Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,563 a month against $2,531 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index

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Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,531

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stockholm and in Bålsta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,531 in Stockholm versus $1,563 in Bålsta.

Stockholm $2,531
Bålsta $1,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,823 in Stockholm versus $2,445 in Bålsta.

Stockholm $3,823
Bålsta $2,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,114 in Stockholm versus $3,328 in Bålsta.

Stockholm $5,114
Bålsta $3,328

Living in Stockholm is roughly 62% more expensive than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 86% above, Bålsta 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 SEK 176

$13.67 SEK 134

31.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 SEK 1,001

$66.8 SEK 656

52.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 SEK 115

$8.80 SEK 86.5

33.64%

Cappuccino

$5.17 SEK 50.8

$3.95 SEK 38.82

30.89%

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

$3.66 SEK 35.99

$2.68 SEK 26.33

36.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 SEK 30.18

$2.24 SEK 22.00

37.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 SEK 77.2

$7.16 SEK 70.3

9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 SEK 89.4

$6.96 SEK 68.3

30.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SEK 16.21

$1.49 SEK 14.63

10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 SEK 38.41

$2.00 SEK 19.67

95.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 SEK 36.50

$3.51 SEK 34.44

5.98%

Eggs

$5.09 SEK 49.99

$3.71 SEK 36.47

37.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 SEK 126

$11.01 SEK 108

16.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 125

$12.21 SEK 120

4.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.47 SEK 221

$11.02 SEK 108

103.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 34.90

$2.50 SEK 24.54

42.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 SEK 28.21

$2.60 SEK 25.56

10.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 32.00

$2.07 SEK 20.33

57.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 42.80

$2.90 SEK 28.44

50.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 17.31

$1.50 SEK 14.76

17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.55

$1.18 SEK 11.59

51.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 SEK 24.07

$1.55 SEK 15.21

58.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.29

$0.99 SEK 9.73

139.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 SEK 85.2

$7.26 SEK 71.3

19.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 SEK 119

$10.20 SEK 100

19.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 SEK 20.89

$1.54 SEK 15.08

38.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.81

$1.96 SEK 19.27

29.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 SEK 41.96

$3.28 SEK 32.20

30.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,046

$79.1 SEK 776

34.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 SEK 59.4

$6.03 SEK 59.3

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 15.14

$1.54 SEK 15.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.7 SEK 547

$77.4 SEK 760

-28.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.83

$1.76 SEK 17.29

3.41%

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

$32.8K SEK 321.7K

$33.2K SEK 325.8K

-1.26%

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

$33.7K SEK 331.0K

$33.8K SEK 331.8K

-0.24%

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

$254 SEK 2,494

$50.1 SEK 492

407.35%

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

$21.66 SEK 213

$20.16 SEK 198

7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.33 SEK 406

$39.59 SEK 389

4.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.32 SEK 455

$37.16 SEK 365

24.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.99 SEK 383

$26.37 SEK 259

47.86%

Cinema Ticket

$18.53 SEK 182

$12.93 SEK 127

43.31%

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

$160 SEK 1,567

$121 SEK 1,190

31.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SEK 159.1K

$5,046 SEK 49.5K

221.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 SEK 1,092

$69.2 SEK 680

60.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 SEK 586

$9.93 SEK 97.5

501.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 SEK 1,306

$81.0 SEK 795

64.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 SEK 1,801

$113 SEK 1,108

62.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 SEK 15.9K

$801 SEK 7,866

101.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 SEK 10.1K

$610 SEK 5,986

69.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 SEK 25.7K

$1,368 SEK 13.4K

91.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 SEK 16.5K

$1,030 SEK 10.1K

62.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 116.0K

$4,003 SEK 39.3K

195.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,816 SEK 66.9K

$2,823 SEK 27.7K

141.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,521 SEK 34.6K

$3,868 SEK 38.0K

-8.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

2.8

18.93%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockholm

$1K 40.8%

Bålsta

$610 39% 40.9% $421

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$418 16.5%

Bålsta

$299 19.1% 28.5% $119

Eating Out

Stockholm

$325 12.9%

Bålsta

$253 16.2% 22.3% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$317 12.5%

Bålsta

$110 7% 65.4% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$219 8.7%

Bålsta

$123 7.9% 44% $96

Getting Around

Stockholm

$137 5.4%

Bålsta

$106 6.8% 22.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$83 3.3%

Bålsta

$63 4% 24.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Stockholm and $801 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Stockholm vs $67 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $299 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

Same time as Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

13,138

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Stockholm Bålsta 41 km

From you

Stockholm
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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

Stockholm vs Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Stockholm. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Stockholm. 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: $1,614 in Stockholm versus $801 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,531 per month in Stockholm versus $1,563 in Bålsta – Bålsta is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 26% less than in Stockholm. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bålsta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Stockholm and Bålsta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.