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: $2,582 in Stockholm versus $2,060 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,840 in Stockholm versus $3,021 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Stockholm versus $3,982 in Gavle.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 25% more expensive than in Gavle, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 93% above, Gavle 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 156

$12.88 SEK 125

24.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,065

$94.2 SEK 911

16.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 113

$10.48 SEK 101

11.45%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 50.3

$5.07 SEK 48.98

2.56%

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

$3.28 SEK 31.74

$2.14 SEK 20.72

53.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.85

$2.46 SEK 23.76

0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 SEK 82.3

$8.19 SEK 79.2

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 80.3

$8.63 SEK 83.5

-3.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.38

$1.72 SEK 16.64

4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.94

$2.52 SEK 24.39

35.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 39.31

$3.90 SEK 37.68

4.36%

Eggs

$4.70 SEK 45.47

$4.02 SEK 38.83

16.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 123

$9.39 SEK 90.8

36.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 128

$10.25 SEK 99.1

29.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 SEK 187

$14.76 SEK 143

31.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 34.77

$3.30 SEK 31.93

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.01

$2.86 SEK 27.62

1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 32.64

$3.46 SEK 33.47

-2.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 44.35

$4.57 SEK 44.20

0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.85 SEK 17.87

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.23

$1.87 SEK 18.04

1.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 24.32

$2.63 SEK 25.46

-4.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.60

$1.56 SEK 15.10

3.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 77.9

$7.98 SEK 77.2

1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 121

$11.55 SEK 112

8.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.15

$1.66 SEK 16.05

31.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 22.83

$1.85 SEK 17.85

27.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 44.02

$3.93 SEK 37.95

15.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,083

$57.4 SEK 555

95.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 61.9

$4.68 SEK 45.27

36.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.00

$1.32 SEK 12.77

25.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 SEK 612

$49.27 SEK 476

28.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.97

$1.88 SEK 18.14

-1.06%

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

$33.0K SEK 319.3K

$29.1K SEK 281.7K

13.38%

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

$34.5K SEK 333.9K

$33.6K SEK 324.8K

2.80%

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

$227 SEK 2,196

$112 SEK 1,082

102.92%

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

$29.59 SEK 286

$28.71 SEK 278

3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 SEK 406

$41.73 SEK 403

0.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 SEK 445

$50.2 SEK 485

-8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 SEK 368

$16.20 SEK 157

135.12%

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 SEK 172

$14.19 SEK 137

25.30%

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

$164 SEK 1,587

$159 SEK 1,534

3.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,573 SEK 63.5K

$4,129 SEK 39.9K

59.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 944

$99.1 SEK 958

-1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 SEK 481

$48.72 SEK 471

2.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,163

$83.8 SEK 810

43.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,951

$160 SEK 1,544

26.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

$839 SEK 8,106

86.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$897 SEK 8,666

21.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 SEK 26.6K

$1,716 SEK 16.6K

60.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

$1,248 SEK 12.1K

44.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 113.7K

$1,990 SEK 19.2K

491.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.8K

$1,398 SEK 13.5K

364.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,643 SEK 35.2K

$3,214 SEK 31.1K

13.36%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gavle: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Stockholm and $839 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 13% 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: $110 in Stockholm vs $94.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $342 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 25% in total monthly costs ($2,582 vs $2,060 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,566 in Stockholm versus $839 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 95% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $164 in Stockholm versus $159 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,060 in Gavle versus $2,582 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 25% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.