Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Buffalo, NY Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Buffalo, NY

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,542 in Stockholm versus $2,696 in Buffalo, NY.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Stockholm versus $3,862 in Buffalo, NY.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,214 in Stockholm versus $5,028 in Buffalo, NY.

Living in Stockholm costs roughly 6% less than in Buffalo, NY, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 90% above, Buffalo, NY 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.06 SEK 156

$30.20 $30.20

-46.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 SEK 1,078

$85.5 $85.5

30.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 SEK 112

$11.79 $11.79

-2.21%

Cappuccino

$5.00 SEK 48.44

$5.31 $5.31

-5.84%

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

$3.13 SEK 30.39

$2.62 $2.62

19.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 24.29

$2.18 $2.18

15.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 SEK 80.8

$5.61 $5.61

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 SEK 83.6

$6.81 $6.81

26.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.85

$0.90 $0.90

93.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 33.04

$3.86 $3.86

-11.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 SEK 39.09

$4.80 $4.80

-16.04%

Eggs

$4.67 SEK 45.31

$3.99 $3.99

17.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 SEK 122

$13.45 $13.45

-6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 SEK 126

$8.60 $8.60

51.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 SEK 184

$11.82 $11.82

60.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 SEK 34.54

$3.96 $3.96

-10.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 SEK 28.90

$1.62 $1.62

83.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$5.40 $5.40

-38.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 SEK 44.43

$5.09 $5.09

-10.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 SEK 19.24

$2.50 $2.50

-20.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.20

$3.60 $3.60

-47.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.75

$2.39 $2.39

6.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 15.08

$2.52 $2.52

-38.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.97 SEK 77.3

$13.71 $13.71

-41.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 SEK 122

$17.74 $17.74

-29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 21.12

$1.78 $1.78

22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 22.96

$7.25 $7.25

-67.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.52 SEK 43.87

$2.04 $2.04

121.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 SEK 1,075

$91.2 $91.2

21.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 SEK 60.7

$5.33 $5.33

17.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 15.88

$2.20 $2.20

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.9 SEK 610

$45.88 $45.88

37.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.48

$0.89 $0.89

102.25%

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

$32.5K SEK 315.2K

$33.2K $33.2K

-2.03%

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

$35.6K SEK 345.1K

$23.9K $23.9K

49.12%

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

$227 SEK 2,201

$248 $248

-8.58%

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

$28.85 SEK 280

$46.86 $46.86

-38.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.64 SEK 404

$60.8 $60.8

-31.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.39 SEK 450

$33.26 $33.26

39.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.77 SEK 366

$57.3 $57.3

-34.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 SEK 173

$14.05 $14.05

26.98%

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

$164 SEK 1,590

$910 $910

-81.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,466 SEK 62.7K

$29.0K $29.0K

-77.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 SEK 958

$45.13 $45.13

118.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.18 SEK 477

$45.71 $45.71

7.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,161

$103 $103

16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 SEK 1,951

$116 $116

73.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 SEK 15.4K

$1,592 $1,592

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 SEK 10.8K

$1,197 $1,197

-6.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 SEK 27.4K

$2,053 $2,053

37.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,776 SEK 17.2K

$1,724 $1,724

3.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 114.4K

$3,098 $3,098

280.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,591 SEK 63.9K

$1,732 $1,732

280.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,558 SEK 34.5K

$3,552 $3,552

0.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

6.53

-36.29%

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

Last update for Stockholm: July 21, 2026

Last update for Buffalo, NY: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,588 in Stockholm and $1,592 in Buffalo, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $111 in Stockholm vs $86.0 in Buffalo, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $391 per month, with Buffalo, NY 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 Buffalo, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Buffalo, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Stockholm the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 0% 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: $1,588 in Stockholm versus $1,592 in Buffalo, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Stockholm versus $910 in Buffalo, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Buffalo, NY pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $2,542 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Stockholm hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Stockholm and Buffalo, NY 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 Stockholm gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Buffalo, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.