Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Gavle Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Gavle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Stockholm versus $1,996 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Stockholm versus $2,963 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Stockholm versus $3,931 in Gavle.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 26% more expensive than Gavle, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 87% above, Gavle 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 150

$12.89 SEK 120

25.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,045

$96.5 SEK 900

16.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 108

$10.55 SEK 98.4

9.76%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.40

$5.20 SEK 48.51

-2.31%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.79

$2.06 SEK 19.24

60.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.35

$2.38 SEK 22.22

5.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 80.9

$8.59 SEK 80.2

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 77.5

$8.38 SEK 78.2

-0.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.03

$1.72 SEK 16.07

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.29

$2.57 SEK 23.98

34.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.28

$3.90 SEK 36.38

2.31%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.00

$4.18 SEK 39.03

12.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$9.25 SEK 86.3

40.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$10.31 SEK 96.2

25.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 183

$15.00 SEK 140

30.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.73

$3.33 SEK 31.08

8.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.37

$2.86 SEK 26.72

-1.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.62

$3.48 SEK 32.43

-2.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 42.88

$4.46 SEK 41.58

3.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.70

$1.88 SEK 17.56

1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.54

$1.82 SEK 16.98

3.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.27

$2.60 SEK 24.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.98

$1.56 SEK 14.60

3.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$7.80 SEK 72.8

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 120

$11.95 SEK 111

7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.15

$1.64 SEK 15.30

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 20.95

$1.85 SEK 17.22

21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.60

$4.01 SEK 37.44

13.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,028

$58.6 SEK 547

88.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.5

$4.69 SEK 43.74

33.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.67

$1.34 SEK 12.48

17.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 583

$48.80 SEK 455

28.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

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

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

$29.5K SEK 274.9K

11.87%

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

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

$33.6K SEK 313.9K

5.26%

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

$229 SEK 2,133

$85.3 SEK 796

168.17%

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

$28.82 SEK 269

$28.10 SEK 262

2.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 389

$41.37 SEK 386

0.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 435

$50.1 SEK 467

-6.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 359

$15.80 SEK 147

143.42%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 165

$13.89 SEK 130

27.07%

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

$165 SEK 1,541

$160 SEK 1,497

2.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

$6,622 SEK 61.8K

0.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 909

$95.4 SEK 890

2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 461

$48.67 SEK 454

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,090

$83.0 SEK 774

40.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,907

$157 SEK 1,463

30.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

$835 SEK 7,792

90.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

$897 SEK 8,372

23.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

$1,737 SEK 16.2K

59.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

$1,272 SEK 11.9K

41.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

$2,020 SEK 18.8K

506.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

$1,431 SEK 13.4K

367.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

$3,285 SEK 30.7K

15.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.1

1.46%

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

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Last update for Gavle: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Stockholm and $835 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 15% 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: $112 in Stockholm vs $96.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $344 per month, with Gavle 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 Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm and Gavle differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($2,505 vs $1,996 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Stockholm pays 15% 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 $835 in Gavle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 88% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $165 in Stockholm versus $160 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,996 in Gavle versus $2,505 in Stockholm, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle 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 Gavle 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 Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.