Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Stockholm Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Stockholm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,505 in Stockholm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Lulea versus $3,800 in Stockholm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,161 in Lulea versus $5,096 in Stockholm.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 25% less than in Stockholm, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 41% above, Stockholm 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$16.12 SEK 150

-20.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 SEK 875

$112 SEK 1,045

-16.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 SEK 112

$11.58 SEK 108

3.71%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 43.39

$5.08 SEK 47.40

-8.46%

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

$2.56 SEK 23.88

$3.30 SEK 30.79

-22.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.25

$2.50 SEK 23.35

-17.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 78.9

$8.67 SEK 80.9

-2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 SEK 93.2

$8.30 SEK 77.5

20.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.02

$1.72 SEK 16.03

12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 SEK 33.15

$3.46 SEK 32.29

2.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 SEK 46.86

$3.99 SEK 37.28

25.81%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 46.21

$4.72 SEK 44.00

4.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$13.03 SEK 122

-0.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 130

$12.91 SEK 120

8.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 SEK 255

$19.56 SEK 183

39.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.13

$3.62 SEK 33.73

-25.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 26.15

$2.83 SEK 26.37

-1.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.49

$3.39 SEK 31.62

-22.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 42.17

$4.60 SEK 42.88

-1.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 SEK 20.33

$1.90 SEK 17.70

14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.26

$1.88 SEK 17.54

-12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 31.88

$2.60 SEK 24.27

31.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.53

$1.61 SEK 14.98

-9.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.45 SEK 69.5

$7.82 SEK 73.0

-4.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 SEK 118

$12.85 SEK 120

-1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.10

$2.16 SEK 20.15

-15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.77

$2.24 SEK 20.95

-19.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.39

$4.57 SEK 42.60

-26.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 561

$110 SEK 1,028

-45.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 SEK 88.9

$6.27 SEK 58.5

51.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.00

$1.57 SEK 14.67

8.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.1 SEK 700

$62.5 SEK 583

20.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.60

$1.82 SEK 16.98

3.85%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

-2.98%

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

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

-1.50%

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

$174 SEK 1,627

$229 SEK 2,133

-23.71%

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

$33.07 SEK 309

$28.82 SEK 269

14.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 SEK 265

$41.69 SEK 389

-31.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 SEK 459

$46.58 SEK 435

5.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.67 SEK 342

$38.46 SEK 359

-4.65%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 128

$17.65 SEK 165

-22.10%

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

$159 SEK 1,481

$165 SEK 1,541

-3.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

-13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,168

$97.4 SEK 909

28.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 SEK 315

$49.44 SEK 461

-31.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,175

$117 SEK 1,090

7.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,605

$204 SEK 1,907

-15.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,376

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

-50.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SEK 5,395

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

-47.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

-48.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 SEK 9,824

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

-41.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

-72.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

-64.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

-27.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.16

0.96%

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

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Lulea and $1,589 in Stockholm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Lulea vs $112 in Stockholm. Groceries flip the comparison at $428 vs $401, with Stockholm cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lulea vs Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Stockholm. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Stockholm earns 38% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $791 in Lulea versus $1,589 in Stockholm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Stockholm pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $112 in Stockholm. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,505 in Stockholm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lulea and Stockholm are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.