Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,693 in Whangarei versus $2,063 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,627 in Whangarei versus $3,240 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,561 in Whangarei versus $4,417 in Gothenburg.

Living in Whangarei costs roughly 18% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whangarei 27% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NZ$36.33

$13.74 SEK 133

54.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 NZ$145

$91.2 SEK 883

-6.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 NZ$17.82

$10.42 SEK 101

0.10%

Cappuccino

$4.00 NZ$6.84

$4.86 SEK 47.02

-17.70%

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

$2.15 NZ$3.68

$3.08 SEK 29.79

-30.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 NZ$2.90

$2.56 SEK 24.81

-33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 NZ$10.95

$7.43 SEK 71.9

-13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 NZ$14.01

$7.72 SEK 74.7

6.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.34

$1.76 SEK 17.02

10.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 NZ$3.74

$2.87 SEK 27.83

-23.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.39

$3.34 SEK 32.35

-40.42%

Eggs

$6.62 NZ$11.31

$4.63 SEK 44.87

42.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 NZ$16.76

$11.67 SEK 113

-15.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 NZ$18.30

$12.41 SEK 120

-13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 NZ$28.19

$18.65 SEK 181

-11.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.17

$3.07 SEK 29.77

-1.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 NZ$4.10

$2.64 SEK 25.60

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NZ$5.15

$2.93 SEK 28.35

3.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NZ$7.65

$4.31 SEK 41.74

3.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.34

$1.76 SEK 16.99

44.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.35

$1.87 SEK 18.13

4.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 NZ$4.17

$2.22 SEK 21.45

9.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.90

$1.59 SEK 15.40

-30.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.06 NZ$41.10

$7.94 SEK 76.9

203.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.66 NZ$16.50

$14.36 SEK 139

-32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 NZ$4.05

$2.20 SEK 21.29

7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NZ$4.92

$2.53 SEK 24.48

13.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 NZ$3.04

$3.92 SEK 38.00

-54.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 NZ$239

$90.9 SEK 880

53.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 NZ$6.53

$10.16 SEK 98.4

-62.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 NZ$2.75

$1.67 SEK 16.12

-3.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.60 NZ$24.94

$61.6 SEK 596

-76.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.84

$1.96 SEK 18.98

-15.31%

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

$45.5K NZ$77.7K

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

41.28%

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

$22.1K NZ$37.8K

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

-37.80%

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

$135 NZ$231

$140 SEK 1,358

-3.68%

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

$39.36 NZ$67.2

$25.00 SEK 242

57.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NZ$91.5

$38.56 SEK 373

38.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.35 NZ$63.8

$41.38 SEK 401

-9.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.07 NZ$5.25

$24.81 SEK 240

-87.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 NZ$18.73

$18.04 SEK 175

-39.25%

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

$775 NZ$1,325

$178 SEK 1,722

336.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NZ$21.0K

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

193.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 NZ$114

$89.5 SEK 867

-25.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.30 NZ$58.6

$39.39 SEK 381

-12.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 NZ$142

$95.4 SEK 923

-12.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NZ$174

$153 SEK 1,477

-33.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$545 NZ$931

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

-50.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 NZ$804

$860 SEK 8,328

-45.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 NZ$1,719

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

-46.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 NZ$1,314

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

-45.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,338 NZ$7,412

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

-33.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,391 NZ$5,793

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

-3.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,474 NZ$4,226

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

-31.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

4.33

54.73%

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

Last update for Whangarei: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $545 in Whangarei and $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 45% 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: $85.0 in Whangarei vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $377 per month, with Whangarei 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

Whangarei vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whangarei wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Whangarei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $545 in Whangarei versus $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $775 in Whangarei 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 10% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,693 in Whangarei versus $2,063 in Gothenburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Whangarei but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Whangarei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Whangarei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,693 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Whangarei hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Whangarei 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 Whangarei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.