Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Sweden Cost of Living Comparison Between Germany and Sweden

Name: Sweden
Address: SE

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,011 in Germany versus $1,833 in Sweden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,047 in Germany versus $2,828 in Sweden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,082 in Germany versus $3,823 in Sweden.

Living in Germany is roughly 10% more expensive than Sweden on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 50% above, Sweden 37% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,333 to $2,774, compared to $1,480–$2,580 in Sweden. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 €14.96

$14.59 SEK 134

20.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 €65.1

$82.7 SEK 761

-7.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 €9.89

$11.35 SEK 104

2.11%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.53

$4.75 SEK 43.68

-12.84%

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

$3.33 €2.84

$2.77 SEK 25.45

20.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.58

$2.37 SEK 21.83

27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 €4.34

$7.93 SEK 72.9

-35.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 €4.03

$7.85 SEK 72.2

-39.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.72 SEK 15.81

-24.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.87

$2.99 SEK 27.48

-26.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 €2.87

$3.76 SEK 34.62

-10.64%

Eggs

$3.74 €3.19

$4.51 SEK 41.49

-17.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 €12.56

$12.17 SEK 112

20.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.95 €11.90

$12.47 SEK 115

11.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.08 €17.12

$19.01 SEK 175

5.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.80

$3.25 SEK 29.87

0.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.81 SEK 25.86

-36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €1.91

$3.23 SEK 29.69

-30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 €4.08

$4.36 SEK 40.14

9.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.84 SEK 16.95

-13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.77 SEK 16.25

-8.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.57

$2.44 SEK 22.43

-24.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.94

$1.47 SEK 13.51

-24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 €8.41

$7.98 SEK 73.4

23.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 €5.52

$12.18 SEK 112

-46.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.90

$2.03 SEK 18.65

-47.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.45

$2.24 SEK 20.57

-24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 €3.09

$3.72 SEK 34.24

-2.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 €56.6

$90.9 SEK 837

-27.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 €4.87

$6.48 SEK 59.7

-11.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.93

$1.89 SEK 17.41

19.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.84 €33.13

$64.3 SEK 592

-39.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.67

$2.01 SEK 18.49

-2.49%

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

$30.8K €26.3K

$33.1K SEK 304.9K

-6.92%

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

$37.7K €32.2K

$34.2K SEK 314.3K

10.43%

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

$346 €295

$126 SEK 1,159

174.75%

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

$27.75 €23.67

$28.46 SEK 262

-2.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €45.02

$39.07 SEK 359

35.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.27 €35.20

$41.54 SEK 382

-0.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.25

$27.58 SEK 254

-9.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 €11.72

$17.15 SEK 158

-19.88%

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

$471 €402

$157 SEK 1,445

200.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$2,591 SEK 23.8K

471.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €78.4

$94.4 SEK 868

-2.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 €38.08

$41.12 SEK 378

8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €88.8

$102 SEK 937

2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €115

$146 SEK 1,346

-7.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 €882

$936 SEK 8,614

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 €670

$743 SEK 6,837

5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 €1,618

$1,620 SEK 14.9K

17.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,235

$1,208 SEK 11.1K

19.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,417 €5,473

$6,186 SEK 56.9K

3.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,206 €3,588

$3,845 SEK 35.4K

9.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,483 €2,971

$3,362 SEK 30.9K

3.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

4.52

-11.95%

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

Last update for Germany: April 22, 2026

Last update for Sweden: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $847 in Germany, $867 in Sweden. Capital cities: $1,415 in Berlin vs $1,562 in Stockholm.

National salary averages: $3,242 in Germany, $3,129 in Sweden. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Public transport is 24% more expensive in Sweden.

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

Germany vs Sweden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,054 per month in Germany and $2,030 in Sweden, there's a 1% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Sweden is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Germany beats Sweden across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Sweden, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Germany, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. Sweden wins on affordability; Germany may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.