Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Whangarei: $1,458 a month against $2,044 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Whangarei
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,458
/mo nomad
Gothenburg
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,044
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Whangarei and in Gothenburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Whangarei and in Gothenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,458 in Whangarei versus $2,044 in Gothenburg.

  • Whangarei $1,458
  • Gothenburg $2,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,290 in Whangarei versus $3,078 in Gothenburg.

  • Whangarei $2,290
  • Gothenburg $3,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,121 in Whangarei versus $4,113 in Gothenburg.

  • Whangarei $3,121
  • Gothenburg $4,113

Living in Whangarei costs roughly 29% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whangarei 8% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.15 NZ$21.49
$13.77 SEK 136
-11.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.0 NZ$131
$87.4 SEK 866
-15.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.48 NZ$14.99
$12.41 SEK 123
-31.67%
Cappuccino
$3.32 NZ$5.88
$4.87 SEK 48.30
-31.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 NZ$3.57
$2.89 SEK 28.62
-30.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 NZ$2.85
$2.40 SEK 23.76
-32.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.01 NZ$10.62
$7.03 SEK 69.6
-14.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.78 NZ$10.23
$7.69 SEK 76.2
-24.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 NZ$2.62
$1.67 SEK 16.58
-11.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.24 NZ$2.20
$2.70 SEK 26.73
-54.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 NZ$2.97
$3.16 SEK 31.32
-46.84%
Eggs
$5.44 NZ$9.61
$3.86 SEK 38.28
40.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.51 NZ$9.74
$11.53 SEK 114
-52.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.52 NZ$13.30
$11.57 SEK 115
-35.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.29 NZ$27.04
$16.35 SEK 162
-6.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.56 NZ$4.52
$3.02 SEK 29.92
-15.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.11 NZ$3.73
$2.41 SEK 23.90
-12.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 NZ$5.13
$3.00 SEK 29.77
-3.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.05 NZ$5.40
$4.45 SEK 44.10
-31.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.28 NZ$4.04
$1.77 SEK 17.51
28.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 NZ$3.03
$1.70 SEK 16.80
0.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.66 NZ$2.93
$2.04 SEK 20.22
-18.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 NZ$2.07
$1.62 SEK 16.05
-27.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$25.92 NZ$45.84
$8.32 SEK 82.4
211.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 NZ$17.35
$15.06 SEK 149
-34.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 NZ$3.90
$2.04 SEK 20.21
8.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 NZ$4.85
$2.25 SEK 22.24
21.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 NZ$3.03
$3.84 SEK 38.05
-55.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$130 NZ$230
$87.5 SEK 867
48.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.63 NZ$6.42
$6.33 SEK 62.7
-42.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 NZ$2.82
$1.65 SEK 16.38
-3.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.85 NZ$24.50
$59.6 SEK 591
-76.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 NZ$3.07
$1.74 SEK 17.28
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K NZ$51.1K
$33.9K SEK 336.0K
-14.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K NZ$38.9K
$34.0K SEK 337.3K
-35.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 NZ$264
$106 SEK 1,046
41.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.61 NZ$48.83
$19.51 SEK 193
41.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.2 NZ$88.7
$33.69 SEK 334
48.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.33 NZ$62.5
$35.23 SEK 349
0.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$2.85 NZ$5.04
$24.38 SEK 242
-88.31%
Cinema Ticket
$10.25 NZ$18.13
$17.18 SEK 170
-40.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$699 NZ$1,236
$221 SEK 2,186
216.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K NZ$40.8K
$4,412 SEK 43.7K
422.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.7 NZ$127
$89.2 SEK 883
-19.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.82 NZ$58.0
$32.97 SEK 327
-0.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.1 NZ$124
$88.3 SEK 874
-20.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.9 NZ$161
$131 SEK 1,301
-30.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$426 NZ$754
$1,046 SEK 10.4K
-59.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$414 NZ$732
$908 SEK 8,998
-54.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$766 NZ$1,355
$1,809 SEK 17.9K
-57.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$739 NZ$1,307
$1,383 SEK 13.7K
-46.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,260 NZ$7,535
$6,137 SEK 60.8K
-30.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,263 NZ$5,770
$3,523 SEK 34.9K
-7.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Whangarei
Gothenburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,346 NZ$4,149
$3,594 SEK 35.6K
-34.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.75
3.06
87.91%

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

Last update for Whangarei: October 19, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Whangarei
$414
Gothenburg
$908 119% $494
Groceries & Markets
Whangarei
$275
Gothenburg
$358 30.3% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Whangarei
$227
Gothenburg
$159 30% $68
Eating Out
Whangarei
$219
Gothenburg
$278 27% $59
Getting Around
Whangarei
$149
Gothenburg
$117 20.9% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Whangarei
$119
Gothenburg
$154 28.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Whangarei
$56
Gothenburg
$70 24.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Whangarei and $1,046 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 53% 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: $74.0 in Whangarei vs $87.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $358 per month, with Whangarei cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Whangarei
🇸🇪 Gothenburg
🕒 Local time
00:39 12:39 AM
13:39 1:39 PM
11 h behind Whangarei
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
54,300
607,882
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Whangarei Gothenburg 17,240 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Whangarei
  • Gothenburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Whangarei or Gothenburg?
Whangarei wins on cost – living expenses run 40% 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.
Are salaries higher in Whangarei or in Gothenburg?
On paper, salaries run 53% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Whangarei compared to Gothenburg?
Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Whangarei versus $1,046 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Whangarei and in Gothenburg?
Childcare runs $699 in Whangarei versus $221 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Whangarei or in Gothenburg?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Whangarei or in Gothenburg?
At $1,458 in Whangarei versus $2,044 in Gothenburg, a $1,500 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Whangarei or Gothenburg?
Both work as nomad bases, but Whangarei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,458 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Whangarei hard to pass up.
How safe is Whangarei compared to Gothenburg?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Whangarei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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