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: $2,505 in Stockholm versus $2,511 in Brussels.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Stockholm versus $3,815 in Brussels.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Stockholm versus $5,120 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 87% above, Brussels 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 151

$28.39 €24.44

-43.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,052

$92.7 €79.8

20.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 109

$15.30 €13.17

-24.31%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.72

$4.84 €4.17

4.96%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.99

$3.11 €2.68

6.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.51

$2.98 €2.56

-16.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 81.5

$7.12 €6.13

21.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 78.0

$5.83 €5.02

42.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.14

$1.55 €1.34

10.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.50

$3.01 €2.59

14.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.52

$2.80 €2.42

42.50%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.30

$4.89 €4.21

-3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$16.57 €14.27

-21.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 121

$13.48 €11.61

-4.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 184

$18.92 €16.29

3.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.96

$2.96 €2.55

22.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.54

$2.53 €2.18

11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.83

$2.77 €2.39

22.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 43.17

$3.14 €2.70

46.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.82

$2.57 €2.22

-26.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.66

$2.46 €2.12

-23.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.43

$1.72 €1.48

51.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.08

$1.16 €1.00

38.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$12.57 €10.83

-37.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 121

$9.47 €8.16

35.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.29

$2.51 €2.16

-13.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.09

$3.24 €2.79

-30.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.88

$2.81 €2.42

62.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,035

$60.6 €52.2

81.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.9

$7.59 €6.53

-17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.77

$2.33 €2.00

-32.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 587

$34.30 €29.54

82.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.09

$1.85 €1.59

-1.62%

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

$33.0K SEK 309.6K

$34.1K €29.3K

-3.27%

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

$35.4K SEK 332.7K

$35.4K €30.5K

-0.07%

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

$229 SEK 2,148

$262 €226

-12.88%

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

$28.82 SEK 271

$21.44 €18.46

34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 392

$56.2 €48.38

-25.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 438

$41.19 €35.47

13.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 361

$31.33 €26.98

22.76%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 166

$15.24 €13.12

15.81%

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

$165 SEK 1,552

$1,117 €962

-85.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.6K

$22.8K €19.7K

-70.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 915

$107 €92.6

-9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 464

$48.48 €41.74

1.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,097

$116 €100

0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,920

$150 €129

36.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.9K

$1,318 €1,135

20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.4K

$1,066 €918

3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 26.0K

$2,318 €1,996

19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 17.0K

$1,804 €1,553

0.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 115.0K

$5,112 €4,402

139.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.8K

$3,902 €3,360

71.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.5K

$3,338 €2,874

13.21%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Brussels: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Stockholm and $1,318 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: $112 in Stockholm vs $93.0 in Brussels for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $379 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

Stockholm pays 13% more on average, 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: $1,589 in Stockholm versus $1,318 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $165 in Stockholm versus $1,117 in Brussels. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Stockholm – a meal for two runs $112 versus $93.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Stockholm is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Stockholm delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,505 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Stockholm 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 – Stockholm wins on affordability, Brussels on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.