Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Sweden Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Sweden

Name: Sweden
Address: SE

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,182 per month in Australia vs $1,826 in Sweden, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $2,827 in Sweden, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $3,828 in Sweden, rent included.

Australia costs about 19% more than Sweden on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Australia and Sweden are pricier than the global median – Australia by 63%, Sweden by 36%.

Both countries show comparable internal variation: Australia spans $1,579–$2,759, Sweden spans $1,453–$2,505. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$14.55 SEK 136

11.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$85.6 SEK 799

-8.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$11.39 SEK 106

-16.77%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$4.71 SEK 43.93

-24.42%

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

$2.60 A$3.62

$2.89 SEK 26.99

-10.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.33 SEK 21.72

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$7.95 SEK 74.2

-18.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$7.96 SEK 74.3

-9.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$1.71 SEK 15.95

-8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$3.12 SEK 29.12

-18.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$3.73 SEK 34.78

-45.84%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$4.37 SEK 40.76

2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$12.24 SEK 114

-27.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$12.47 SEK 116

-32.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$19.26 SEK 180

-28.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$3.15 SEK 29.39

2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$2.72 SEK 25.36

4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$3.07 SEK 28.66

-2.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$4.53 SEK 42.23

-3.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$1.76 SEK 16.45

39.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$1.77 SEK 16.49

19.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$2.34 SEK 21.79

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$1.46 SEK 13.59

8.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$7.87 SEK 73.5

288.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$11.80 SEK 110

20.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$2.06 SEK 19.21

120.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$2.26 SEK 21.10

117.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$3.73 SEK 34.85

-22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$90.9 SEK 849

7.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$6.23 SEK 58.1

-43.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$1.83 SEK 17.09

-4.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$62.9 SEK 587

-39.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$2.02 SEK 18.83

-42.57%

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

$28.8K A$40.1K

$33.2K SEK 309.8K

-13.25%

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

$23.2K A$32.3K

$35.0K SEK 327.0K

-33.82%

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

$179 A$249

$126 SEK 1,177

41.76%

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

$26.75 A$37.27

$28.71 SEK 268

-6.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$38.37 SEK 358

39.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$42.25 SEK 394

14.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$27.41 SEK 256

-38.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$16.92 SEK 158

-19.56%

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

$1,605 A$2,236

$155 SEK 1,448

933.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$2,620 SEK 24.5K

385.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$92.7 SEK 865

-22.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$42.34 SEK 395

18.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$103 SEK 965

-3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$148 SEK 1,385

-26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$944 SEK 8,810

46.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$740 SEK 6,907

45.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$1,580 SEK 14.7K

44.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$1,212 SEK 11.3K

44.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$5,503 SEK 51.4K

35.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$3,605 SEK 33.6K

55.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$3,258 SEK 30.4K

24.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.52

40.49%

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

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sweden: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $870 in Sweden. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $1,589 in Stockholm.

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $3,091 in Sweden. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 42% higher in Australia.

Public transport is 15% more expensive in Sweden.

Salaries are 26% higher in Australia.

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

Australia vs Sweden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sweden is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 10% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sweden, contributing to the overall 10% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sweden, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sweden is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.