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: $2,017 in Germany versus $1,826 in Sweden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,049 in Germany versus $2,827 in Sweden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,081 in Germany versus $3,828 in Sweden.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 51% above, Sweden 36% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,333 to $2,865, compared to $1,453–$2,505 in Sweden. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.12 €14.86

$14.55 SEK 138

17.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 €65.6

$85.6 SEK 810

-11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 €10.21

$11.39 SEK 108

3.34%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.60

$4.71 SEK 44.55

-11.89%

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

$3.38 €2.93

$2.89 SEK 27.36

16.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.57

$2.33 SEK 22.02

27.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 €4.63

$7.95 SEK 75.2

-32.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.99

$7.96 SEK 75.4

-42.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.71 SEK 16.17

-22.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.90

$3.12 SEK 29.53

-29.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.86

$3.73 SEK 35.27

-11.53%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.37

$4.37 SEK 41.33

-11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 €12.70

$12.24 SEK 116

19.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.85 €12.02

$12.47 SEK 118

11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.07 €17.41

$19.26 SEK 182

4.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.78

$3.15 SEK 29.80

1.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.64

$2.72 SEK 25.72

-30.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$3.07 SEK 29.07

-25.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 €4.14

$4.53 SEK 42.82

5.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.76 SEK 16.68

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.77 SEK 16.72

-7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.66

$2.34 SEK 22.10

-17.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.96

$1.46 SEK 13.78

-24.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 €8.40

$7.87 SEK 74.5

23.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.99

$11.80 SEK 112

-51.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.96

$2.06 SEK 19.48

-46.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.42

$2.26 SEK 21.39

-27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 €3.24

$3.73 SEK 35.34

0.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 €58.1

$90.9 SEK 860

-26.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 €5.14

$6.23 SEK 59.0

-4.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 €2.03

$1.83 SEK 17.33

27.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.50 €32.54

$62.9 SEK 595

-40.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.02 SEK 19.09

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

$31.2K €27.0K

$33.2K SEK 314.2K

-6.16%

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

$37.8K €32.8K

$35.0K SEK 331.6K

7.77%

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

$356 €308

$126 SEK 1,193

181.89%

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

$27.58 €23.93

$28.71 SEK 272

-3.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €44.87

$38.37 SEK 363

34.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 €35.04

$42.25 SEK 400

-4.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.17 €21.83

$27.41 SEK 259

-8.17%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 €11.93

$16.92 SEK 160

-18.74%

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

$477 €414

$155 SEK 1,469

207.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.1K

$2,620 SEK 24.8K

477.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 €82.4

$92.7 SEK 877

2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.64 €38.73

$42.34 SEK 401

5.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.8

$103 SEK 979

-0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €118

$148 SEK 1,404

-8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,007 €874

$944 SEK 8,934

6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 €676

$740 SEK 7,004

5.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 €1,672

$1,580 SEK 14.9K

21.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 €1,273

$1,212 SEK 11.5K

20.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,266 €5,436

$5,503 SEK 52.1K

13.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,093 €3,551

$3,605 SEK 34.1K

13.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,405 €2,954

$3,258 SEK 30.8K

4.50%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sweden: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $846 in Germany, $870 in Sweden. Capital cities: $1,410 in Berlin vs $1,589 in Stockholm.

National salary averages: $3,209 in Germany, $3,091 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 $2,099 per month in Germany and $1,979 in Sweden, there's a 6% 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.