Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Cary, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Stockholm: $2,574 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index

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Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,574

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stockholm and in Cary, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,574 in Stockholm versus $2,842 in Cary, NC.

Stockholm $2,574
Cary, NC $2,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Stockholm versus $4,173 in Cary, NC.

Stockholm $3,871
Cary, NC $4,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,167 in Stockholm versus $5,505 in Cary, NC.

Stockholm $5,167
Cary, NC $5,505

Living in Stockholm costs roughly 9% less than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 91% above, Cary, NC 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 SEK 180

$19.35 $19.35

-6.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 SEK 986

$99.3 $99.3

0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 SEK 117

$10.42 $10.42

12.86%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 49.03

$5.06 $5.06

-2.17%

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

$3.68 SEK 36.46

$2.03 $2.03

81.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 SEK 31.28

$1.85 $1.85

70.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 SEK 79.8

$4.51 $4.51

78.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 SEK 87.4

$6.39 $6.39

38.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.80

$1.04 $1.04

73.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 SEK 38.43

$5.51 $5.51

-29.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 SEK 37.99

$6.18 $6.18

-38.03%

Eggs

$5.14 SEK 50.9

$4.02 $4.02

27.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 SEK 123

$17.74 $17.74

-29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 125

$16.62 $16.62

-24.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 SEK 217

$17.96 $17.96

21.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 SEK 34.41

$6.25 $6.25

-44.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 27.15

$1.93 $1.93

41.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.54

$3.75 $3.75

-17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 44.41

$6.90 $6.90

-35.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.54

$3.25 $3.25

-45.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.70

$4.17 $4.17

-57.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 SEK 23.76

$2.97 $2.97

-19.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.50

$2.38 $2.38

-0.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.72 SEK 86.4

$10.06 $10.06

-13.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 SEK 119

$9.71 $9.71

23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.90

$2.33 $2.33

-9.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 25.34

$4.04 $4.04

-36.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 SEK 42.96

$2.53 $2.53

71.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,063

$78.7 $78.7

36.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 SEK 56.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 SEK 14.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 566

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.86

$0.93 $0.93

93.55%

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

$32.4K SEK 321.2K

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

$33.6K SEK 332.8K

$28.7K $28.7K

17.18%

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

$249 SEK 2,469

$179 $179

39.30%

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

$21.60 SEK 214

$47.18 $47.18

-54.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.18 SEK 398

$67.6 $67.6

-40.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.98 SEK 466

$77.8 $77.8

-39.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.15 SEK 378

$21.88 $21.88

74.36%

Cinema Ticket

$19.09 SEK 189

$15.26 $15.26

25.10%

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

$158 SEK 1,569

$1,455 $1,455

-89.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K SEK 162.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 SEK 1,104

$65.9 $65.9

69.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 SEK 584

$32.18 $32.18

83.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 SEK 1,364

$119 $119

15.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 SEK 1,847

$137 $137

36.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 SEK 16.4K

$1,904 $1,904

-12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

$1,407 $1,407

-23.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,982 SEK 29.5K

$2,710 $2,710

10.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 SEK 17.3K

$2,162 $2,162

-19.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K SEK 111.8K

$2,859 $2,859

294.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,332 SEK 62.7K

$2,643 $2,643

139.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 SEK 35.5K

$6,032 $6,032

-40.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

6.42

-47.51%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockholm

$1.1K 41.9%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5% 30.4% $328

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$414 16.1%

Cary, NC

$486 17.1% 17.5% $72

Eating Out

Stockholm

$325 12.6%

Cary, NC

$298 10.5% 8.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$311 12.1%

Cary, NC

$294 10.3% 5.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$222 8.6%

Cary, NC

$160 5.6% 28.3% $63

Getting Around

Stockholm

$138 5.4%

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1% 35.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$85 3.3%

Cary, NC

$108 3.8% 27.2% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,658 in Stockholm and $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 68% 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: $100 in Stockholm vs $99.0 in Cary, NC. Groceries flip the comparison at $414 vs $486, with Stockholm cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

6 h behind Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

176,987

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Stockholm Cary, NC 7,010 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Stockholm
Cary, NC

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 Cary, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Cary, NC. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,658 in Stockholm versus $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $158 in Stockholm versus $1,455 in Cary, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

For families, Stockholm is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cary, NC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stockholm and Cary, NC 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 10% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.