Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,548 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Stockholm
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,548
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stockholm and in Cairo

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

A single person spends $2,548 per month in Stockholm vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Stockholm $2,548
  • Cairo $643

A couple spends around $3,806 per month in Stockholm vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Stockholm $3,806
  • Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $5,064 per month in Stockholm vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Stockholm $5,064
  • Cairo $1,431

Stockholm costs about 296% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Stockholm sits 90% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.26 SEK 182
$4.69 E£245
289.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$97.8 SEK 978
$28.49 E£1,491
243.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.71 SEK 117
$6.03 E£315
94.20%
Cappuccino
$4.89 SEK 48.92
$1.81 E£94.7
170.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 SEK 37.15
$0.35 E£18.18
962.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.03 SEK 30.29
$0.15 E£7.95
1920.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.16 SEK 81.5
$1.45 E£76.0
462.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.96 SEK 89.5
$2.24 E£117
300.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.81 SEK 18.05
$0.97 E£50.7
86.60%
White Bread (500g)
$3.84 SEK 38.41
$0.73 E£37.96
426.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.75 SEK 37.52
$0.77 E£40.24
387.01%
Eggs
$5.04 SEK 50.4
$1.17 E£61.2
330.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 SEK 129
$4.32 E£226
198.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.70 SEK 127
$5.07 E£265
150.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.70 SEK 217
$8.92 E£467
143.27%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 SEK 36.03
$1.83 E£95.8
97.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.80 SEK 27.97
$0.75 E£39.07
273.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.14 SEK 31.36
$0.57 E£29.78
450.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 SEK 43.52
$0.51 E£26.62
754.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 SEK 16.99
$0.38 E£20.05
347.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 SEK 17.83
$0.42 E£21.88
323.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 SEK 25.06
$0.35 E£18.43
617.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 SEK 24.33
$0.24 E£12.57
912.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.52 SEK 85.1
$1.99 E£104
328.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.83 SEK 118
$7.48 E£391
58.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 SEK 20.29
$1.52 E£79.4
33.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 SEK 25.49
$2.13 E£112
19.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.31 SEK 43.11
$0.33 E£17.10
1206.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 SEK 1,059
$8.66 E£453
1123.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.83 SEK 58.3
$0.37 E£19.27
1475.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 SEK 15.09
$0.20 E£10.65
655.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$56.0 SEK 560
$1.49 E£77.8
3658.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.90
$0.46 E£23.94
289.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K SEK 332.8K
$32.6K E£1.7M
2.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K SEK 340.4K
$28.4K E£1.5M
19.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$248 SEK 2,479
$27.54 E£1,441
800.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.17 SEK 212
$8.27 E£432
155.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.91 SEK 399
$14.05 E£735
184.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.51 SEK 475
$28.27 E£1,479
68.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$38.80 SEK 388
$6.70 E£350
479.10%
Cinema Ticket
$19.19 SEK 192
$4.40 E£230
336.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$159 SEK 1,585
$121 E£6,356
30.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.4K SEK 163.7K
$3,619 E£189.3K
352.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$112 SEK 1,119
$40.16 E£2,101
178.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.4 SEK 574
$49.61 E£2,596
15.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$134 SEK 1,340
$115 E£6,033
16.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$181 SEK 1,809
$60.6 E£3,170
198.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,694 SEK 16.9K
$220 E£11.5K
670.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,088 SEK 10.9K
$194 E£10.2K
460.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,985 SEK 29.8K
$514 E£26.9K
480.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,782 SEK 17.8K
$334 E£17.5K
434.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$11.1K SEK 111.4K
$806 E£42.2K
1282.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,326 SEK 63.2K
$513 E£26.9K
1132.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stockholm
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,501 SEK 35.0K
$200 E£10.5K
1648.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.37
16.21
-79.21%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stockholm
$1.1K
Cairo
$194 82.2% $894
Groceries & Markets
Stockholm
$415
Cairo
$141 65.9% $274
Eating Out
Stockholm
$326
Cairo
$91 72% $235
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stockholm
$309
Cairo
$50 83.9% $259
Clothing & Footwear
Stockholm
$218
Cairo
$120 45.2% $98
Getting Around
Stockholm
$137
Cairo
$11 91.7% $125
Sport & Entertainment
Stockholm
$86
Cairo
$37 56.8% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,694 in Stockholm versus $220 in Cairo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1649% higher in Stockholm, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Stockholm versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Stockholm
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
12:27 12:27 PM
13:27 1:27 PM
1 h ahead of Stockholm
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
984,748 Capital
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.63 EGP (100 EGP = 1.71 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stockholm Cairo 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Stockholm
  • Cairo

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Stockholm?
Yes – Stockholm is pricier by about 296%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,821 per month in Stockholm and $965 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Stockholm and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 194% more in Stockholm, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Stockholm or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Stockholm and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Stockholm or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Stockholm at $2,548. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Stockholm or Cairo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Stockholm or Cairo?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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