Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,841 in Varnamo versus $2,072 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,819 in Varnamo versus $3,179 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,796 in Varnamo versus $4,287 in Gothenburg.

Living in Varnamo costs roughly 11% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varnamo 37% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.64 SEK 119

$13.87 SEK 130

-8.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 SEK 831

$90.6 SEK 849

-2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 SEK 111

$10.44 SEK 98.0

13.22%

Cappuccino

$4.89 SEK 45.83

$4.93 SEK 46.25

-0.81%

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

$2.90 SEK 27.24

$2.96 SEK 27.81

-2.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.08

$2.63 SEK 24.67

-18.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 SEK 76.1

$7.35 SEK 68.9

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 SEK 67.6

$7.88 SEK 73.9

-8.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 SEK 15.06

$1.74 SEK 16.35

-7.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 SEK 20.77

$2.91 SEK 27.27

-24.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 SEK 27.79

$3.31 SEK 31.02

-10.57%

Eggs

$4.44 SEK 41.61

$4.43 SEK 41.55

0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 SEK 123

$11.64 SEK 109

12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 SEK 108

$12.52 SEK 117

-7.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.41 SEK 163

$19.01 SEK 178

-8.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.70

$3.12 SEK 29.30

1.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 27.10

$2.74 SEK 25.67

5.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.47

$2.88 SEK 27.00

-2.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 40.44

$4.18 SEK 39.18

3.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.71

$1.66 SEK 15.57

0.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 14.86

$1.92 SEK 17.97

-17.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 24.78

$2.32 SEK 21.72

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.02

$1.63 SEK 15.25

-21.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 SEK 73.7

$7.84 SEK 73.6

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 SEK 112

$14.97 SEK 140

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 SEK 18.22

$2.23 SEK 20.93

-13.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 20.81

$2.53 SEK 23.77

-12.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 SEK 30.82

$3.81 SEK 35.72

-13.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 SEK 687

$88.0 SEK 826

-16.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 SEK 53.1

$10.12 SEK 94.9

-44.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.57 SEK 24.09

$1.60 SEK 15.01

60.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.9 SEK 590

$62.6 SEK 588

0.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.25

$1.94 SEK 18.24

0.52%

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

$33.2K SEK 311.5K

$32.3K SEK 303.3K

2.74%

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

$34.1K SEK 319.6K

$35.6K SEK 333.6K

-4.19%

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

$122 SEK 1,143

$141 SEK 1,318

-13.32%

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

$28.28 SEK 265

$25.19 SEK 236

12.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.20 SEK 387

$39.13 SEK 367

5.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 SEK 381

$42.15 SEK 395

-3.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.11 SEK 236

$25.07 SEK 235

0.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 SEK 166

$17.71 SEK 166

0.17%

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

$174 SEK 1,635

$178 SEK 1,669

-2.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,125 SEK 38.7K

$4,090 SEK 38.4K

0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 SEK 737

$87.1 SEK 817

-9.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 SEK 569

$39.25 SEK 368

54.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 977

$97.4 SEK 913

6.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 SEK 1,225

$153 SEK 1,434

-14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 7,988

$1,120 SEK 10.5K

-23.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 SEK 6,047

$852 SEK 7,988

-24.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 SEK 12.9K

$1,887 SEK 17.7K

-27.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 SEK 10.0K

$1,403 SEK 13.2K

-23.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,312 SEK 40.4K

$6,604 SEK 61.9K

-34.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,016 SEK 28.3K

$3,695 SEK 34.7K

-18.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,115 SEK 19.8K

$3,705 SEK 34.8K

-42.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.33

10.85%

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

Last update for Varnamo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Varnamo and $1,120 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 75% 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: $89.0 in Varnamo vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $380 per month, with Varnamo 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

Varnamo vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, Gothenburg earns 75% 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: $852 in Varnamo versus $1,120 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $174 in Varnamo 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 7% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,841 in Varnamo versus $2,072 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Varnamo but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Varnamo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varnamo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,841 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varnamo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varnamo 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 Varnamo 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.