Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bålsta and Stockholm

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,563 a month against $2,531 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index

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Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bålsta and in Stockholm

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 Stockholm actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,563 in Bålsta versus $2,531 in Stockholm.

Bålsta $1,563
Stockholm $2,531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Bålsta versus $3,823 in Stockholm.

Bålsta $2,445
Stockholm $3,823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,328 in Bålsta versus $5,114 in Stockholm.

Bålsta $3,328
Stockholm $5,114

Living in Bålsta costs roughly 38% less than in Stockholm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bålsta 15% above, Stockholm 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 SEK 134

$17.91 SEK 176

-23.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 SEK 656

$102 SEK 1,000

-34.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 SEK 86.4

$11.76 SEK 115

-25.17%

Cappuccino

$3.95 SEK 38.79

$5.17 SEK 50.8

-23.60%

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

$2.68 SEK 26.31

$3.66 SEK 35.97

-26.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.99

$3.07 SEK 30.16

-27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 SEK 70.3

$7.86 SEK 77.2

-8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 SEK 68.3

$9.11 SEK 89.4

-23.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SEK 14.62

$1.65 SEK 16.20

-9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 SEK 19.66

$3.91 SEK 38.38

-48.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.42

$3.72 SEK 36.47

-5.65%

Eggs

$3.71 SEK 36.45

$5.09 SEK 49.96

-27.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 SEK 108

$12.83 SEK 126

-14.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 SEK 120

$12.77 SEK 125

-4.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 SEK 108

$22.47 SEK 221

-50.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.52

$3.55 SEK 34.88

-29.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.54

$2.87 SEK 28.20

-9.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 SEK 20.32

$3.26 SEK 31.98

-36.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.42

$4.36 SEK 42.77

-33.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 14.75

$1.76 SEK 17.30

-14.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 SEK 11.59

$1.79 SEK 17.54

-34.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 SEK 15.20

$2.45 SEK 24.05

-36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 SEK 9.73

$2.37 SEK 23.28

-58.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SEK 71.3

$8.68 SEK 85.2

-16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 SEK 100

$12.16 SEK 119

-16.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 15.07

$2.13 SEK 20.88

-27.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 19.26

$2.53 SEK 24.80

-22.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 32.18

$4.27 SEK 41.94

-23.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 SEK 776

$107 SEK 1,045

-25.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 SEK 59.2

$6.05 SEK 59.4

-0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 15.16

$1.54 SEK 15.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$77.4 SEK 760

$55.7 SEK 546

39.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.28

$1.82 SEK 17.82

-3.30%

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

$33.2K SEK 325.6K

$32.8K SEK 321.5K

1.27%

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

$33.8K SEK 331.6K

$33.7K SEK 330.8K

0.24%

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

$50.1 SEK 491

$254 SEK 2,492

-80.29%

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

$20.16 SEK 198

$21.66 SEK 213

-6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.59 SEK 389

$41.33 SEK 406

-4.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.16 SEK 365

$46.32 SEK 455

-19.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.37 SEK 259

$38.99 SEK 383

-32.37%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 SEK 127

$18.53 SEK 182

-30.22%

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

$121 SEK 1,189

$160 SEK 1,566

-24.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,046 SEK 49.5K

$16.2K SEK 159.0K

-68.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 SEK 679

$111 SEK 1,091

-37.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.93 SEK 97.4

$59.7 SEK 586

-83.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 SEK 794

$133 SEK 1,305

-39.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 SEK 1,107

$183 SEK 1,800

-38.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 SEK 7,861

$1,614 SEK 15.8K

-50.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SEK 5,982

$1,031 SEK 10.1K

-40.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 SEK 13.4K

$2,614 SEK 25.6K

-47.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 SEK 10.1K

$1,677 SEK 16.5K

-38.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,003 SEK 39.3K

$11.8K SEK 115.9K

-66.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,823 SEK 27.7K

$6,816 SEK 66.9K

-58.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,868 SEK 38.0K

$3,521 SEK 34.6K

9.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

3.33

-15.92%

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

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bålsta

$610 39%

Stockholm

$1K 40.8% 69.1% $421

Groceries & Markets

Bålsta

$299 19.1%

Stockholm

$418 16.5% 39.8% $119

Eating Out

Bålsta

$253 16.2%

Stockholm

$325 12.9% 28.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Bålsta

$123 7.9%

Stockholm

$219 8.7% 78.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bålsta

$110 7%

Stockholm

$317 12.5% 189% $207

Getting Around

Bålsta

$106 6.8%

Stockholm

$137 5.4% 29.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Bålsta

$63 4%

Stockholm

$83 3.3% 32.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Bålsta and $1,614 in Stockholm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67 in Bålsta vs $102 in Stockholm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $418 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

Same time as Bålsta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,138

984,748 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bålsta Stockholm 41 km

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Bålsta
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Bålsta vs Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Stockholm. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Bålsta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Bålsta versus $1,614 in Stockholm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,563 per month in Bålsta versus $2,531 in Stockholm – Bålsta is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 26% less than in Stockholm. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bålsta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bålsta and Stockholm are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.