Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,548 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
Learn more

Bucharest Living Index

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Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,548

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stockholm and in Bucharest

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 Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Stockholm versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Stockholm $2,548
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,806 in Stockholm versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Stockholm $3,806
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,064 in Stockholm versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Stockholm $5,064
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Stockholm is roughly 89% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 90% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 SEK 182

$14.46 RON 68.4

26.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.8 SEK 978

$57.7 RON 273

69.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 SEK 117

$7.50 RON 35.46

56.13%

Cappuccino

$4.89 SEK 48.92

$3.43 RON 16.20

42.57%

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

$3.72 SEK 37.15

$2.46 RON 11.63

51.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 SEK 30.29

$2.33 RON 11.01

30.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 SEK 81.5

$3.80 RON 17.97

114.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.96 SEK 89.5

$4.10 RON 19.41

118.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 18.05

$1.65 RON 7.79

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 SEK 38.41

$1.35 RON 6.39

184.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 SEK 37.52

$1.78 RON 8.42

110.67%

Eggs

$5.04 SEK 50.4

$3.66 RON 17.33

37.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 SEK 129

$8.57 RON 40.54

50.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.70 SEK 127

$6.80 RON 32.17

86.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.70 SEK 217

$11.72 RON 55.4

85.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 36.03

$1.29 RON 6.11

179.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 27.97

$1.56 RON 7.37

79.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 31.36

$1.54 RON 7.28

103.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 43.52

$2.48 RON 11.75

75.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.99

$0.83 RON 3.92

104.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 17.83

$0.80 RON 3.77

122.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 SEK 25.06

$0.84 RON 3.98

198.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 24.33

$0.93 RON 4.39

161.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.52 SEK 85.1

$6.44 RON 30.45

32.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 SEK 118

$6.32 RON 29.91

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 20.29

$1.26 RON 5.94

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 SEK 25.49

$1.60 RON 7.59

59.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 SEK 43.11

$0.81 RON 3.85

432.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 SEK 1,059

$21.13 RON 99.9

401.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 SEK 58.3

$0.60 RON 2.86

871.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 SEK 15.09

$0.61 RON 2.91

147.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.0 SEK 560

$6.17 RON 29.19

807.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.90

$1.96 RON 9.27

-8.67%

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

$33.3K SEK 332.8K

$28.1K RON 133.1K

18.31%

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

$34.1K SEK 340.4K

$26.3K RON 124.3K

29.56%

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

$248 SEK 2,479

$197 RON 931

26.01%

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

$21.17 SEK 212

$8.34 RON 39.44

153.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.91 SEK 399

$9.19 RON 43.47

334.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.51 SEK 475

$49.87 RON 236

-4.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.80 SEK 388

$24.99 RON 118

55.26%

Cinema Ticket

$19.19 SEK 192

$8.46 RON 40.01

126.83%

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

$159 SEK 1,585

$639 RON 3,023

-75.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K SEK 163.7K

$14.4K RON 68.1K

13.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 SEK 1,119

$90.6 RON 429

23.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 SEK 574

$38.05 RON 180

50.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 SEK 1,340

$79.7 RON 377

68.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 SEK 1,809

$93.2 RON 441

94.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 SEK 16.9K

$673 RON 3,184

151.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 SEK 10.9K

$449 RON 2,123

142.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 SEK 29.8K

$1,098 RON 5,195

171.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 SEK 17.8K

$729 RON 3,448

144.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K SEK 111.4K

$3,740 RON 17.7K

198.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,326 SEK 63.2K

$2,189 RON 10.4K

189.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,501 SEK 35.0K

$1,323 RON 6,259

164.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

6.74

-50.00%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 3, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockholm

$1.1K 42.2%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 58.7% $639

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$415 16.1%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 46.6% $193

Eating Out

Stockholm

$326 12.6%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 30.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$309 12%

Bucharest

$214 16% 30.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$218 8.5%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 37.8% $82

Getting Around

Stockholm

$137 5.3%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 79.5% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$86 3.3%

Bucharest

$67 5% 22.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Stockholm and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 165% 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: $98.0 in Stockholm vs $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $222 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

09:34 9:34 AM

1 h ahead of Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Stockholm Bucharest 1,740 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Stockholm
Bucharest

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm and Bucharest differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,548 vs $1,351 including rent). Bucharest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 165% 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: $1,694 in Stockholm versus $673 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,548 per month in Stockholm versus $1,351 in Bucharest – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 402% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,548 in Stockholm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bucharest 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 Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.