Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Stockholm Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Stockholm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,511 in Brussels versus $2,505 in Stockholm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Brussels versus $3,800 in Stockholm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,120 in Brussels versus $5,096 in Stockholm.

Monthly costs are close between Brussels and Stockholm; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 87% above, Stockholm 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.39 €24.42

$16.12 SEK 150

76.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 €79.7

$112 SEK 1,045

-17.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 €13.16

$11.58 SEK 108

32.12%

Cappuccino

$4.84 €4.16

$5.08 SEK 47.40

-4.72%

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

$3.11 €2.68

$3.30 SEK 30.79

-5.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.56

$2.50 SEK 23.35

19.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 €6.13

$8.67 SEK 80.9

-17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.01

$8.30 SEK 77.5

-29.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.72 SEK 16.03

-9.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 €2.59

$3.46 SEK 32.29

-13.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$3.99 SEK 37.28

-29.82%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.21

$4.72 SEK 44.00

3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 €14.26

$13.03 SEK 122

27.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 €11.60

$12.91 SEK 120

4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.27

$19.56 SEK 183

-3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$3.62 SEK 33.73

-18.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.83 SEK 26.37

-10.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$3.39 SEK 31.62

-18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 €2.70

$4.60 SEK 42.88

-31.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.21

$1.90 SEK 17.70

35.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.88 SEK 17.54

30.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.60 SEK 24.27

-33.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.61 SEK 14.98

-27.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.57 €10.82

$7.82 SEK 73.0

60.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.47 €8.15

$12.85 SEK 120

-26.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.16 SEK 20.15

16.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.24 SEK 20.95

44.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$4.57 SEK 42.60

-38.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 €52.1

$110 SEK 1,028

-45.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 €6.53

$6.27 SEK 58.5

21.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.00

$1.57 SEK 14.67

48.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.30 €29.51

$62.5 SEK 583

-45.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.82 SEK 16.98

1.65%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

3.38%

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

$35.4K €30.5K

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

0.07%

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

$262 €226

$229 SEK 2,133

14.79%

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

$21.44 €18.44

$28.82 SEK 269

-25.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 €48.33

$41.69 SEK 389

34.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.19 €35.44

$46.58 SEK 435

-11.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.33 €26.95

$38.46 SEK 359

-18.54%

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 €13.11

$17.65 SEK 165

-13.65%

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

$1,117 €961

$165 SEK 1,541

576.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K €19.6K

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

242.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €92.5

$97.4 SEK 909

10.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.48 €41.70

$49.44 SEK 461

-1.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €100

$117 SEK 1,090

-0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €129

$204 SEK 1,907

-26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,134

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €917

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

-3.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 €1,994

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

-16.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 €1,552

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

-0.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,112 €4,397

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

-58.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,902 €3,357

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

-41.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,338 €2,871

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

-11.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

4.16

-12.26%

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

Last update for Brussels: June 1, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $1,589 in Stockholm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $93.0 in Brussels vs $112 in Stockholm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $401 per month, with Brussels 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

Brussels vs Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Stockholm earns 13% less. 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: $1,318 in Brussels versus $1,589 in Stockholm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,117 in Brussels versus $165 in Stockholm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Stockholm – a meal for two runs $112 versus $93.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Stockholm is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Stockholm delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,505 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Stockholm hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brussels and Stockholm are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Stockholm wins on affordability, Brussels on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.