Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Stockholm

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalmar: $1,907 a month against $2,574 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kalmar
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,907
/mo nomad
Stockholm
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,574
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kalmar 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 Kalmar and in Stockholm actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,907 per month in Kalmar vs $2,574 in Stockholm, rent included.

  • Kalmar $1,907
  • Stockholm $2,574

A couple spends around $2,844 per month in Kalmar vs $3,871 in Stockholm, rent included.

  • Kalmar $2,844
  • Stockholm $3,871

A family of three spends $3,781 per month in Kalmar vs $5,167 in Stockholm, rent included.

  • Kalmar $3,781
  • Stockholm $5,167

Kalmar is about 26% cheaper than Stockholm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Kalmar and Stockholm sit above the global median – Kalmar by 41%, Stockholm by 91%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.70 SEK 146
$18.12 SEK 180
-18.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.0 SEK 704
$99.6 SEK 986
-28.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.27 SEK 102
$11.76 SEK 117
-12.67%
Cappuccino
$4.65 SEK 46.09
$4.95 SEK 49.03
-6.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 SEK 27.99
$3.68 SEK 36.46
-23.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 SEK 25.71
$3.16 SEK 31.28
-18.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.66 SEK 95.7
$8.05 SEK 79.8
20.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.03 SEK 69.7
$8.82 SEK 87.4
-20.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 SEK 14.61
$1.80 SEK 17.80
-18.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.01 SEK 29.83
$3.88 SEK 38.43
-22.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.92 SEK 28.97
$3.83 SEK 37.99
-23.76%
Eggs
$4.59 SEK 45.43
$5.14 SEK 50.9
-10.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.24 SEK 161
$12.45 SEK 123
30.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.97 SEK 109
$12.63 SEK 125
-13.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.76 SEK 216
$21.90 SEK 217
-0.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.46 SEK 24.38
$3.47 SEK 34.41
-29.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 SEK 26.06
$2.74 SEK 27.15
-4.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.40 SEK 33.69
$3.08 SEK 30.54
10.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 SEK 42.33
$4.48 SEK 44.41
-4.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 SEK 16.12
$1.77 SEK 17.54
-7.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.30 SEK 22.82
$1.79 SEK 17.70
28.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.84 SEK 18.19
$2.40 SEK 23.76
-23.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 SEK 16.43
$2.37 SEK 23.50
-29.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.97 SEK 79.0
$8.72 SEK 86.4
-8.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.19 SEK 91.1
$11.99 SEK 119
-23.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 SEK 19.44
$2.11 SEK 20.90
-7.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 SEK 24.87
$2.56 SEK 25.34
-1.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.33 SEK 33.01
$4.34 SEK 42.96
-23.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.6 SEK 759
$107 SEK 1,063
-28.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.70 SEK 96.1
$5.74 SEK 56.9
68.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 SEK 16.40
$1.47 SEK 14.58
12.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.98 SEK 466
$57.1 SEK 566
-17.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.70 SEK 16.81
$1.80 SEK 17.86
-5.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K SEK 296.3K
$32.4K SEK 321.2K
-7.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.7K SEK 284.4K
$33.6K SEK 332.8K
-14.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$142 SEK 1,403
$249 SEK 2,469
-43.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.84 SEK 266
$21.60 SEK 214
24.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.79 SEK 315
$40.18 SEK 398
-20.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.76 SEK 305
$46.98 SEK 466
-34.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.42 SEK 262
$38.15 SEK 378
-30.75%
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 SEK 145
$19.09 SEK 189
-23.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$138 SEK 1,367
$158 SEK 1,569
-12.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,914 SEK 48.7K
$16.4K SEK 162.0K
-69.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 SEK 501
$111 SEK 1,104
-54.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.32 SEK 419
$59.0 SEK 584
-28.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.8 SEK 791
$138 SEK 1,364
-42.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 SEK 998
$186 SEK 1,847
-45.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$914 SEK 9,056
$1,658 SEK 16.4K
-44.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$751 SEK 7,440
$1,079 SEK 10.7K
-30.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 SEK 12.8K
$2,982 SEK 29.5K
-56.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,107 SEK 11.0K
$1,746 SEK 17.3K
-36.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,041 SEK 40.0K
$11.3K SEK 111.8K
-64.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,682 SEK 26.6K
$6,332 SEK 62.7K
-57.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kalmar
Stockholm
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,878 SEK 28.5K
$3,583 SEK 35.5K
-19.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.93
3.37
16.62%

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

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kalmar
$751
Stockholm
$1.1K 43.7% $328
Groceries & Markets
Kalmar
$377
Stockholm
$414 9.9% $37
Eating Out
Kalmar
$288
Stockholm
$325 12.7% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalmar
$200
Stockholm
$311 55.3% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Kalmar
$123
Stockholm
$222 80.9% $99
Getting Around
Kalmar
$108
Stockholm
$138 27.6% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Kalmar
$60
Stockholm
$85 41.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $914 in Kalmar versus $1,658 in Stockholm. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Stockholm, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Kalmar versus $100 in Stockholm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $414 – making Kalmar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Kalmar
🇸🇪 Stockholm
🕒 Local time
03:11 3:11 AM
03:11 3:11 AM
Same time as Kalmar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
35,170
984,748 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kalmar Stockholm 310 km
From you
  • Kalmar
  • Stockholm

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Kalmar vs Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kalmar and in Stockholm compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,907 in Kalmar, $2,574 in Stockholm – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Kalmar compared to Stockholm?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,861 per month in Kalmar and $3,861 in Stockholm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kalmar and Stockholm?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalmar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kalmar and Stockholm?
Kindergarten costs $138 per month in Kalmar and $158 in Stockholm. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Stockholm, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalmar, where all-in costs run around $1,907, than in Stockholm at $2,574. In Kalmar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Kalmar and Stockholm?
It depends on your priorities. Stockholm has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,907 in Kalmar to $2,574 in Stockholm. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Kalmar or Stockholm safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Kalmar and Stockholm?
If budget matters most, go with Kalmar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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