.35 SEK 69.7

5.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 SEK 76.7

$7.88 SEK 74.7

2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 SEK 14.40

$1.74 SEK 16.52

-12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 SEK 29.59

$2.91 SEK 27.56

7.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 33.27

$3.31 SEK 31.36

6.04%

Eggs

$4.41 SEK 41.83

$4.43 SEK 41.99

-0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 SEK 115

$11.64 SEK 110

4.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 SEK 109

$12.52 SEK 119

-8.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 SEK 199

$19.01 SEK 180

10.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 32.10

$3.12 SEK 29.62

8.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.48

$2.74 SEK 25.95

5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.23

$2.88 SEK 27.29

14.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 SEK 47.19

$4.18 SEK 39.60

19.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.74

$1.66 SEK 15.74

-6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 17.96

$1.92 SEK 18.16

-1.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 23.64

$2.32 SEK 21.95

7.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 SEK 11.22

$1.63 SEK 15.41

-27.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.35 SEK 69.7

$7.84 SEK 74.4

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 SEK 101

$14.97 SEK 142

-29.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.62

$2.23 SEK 21.16

-7.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 SEK 11.92

$2.53 SEK 24.03

-50.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 SEK 27.77

$3.81 SEK 36.11

-23.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 SEK 709

$88.0 SEK 834

-14.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 SEK 49.69

$10.12 SEK 95.9

-48.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 SEK 25.14

$1.60 SEK 15.17

65.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.3 SEK 534

$62.6 SEK 594

-10.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.91

$1.94 SEK 18.44

2.58%

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

$32.3K SEK 305.8K

$32.3K SEK 306.5K

-0.23%

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

$34.3K SEK 325.0K

$35.6K SEK 337.2K

-3.61%

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

$157 SEK 1,491

$141 SEK 1,332

11.93%

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

$21.27 SEK 202

$25.19 SEK 239

-15.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.22 SEK 296

$39.13 SEK 371

-20.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.03 SEK 389

$42.15 SEK 400

-2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.33 SEK 240

$25.07 SEK 238

1.04%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 SEK 158

$17.71 SEK 168

-6.15%

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

$161 SEK 1,526

$178 SEK 1,687

-9.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,144 SEK 39.3K

$4,090 SEK 38.8K

1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.2 SEK 855

$87.1 SEK 826

3.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.45 SEK 402

$39.25 SEK 372

8.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 SEK 931

$97.4 SEK 923

0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,474

$153 SEK 1,449

1.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 SEK 7,911

$1,120 SEK 10.6K

-25.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 SEK 6,195

$852 SEK 8,074

-23.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.4K

$1,887 SEK 17.9K

-25.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 SEK 10.4K

$1,403 SEK 13.3K

-22.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,916 SEK 65.6K

$6,604 SEK 62.6K

4.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,720 SEK 35.3K

$3,695 SEK 35.0K

0.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,323 SEK 31.5K

$3,705 SEK 35.1K

-10.29%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $834 in Varberg and $1,120 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 11% 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: $84.0 in Varberg vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $380 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 14% 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 11% 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: $834 in Varberg versus $1,120 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Varberg versus $178 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,810 in Varberg versus $2,072 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 $1,810 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 14% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.