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: $1,803 in Varnamo versus $2,068 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Varnamo versus $3,219 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,863 in Varnamo versus $4,369 in Gothenburg.

Living in Varnamo costs roughly 13% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varnamo 35% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 SEK 121

$13.85 SEK 132

-7.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 SEK 843

$92.8 SEK 882

-4.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 SEK 114

$10.57 SEK 100

13.34%

Cappuccino

$4.93 SEK 46.85

$4.95 SEK 47.04

-0.40%

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

$2.87 SEK 27.24

$3.04 SEK 28.90

-5.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SEK 20.21

$2.66 SEK 25.25

-19.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 SEK 76.3

$7.42 SEK 70.5

8.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 SEK 72.0

$8.01 SEK 76.1

-5.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 15.25

$1.68 SEK 15.96

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 SEK 20.55

$2.89 SEK 27.43

-25.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 29.04

$3.33 SEK 31.65

-8.11%

Eggs

$4.62 SEK 43.84

$4.49 SEK 42.68

2.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 SEK 122

$11.70 SEK 111

9.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 SEK 111

$12.25 SEK 116

-4.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 SEK 163

$18.65 SEK 177

-7.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 SEK 30.47

$3.06 SEK 29.10

4.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 SEK 27.22

$2.73 SEK 25.91

5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 27.45

$2.99 SEK 28.45

-3.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 SEK 42.23

$4.16 SEK 39.48

6.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.49

$1.74 SEK 16.55

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.06

$1.94 SEK 18.42

-18.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.27

$2.23 SEK 21.20

14.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 SEK 11.82

$1.60 SEK 15.18

-22.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.84 SEK 74.5

$7.91 SEK 75.1

-0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 SEK 107

$14.41 SEK 137

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 19.29

$2.27 SEK 21.57

-10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.21

$2.53 SEK 24.02

-11.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 SEK 31.39

$3.87 SEK 36.79

-14.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 SEK 697

$89.6 SEK 851

-18.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 SEK 52.5

$10.31 SEK 98.0

-46.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 SEK 24.08

$1.60 SEK 15.23

58.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.9 SEK 607

$62.1 SEK 590

2.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 SEK 18.69

$1.93 SEK 18.34

2.07%

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

$32.3K SEK 306.9K

$32.2K SEK 305.9K

0.31%

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

$34.2K SEK 325.1K

$35.0K SEK 332.3K

-2.17%

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

$119 SEK 1,132

$136 SEK 1,290

-12.22%

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

$29.16 SEK 277

$25.35 SEK 241

15.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.96 SEK 389

$39.47 SEK 375

3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 SEK 391

$40.88 SEK 388

0.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.42 SEK 242

$24.69 SEK 235

2.96%

Cinema Ticket

$18.14 SEK 172

$18.13 SEK 172

0.06%

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

$176 SEK 1,674

$176 SEK 1,676

-0.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,148 SEK 39.4K

$4,094 SEK 38.9K

1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.4 SEK 774

$90.0 SEK 855

-9.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 SEK 577

$39.38 SEK 374

54.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 991

$97.3 SEK 924

7.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 SEK 1,217

$155 SEK 1,477

-17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 8,094

$1,136 SEK 10.8K

-24.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 SEK 6,320

$859 SEK 8,162

-22.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 SEK 13.2K

$1,855 SEK 17.6K

-25.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 SEK 10.4K

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

-23.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,181 SEK 39.7K

$6,400 SEK 60.8K

-34.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,906 SEK 27.6K

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

-18.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,092 SEK 19.9K

$3,689 SEK 35.0K

-43.29%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Varnamo and $1,136 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 76% 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 $93.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $376 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 15% 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, salaries run 76% lower in Gothenburg. 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 $1,136 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Varnamo versus $176 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,803 in Varnamo versus $2,068 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 $1,803 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 15% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.