Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Bålsta Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Bålsta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,547 in Stockholm versus $1,638 in Bålsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,842 in Stockholm versus $2,559 in Bålsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,138 in Stockholm versus $3,481 in Bålsta.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 56% more expensive than Bålsta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 90% above, Bålsta 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 SEK 150

$13.05 SEK 121

23.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,038

$69.9 SEK 650

59.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 109

$9.48 SEK 88.1

23.21%

Cappuccino

$4.99 SEK 46.39

$4.28 SEK 39.80

16.59%

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

$3.19 SEK 29.70

$2.79 SEK 25.97

14.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.16

$2.41 SEK 22.38

3.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.28 SEK 77.0

$7.19 SEK 66.9

15.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 SEK 77.3

$7.40 SEK 68.8

12.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 16.47

$1.62 SEK 15.03

9.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 SEK 31.66

$2.15 SEK 20.03

58.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 SEK 36.17

$3.65 SEK 33.91

6.58%

Eggs

$4.58 SEK 42.64

$3.71 SEK 34.54

23.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 SEK 120

$11.53 SEK 107

11.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 SEK 123

$11.81 SEK 110

11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 SEK 180

$11.55 SEK 107

67.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 SEK 33.16

$2.71 SEK 25.23

31.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.36

$2.57 SEK 23.94

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 SEK 32.07

$2.30 SEK 21.43

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 SEK 43.05

$2.96 SEK 27.53

56.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 SEK 18.34

$1.52 SEK 14.10

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.46

$1.26 SEK 11.71

49.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 23.67

$1.60 SEK 14.84

59.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SEK 15.08

$1.03 SEK 9.54

57.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 SEK 74.9

$7.32 SEK 68.1

9.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 SEK 131

$10.76 SEK 100

30.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 19.95

$1.55 SEK 14.41

38.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.05

$1.98 SEK 18.45

14.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 SEK 43.46

$3.41 SEK 31.70

36.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 SEK 1,058

$72.4 SEK 673

57.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 58.8

$6.05 SEK 56.2

4.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 14.74

$1.24 SEK 11.52

27.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 SEK 576

$83.3 SEK 775

-25.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 16.67

$1.92 SEK 17.84

-6.77%

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

$33.0K SEK 306.7K

$32.8K SEK 304.6K

0.69%

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

$34.7K SEK 322.5K

$34.8K SEK 323.3K

-0.25%

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

$230 SEK 2,141

$52.7 SEK 490

336.77%

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

$28.63 SEK 266

$20.59 SEK 192

39.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.89 SEK 399

$37.27 SEK 347

15.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 SEK 433

$39.89 SEK 371

16.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.08 SEK 345

$24.82 SEK 231

49.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.90 SEK 166

$13.91 SEK 129

28.68%

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

$161 SEK 1,496

$125 SEK 1,160

28.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,546 SEK 60.9K

$747 SEK 6,948

776.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 SEK 891

$72.6 SEK 675

31.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 SEK 449

$10.72 SEK 99.7

350.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 SEK 1,083

$83.2 SEK 774

40.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 SEK 1,937

$118 SEK 1,095

76.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 SEK 14.7K

$855 SEK 7,952

84.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 SEK 10.4K

$656 SEK 6,097

69.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 SEK 26.1K

$1,404 SEK 13.1K

100.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 SEK 16.5K

$1,078 SEK 10.0K

64.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 113.6K

$4,367 SEK 40.6K

179.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 SEK 60.6K

$2,982 SEK 27.7K

118.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,839 SEK 35.7K

$4,261 SEK 39.6K

-9.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

38.67%

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

Last update for Stockholm: April 28, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,576 in Stockholm and $855 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $112 in Stockholm vs $70.0 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $307 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

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 56% 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, Bålsta earns 11% 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: $1,576 in Stockholm versus $855 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,547 per month in Stockholm versus $1,638 in Bålsta – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 57% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,638 in Bålsta versus $2,547 in Stockholm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,638 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Stockholm and Bålsta 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.