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: $2,016 in Germany versus $1,832 in Sweden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,046 in Germany versus $2,830 in Sweden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,076 in Germany versus $3,827 in Sweden.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: Germany 51% above, Sweden 37% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Germany: monthly costs span $1,359 to $2,874, compared to $1,471–$2,542 in Sweden. City choice carries more weight in Germany.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €15.06

$15.05 SEK 146

14.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 €65.8

$85.9 SEK 833

-12.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.21

$11.15 SEK 108

4.48%

Cappuccino

$4.08 €3.57

$4.84 SEK 46.95

-15.70%

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

$3.27 €2.87

$2.88 SEK 27.97

13.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 €2.57

$2.39 SEK 23.20

23.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.31 €4.65

$7.76 SEK 75.3

-31.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.08

$7.83 SEK 76.0

-40.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.14

$1.67 SEK 16.22

-22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.94

$3.09 SEK 29.93

-28.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 €3.06

$3.72 SEK 36.10

-6.18%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.30

$4.35 SEK 42.13

-13.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.02 €13.16

$11.88 SEK 115

26.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.34 €12.56

$12.52 SEK 121

14.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 €17.77

$18.95 SEK 184

7.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.80

$3.25 SEK 31.48

-1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.81 SEK 27.27

-33.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 €2.02

$3.18 SEK 30.83

-27.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 €4.36

$4.42 SEK 42.87

12.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.75 SEK 16.93

-9.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.76 SEK 17.09

-6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.40 SEK 23.30

-23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.98

$1.45 SEK 14.02

-23.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 €8.76

$8.05 SEK 78.1

24.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$11.44 SEK 111

-51.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.94

$2.08 SEK 20.15

-48.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.47

$2.25 SEK 21.85

-25.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.78 €3.31

$3.84 SEK 37.27

-1.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 €58.4

$91.6 SEK 889

-27.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €5.12

$6.29 SEK 61.0

-7.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €2.00

$1.91 SEK 18.56

19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.17 €33.44

$63.6 SEK 617

-40.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.99 SEK 19.28

-1.01%

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

$31.8K €27.9K

$32.5K SEK 315.5K

-2.14%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$33.7K SEK 326.6K

12.41%

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

$344 €301

$130 SEK 1,256

165.61%

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

$27.86 €24.41

$28.75 SEK 279

-3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.6 €45.19

$39.16 SEK 380

31.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.61 €35.58

$42.39 SEK 411

-4.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 €21.69

$27.24 SEK 264

-9.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.92 €12.19

$16.82 SEK 163

-17.24%

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

$477 €418

$152 SEK 1,478

212.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.3K

$2,648 SEK 25.7K

471.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.8 €80.4

$92.5 SEK 897

-0.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.31 €38.82

$41.14 SEK 399

7.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.3

$104 SEK 1,011

-0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €116

$145 SEK 1,410

-8.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 €881

$929 SEK 9,009

8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 €671

$730 SEK 7,082

4.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 €1,683

$1,566 SEK 15.2K

22.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 €1,254

$1,186 SEK 11.5K

20.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,249 €5,475

$5,273 SEK 51.1K

18.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,132 €3,620

$3,425 SEK 33.2K

20.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,272 €2,867

$3,069 SEK 29.8K

6.62%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Sweden: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $847 in Germany, $864 in Sweden. Capital cities: $1,418 in Berlin vs $1,588 in Stockholm.

National salary averages: $3,151 in Germany, $2,966 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 $2,117 per month in Germany and $2,007 in Sweden, there's a 5% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Sweden: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.