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: $1,814 in Varnamo versus $2,120 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,828 in Varnamo versus $3,250 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,842 in Varnamo versus $4,380 in Gothenburg.

Living in Varnamo costs roughly 14% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varnamo 35% above, Gothenburg 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 SEK 117

$13.54 SEK 126

-7.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 SEK 809

$92.2 SEK 854

-5.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 SEK 113

$10.41 SEK 96.5

17.10%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 46.78

$5.01 SEK 46.42

0.80%

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

$2.84 SEK 26.29

$3.11 SEK 28.82

-8.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.21

$2.52 SEK 23.33

-17.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 74.2

$7.47 SEK 69.2

7.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 SEK 69.6

$7.86 SEK 72.9

-4.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 14.85

$1.68 SEK 15.57

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 SEK 19.76

$2.99 SEK 27.68

-28.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.25

$3.26 SEK 30.19

-9.82%

Eggs

$4.44 SEK 41.16

$4.45 SEK 41.27

-0.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 SEK 122

$11.52 SEK 107

14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 SEK 109

$12.21 SEK 113

-3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 156

$18.59 SEK 172

-9.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.41

$3.19 SEK 29.54

-0.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.15

$2.70 SEK 25.01

4.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 25.67

$3.00 SEK 27.78

-7.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 41.94

$4.33 SEK 40.14

4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 15.64

$1.67 SEK 15.51

1.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 14.78

$1.89 SEK 17.48

-15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 SEK 24.70

$2.23 SEK 20.70

19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 11.85

$1.61 SEK 14.93

-20.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.20 SEK 76.0

$8.02 SEK 74.4

2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 SEK 113

$12.58 SEK 117

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 18.73

$2.26 SEK 20.99

-10.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.84

$2.50 SEK 23.14

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 SEK 32.26

$3.98 SEK 36.86

-12.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 SEK 683

$88.6 SEK 821

-16.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 SEK 52.0

$10.11 SEK 93.7

-44.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 SEK 23.70

$1.59 SEK 14.74

61.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 SEK 591

$62.3 SEK 577

2.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.55

$1.94 SEK 17.96

-2.58%

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

$32.7K SEK 302.8K

$32.2K SEK 298.4K

1.46%

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

$34.1K SEK 315.8K

$35.0K SEK 324.1K

-2.58%

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

$123 SEK 1,138

$139 SEK 1,291

-11.88%

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

$29.26 SEK 271

$25.22 SEK 234

16.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.11 SEK 372

$39.47 SEK 366

1.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.27 SEK 383

$42.17 SEK 391

-2.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 SEK 231

$25.32 SEK 235

-1.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 SEK 164

$17.60 SEK 163

0.57%

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

$179 SEK 1,659

$175 SEK 1,618

2.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,165 SEK 38.6K

$4,140 SEK 38.4K

0.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 SEK 743

$88.0 SEK 816

-8.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SEK 566

$39.75 SEK 368

53.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SEK 983

$98.2 SEK 910

7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,177

$156 SEK 1,448

-18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 SEK 7,718

$1,104 SEK 10.2K

-24.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 SEK 6,149

$876 SEK 8,123

-24.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

$1,865 SEK 17.3K

-26.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 SEK 9,870

$1,414 SEK 13.1K

-24.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,394 SEK 40.7K

$6,531 SEK 60.5K

-32.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,014 SEK 27.9K

$3,920 SEK 36.3K

-23.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,169 SEK 20.1K

$4,025 SEK 37.3K

-46.10%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $833 in Varnamo and $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 86% 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: $87.0 in Varnamo vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $373 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 17% 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 86% 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: $833 in Varnamo versus $1,104 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $179 in Varnamo 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 5% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,814 in Varnamo versus $2,120 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 $1,814 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 17% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.