Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlstad and Midland, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,713 a month against $2,137 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Midland, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Midland, TX
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Midland, TX Living Index

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Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,713

/mo nomad

Midland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Karlstad and in Midland, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Karlstad and in Midland, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,713 per month in Karlstad vs $2,137 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Karlstad $1,713
Midland, TX $2,137

A couple spends around $2,643 per month in Karlstad vs $2,947 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Karlstad $2,643
Midland, TX $2,947

A family of three spends $3,572 per month in Karlstad vs $3,758 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Karlstad $3,572
Midland, TX $3,758

Karlstad is about 20% cheaper than Midland, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Karlstad and Midland, TX sit above the global median – Karlstad by 27%, Midland, TX by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 SEK 148

$16.07 $16.07

-6.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.2 SEK 775

$55.7 $55.7

40.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 SEK 95.7

$9.85 $9.85

-1.93%

Cappuccino

$4.80 SEK 47.60

$5.16 $5.16

-6.98%

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

$2.54 SEK 25.21

$4.66 $4.66

-45.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SEK 20.98

$4.36 $4.36

-51.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.69 SEK 76.2

$10.07 $10.07

-23.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 SEK 63.9

$12.20 $12.20

-47.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 SEK 15.00

$0.82 $0.82

84.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 SEK 28.64

$3.38 $3.38

-14.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 SEK 36.48

$4.39 $4.39

-16.17%

Eggs

$4.50 SEK 44.60

$2.94 $2.94

53.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 SEK 97.5

$11.20 $11.20

-12.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.17 SEK 140

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 SEK 178

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.95

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 26.12

$1.08 $1.08

144.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 30.57

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 SEK 50.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 SEK 18.88

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 16.58

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 SEK 25.90

$1.76 $1.76

48.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.95

$2.02 $2.02

-35.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SEK 68.3

$12.20 $12.20

-43.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 SEK 97.7

$14.76 $14.76

-33.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.46

$1.72 $1.72

37.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SEK 20.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 SEK 31.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 SEK 792

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 SEK 53.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 SEK 13.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.5 SEK 609

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.50

$0.88 $0.88

101.14%

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

$32.2K SEK 319.4K

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

$32.7K SEK 323.8K

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

$101 SEK 1,001

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

$15.82 SEK 157

$53.3 $53.3

-70.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.59 SEK 442

$71.4 $71.4

-37.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.52 SEK 441

$10.04 $10.04

343.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 SEK 168

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 SEK 138

$12.67 $12.67

9.79%

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

$123 SEK 1,223

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,039

$79.4 $79.4

32.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.98 SEK 386

$29.46 $29.46

32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 SEK 728

$152 $152

-51.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 SEK 1,403

$150 $150

-5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 SEK 8,264

$1,530 $1,530

-45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 SEK 5,617

$1,280 $1,280

-55.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 SEK 11.4K

$2,095 $2,095

-44.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 SEK 8,528

$1,806 $1,806

-52.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,710 SEK 36.8K

$2,029 $2,029

82.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,794 SEK 27.7K

$2,029 $2,029

37.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,220 SEK 31.9K

$5,648 $5,648

-42.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

6.92

-45.09%

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

Last update for Karlstad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Midland, TX: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Karlstad

$567 33.1%

Midland, TX

$1.3K 59.9% 126% $713

Groceries & Markets

Karlstad

$370 21.6%

Midland, TX

$181 * 8.5% 51.1% $189

Eating Out

Karlstad

$276 16.1%

Midland, TX

$331 15.5% 19.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Karlstad

$161 9.4%

Midland, TX

$125 * 5.8% 22.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Karlstad

$161 9.4%

Midland, TX

$185 8.7% 14.5% $23

Getting Around

Karlstad

$105 6.1%

Midland, TX

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Karlstad

$72 4.2%

Midland, TX

$35 1.7% 51.1% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $834 in Karlstad versus $1,530 in Midland, TX. 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 75% higher in Midland, TX, 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 $78.0 in Karlstad versus $56.0 in Midland, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $181 – making Midland, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🇺🇸 Midland, TX

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

06:49 6:49 AM

7 h behind Karlstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,797

132,524

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Karlstad Midland, TX 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Karlstad
Midland, TX

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

Karlstad vs Midland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Midland, TX is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,569 per month in Karlstad and $3,206 in Midland, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlstad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 104% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Karlstad and $56.0 in Midland, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlstad, where all-in costs run around $1,713, than in Midland, TX at $2,137. In Karlstad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Midland, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karlstad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Karlstad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Midland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.