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: $1,604 in Whangarei versus $2,128 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,500 in Whangarei versus $3,175 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,396 in Whangarei versus $4,222 in Gothenburg.

Living in Whangarei costs roughly 25% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whangarei 17% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.00 NZ$35.70

$13.76 SEK 132

52.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 NZ$143

$91.9 SEK 879

-8.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 NZ$16.89

$12.84 SEK 123

-22.59%

Cappuccino

$3.92 NZ$6.66

$5.06 SEK 48.44

-22.53%

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

$2.19 NZ$3.72

$2.94 SEK 28.14

-25.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.83

$2.19 SEK 20.94

-23.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 NZ$10.00

$7.18 SEK 68.7

-18.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 NZ$12.30

$7.86 SEK 75.2

-8.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.76

$1.80 SEK 17.19

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NZ$3.39

$2.77 SEK 26.50

-28.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.97

$3.17 SEK 30.28

-44.79%

Eggs

$6.38 NZ$10.84

$4.10 SEK 39.18

55.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 NZ$14.31

$12.10 SEK 116

-30.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 NZ$15.81

$11.67 SEK 112

-20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 NZ$27.01

$17.76 SEK 170

-10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 NZ$6.10

$3.23 SEK 30.88

11.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.75

$2.64 SEK 25.25

-16.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.32

$3.22 SEK 30.79

-2.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.46

$4.37 SEK 41.82

-26.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 NZ$3.93

$1.82 SEK 17.41

26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.98

$1.68 SEK 16.02

4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 NZ$3.03

$2.03 SEK 19.38

-12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NZ$2.12

$1.78 SEK 17.01

-29.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.20 NZ$44.54

$8.50 SEK 81.3

208.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 NZ$17.18

$14.55 SEK 139

-30.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NZ$3.99

$2.20 SEK 21.02

6.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$4.95

$2.38 SEK 22.76

22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 NZ$2.99

$3.85 SEK 36.81

-54.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 NZ$236

$88.8 SEK 849

56.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 NZ$6.71

$6.45 SEK 61.7

-38.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 NZ$2.91

$1.73 SEK 16.50

-1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 NZ$23.98

$61.3 SEK 586

-76.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.80

$1.90 SEK 18.22

-13.16%

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

$44.4K NZ$75.6K

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

30.87%

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

$23.4K NZ$39.8K

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

-31.80%

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

$139 NZ$236

$110 SEK 1,052

26.19%

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

$35.99 NZ$61.2

$19.66 SEK 188

83.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 NZ$89.9

$36.30 SEK 347

45.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 NZ$61.3

$37.94 SEK 363

-4.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.99 NZ$5.08

$25.89 SEK 248

-88.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 NZ$17.87

$19.34 SEK 185

-45.66%

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

$748 NZ$1,272

$230 SEK 2,196

225.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.3 NZ$128

$91.0 SEK 870

-17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 NZ$58.1

$34.36 SEK 329

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 NZ$127

$94.0 SEK 900

-20.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 NZ$166

$135 SEK 1,294

-27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 NZ$763

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

-57.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 NZ$735

$961 SEK 9,192

-55.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 NZ$1,244

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

-60.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 NZ$1,016

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

-58.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,538 NZ$7,715

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

-30.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,383 NZ$5,751

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

-6.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,446 NZ$4,158

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

-32.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

3.06

107.84%

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

Last update for Whangarei: August 30, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Whangarei and $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 49% 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 Whangarei vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $372 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 33% 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 49% 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: $449 in Whangarei versus $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $748 in Whangarei versus $230 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,604 in Whangarei versus $2,128 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 $1,604 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 33% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.