Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Brussels Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Brussels

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,582 in Stockholm versus $2,570 in Brussels.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,840 in Stockholm versus $3,839 in Brussels.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Stockholm versus $5,107 in Brussels.

Monthly costs are close between Stockholm and Brussels; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 93% above, Brussels 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 155

$29.46 €25.74

-45.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,062

$94.1 €82.2

17.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 113

$14.85 €12.97

-21.35%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 50.1

$4.91 €4.29

5.91%

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

$3.28 SEK 31.64

$3.07 €2.68

6.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.78

$2.97 €2.60

-16.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 SEK 82.0

$6.88 €6.01

23.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 80.1

$5.63 €4.92

47.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.33

$1.47 €1.29

22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.84

$3.01 €2.63

13.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 39.19

$2.81 €2.46

44.84%

Eggs

$4.70 SEK 45.33

$4.92 €4.29

-4.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 123

$16.71 €14.60

-23.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$13.48 €11.77

-1.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 SEK 187

$18.53 €16.19

4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 34.66

$3.06 €2.67

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.93

$2.50 €2.18

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 32.54

$2.64 €2.30

28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 44.21

$3.29 €2.88

39.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 18.92

$2.57 €2.24

-23.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.17

$2.44 €2.13

-22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 24.24

$1.70 €1.48

48.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.55

$1.11 €0.97

45.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 77.7

$12.30 €10.74

-34.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 121

$9.75 €8.52

28.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$2.55 €2.23

-14.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 22.76

$3.24 €2.83

-27.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 43.89

$2.86 €2.49

59.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,080

$60.4 €52.7

85.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 61.7

$7.44 €6.50

-13.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$2.36 €2.06

-29.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 SEK 610

$34.82 €30.42

81.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.92

$1.84 €1.61

1.09%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.3K

$34.5K €30.2K

-4.31%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.9K

$35.5K €31.0K

-2.60%

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

$227 SEK 2,189

$263 €230

-13.66%

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

$29.59 SEK 285

$21.70 €18.96

36.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 SEK 405

$56.4 €49.24

-25.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 SEK 443

$40.72 €35.58

12.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 SEK 367

$31.11 €27.18

22.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 SEK 171

$15.21 €13.29

16.90%

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

$164 SEK 1,582

$1,129 €986

-85.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,573 SEK 63.3K

$22.3K €19.4K

-70.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 941

$105 €91.3

-6.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 SEK 480

$49.34 €43.11

0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,159

$114 €99.8

5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,945

$151 €132

33.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

$1,319 €1,152

18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$1,056 €923

2.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 SEK 26.5K

$2,290 €2,001

20.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

$1,756 €1,534

2.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 113.3K

$5,121 €4,475

129.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$4,112 €3,593

57.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,643 SEK 35.1K

$3,227 €2,820

12.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

3.65

13.97%

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

Last update for Stockholm: July 13, 2026

Last update for Brussels: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Stockholm and $1,319 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $110 in Stockholm vs $94.0 in Brussels for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $377 per month, with Brussels 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 Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 13% higher in Stockholm, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,566 in Stockholm versus $1,319 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Stockholm versus $1,129 in Brussels. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brussels – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $110 in Stockholm. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,570 in Brussels versus $2,582 in Stockholm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brussels but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. The gap between the two cities makes Brussels the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brussels delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,570 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brussels hard to pass up.

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

It comes down to priorities – Brussels wins on affordability, Stockholm on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.