Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bålsta and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,547 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $29,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bålsta
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,547
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bålsta and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,547 in Bålsta versus $3,986 in London.

  • Bålsta $1,547
  • London $3,986

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,416 in Bålsta versus $5,791 in London.

  • Bålsta $2,416
  • London $5,791

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,286 in Bålsta versus $7,595 in London.

  • Bålsta $3,286
  • London $7,595

Living in Bålsta costs roughly 61% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bålsta 15% above, London 195% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bålsta
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.80 SEK 137
$25.93 £19.45
-46.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.1 SEK 645
$107 £79.9
-38.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.62 SEK 85.5
$10.71 £8.03
-19.51%
Cappuccino
$3.89 SEK 38.56
$5.47 £4.11
-28.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 SEK 26.21
$2.97 £2.23
-10.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 SEK 22.00
$2.20 £1.65
0.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.90 SEK 68.4
$9.13 £6.85
-24.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.82 SEK 67.6
$7.94 £5.96
-14.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bålsta
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 SEK 15.16
$1.86 £1.40
-17.74%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 SEK 20.04
$2.07 £1.55
-2.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.56 SEK 35.31
$2.42 £1.81
47.11%
Eggs
$3.62 SEK 35.86
$5.09 £3.82
-28.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.93 SEK 108
$12.87 £9.66
-15.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.00 SEK 119
$10.43 £7.82
15.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.92 SEK 108
$16.87 £12.66
-35.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.44 SEK 24.15
$3.11 £2.33
-21.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.55 SEK 25.30
$1.40 £1.05
82.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.93 SEK 19.13
$3.08 £2.31
-37.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.73 SEK 27.06
$3.27 £2.45
-16.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 SEK 14.42
$1.58 £1.19
-7.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.22 SEK 12.07
$1.74 £1.31
-29.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 SEK 14.94
$1.40 £1.05
7.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 SEK 9.70
$1.80 £1.35
-45.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.18 SEK 71.2
$23.28 £17.46
-69.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.74 SEK 96.5
$13.03 £9.77
-25.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 SEK 15.16
$3.17 £2.38
-51.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 SEK 19.88
$4.42 £3.32
-54.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Bålsta
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.19 SEK 31.62
$4.07 £3.05
-21.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.0 SEK 773
$247 £185
-68.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.81 SEK 57.6
$5.58 £4.18
4.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 SEK 15.00
$3.36 £2.52
-55.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$78.0 SEK 773
$56.8 £42.58
37.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 SEK 17.37
$2.13 £1.60
-17.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.9K SEK 325.8K
$38.2K £28.6K
-13.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.0K SEK 317.3K
$40.9K £30.7K
-21.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bålsta
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$49.58 SEK 491
$372 £279
-86.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.01 SEK 198
$17.82 £13.37
12.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.64 SEK 393
$40.37 £30.29
-1.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bålsta
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.01 SEK 377
$60.0 £44.99
-36.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.77 SEK 255
$21.29 £15.97
21.04%
Cinema Ticket
$12.98 SEK 129
$17.74 £13.31
-26.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bålsta
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$121 SEK 1,194
$2,864 £2,149
-95.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,908 SEK 48.6K
$35.3K £26.5K
-86.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bålsta
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.8 SEK 701
$114 £85.5
-37.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$10.12 SEK 100
$54.3 £40.71
-81.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.0 SEK 803
$124 £93.2
-34.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 SEK 1,087
$163 £122
-32.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bålsta
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$794 SEK 7,862
$2,869 £2,152
-72.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$602 SEK 5,966
$2,233 £1,675
-73.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,359 SEK 13.5K
$5,266 £3,951
-74.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,014 SEK 10.1K
$3,778 £2,835
-73.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,972 SEK 39.4K
$18.3K £13.8K
-78.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,805 SEK 27.8K
$8,024 £6,020
-65.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bålsta
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,866 SEK 38.3K
$5,037 £3,779
-23.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.8
4.74
-40.93%

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

Last update for Bålsta: October 13, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bålsta
$602
London
$2.2K 271% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Bålsta
$294
London
$349 18.7% $55
Eating Out
Bålsta
$251
London
$388 54.7% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Bålsta
$122
London
$205 67.7% $83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bålsta
$109
London
$430 294% $321
Getting Around
Bålsta
$104
London
$285 174% $181
Sport & Entertainment
Bålsta
$64
London
$95 49.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Bålsta and $2,869 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 30% 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: $65.0 in Bålsta vs $107 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $349 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Bålsta
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
09:46 9:46 AM
08:46 8:46 AM
1 h behind Bålsta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,138
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bålsta London 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bålsta
  • London

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
Bålsta vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bålsta or London?
Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 158% lower than in London. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Bålsta or in London?
On paper, salaries run 30% lower in London. 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 Bålsta compared to London?
Rent for a central apartment: $794 in Bålsta versus $2,869 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Bålsta compared to London?
All in, you'll spend $1,547 per month in Bålsta versus $3,986 in London – a 158% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Bålsta compared to London?
A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 216% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bålsta or in London?
At $1,547 in Bålsta versus $3,986 in London, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bålsta or London?
Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,547 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.
How safe is Bålsta compared to London?
Safety-wise, Bålsta and London 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Bålsta vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?