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: $2,732 in Stockholm versus $1,471 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Stockholm versus $2,348 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Stockholm versus $3,226 in Gavle.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 86% more expensive than in Gavle, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 99% above, Gavle 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 SEK 176

$12.47 SEK 119

47.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 SEK 982

$89.8 SEK 859

14.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 SEK 109

$9.68 SEK 92.6

18.08%

Cappuccino

$5.35 SEK 51.2

$5.26 SEK 50.3

1.71%

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

$3.89 SEK 37.18

$2.12 SEK 20.24

83.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 SEK 30.64

$2.41 SEK 23.06

32.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 80.9

$8.32 SEK 79.6

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 SEK 87.9

$7.34 SEK 70.2

25.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.68

$1.73 SEK 16.56

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 SEK 39.87

$2.63 SEK 25.15

58.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 SEK 39.12

$3.99 SEK 38.15

2.51%

Eggs

$5.19 SEK 49.62

$3.90 SEK 37.28

33.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$9.72 SEK 93.0

36.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.55 SEK 130

$10.92 SEK 105

24.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.30 SEK 213

$19.50 SEK 187

14.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 33.95

$3.11 SEK 29.79

14.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 28.44

$2.83 SEK 27.06

4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.36

$3.20 SEK 30.63

-0.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 44.92

$4.60 SEK 43.97

2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.85

$1.72 SEK 16.48

8.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.25

$1.88 SEK 18.00

-4.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 23.78

$2.56 SEK 24.51

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.79

$2.07 SEK 19.77

20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 SEK 87.1

$8.30 SEK 79.4

9.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 SEK 121

$11.54 SEK 110

9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.51

$1.69 SEK 16.15

26.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.47

$1.64 SEK 15.71

56.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 SEK 44.14

$3.42 SEK 32.67

34.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 SEK 1,078

$62.3 SEK 596

80.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 59.3

$4.73 SEK 45.22

31.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 SEK 14.64

$1.55 SEK 14.79

-1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 566

$35.03 SEK 335

68.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.43

$1.91 SEK 18.26

-4.71%

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

$34.5K SEK 329.8K

$26.9K SEK 257.1K

28.31%

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

$35.1K SEK 336.0K

$28.8K SEK 275.7K

21.87%

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

$281 SEK 2,690

$55.4 SEK 530

408.02%

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

$22.69 SEK 217

$22.54 SEK 216

0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 SEK 389

$39.89 SEK 382

2.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 SEK 460

$48.53 SEK 464

-0.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.41 SEK 396

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 SEK 189

$15.71 SEK 150

25.91%

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

$172 SEK 1,647

$138 SEK 1,316

25.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K SEK 161.1K

$15.5K SEK 147.9K

8.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 SEK 1,149

$74.3 SEK 711

61.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 SEK 553

$57.3 SEK 548

0.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 SEK 1,356

$52.1 SEK 499

171.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 SEK 1,939

$94.7 SEK 905

114.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 SEK 17.1K

$583 SEK 5,575

206.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.5K

$443 SEK 4,236

147.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,323 SEK 31.8K

$817 SEK 7,814

306.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 SEK 17.8K

$685 SEK 6,553

171.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K SEK 112.2K

$2,005 SEK 19.2K

485.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,611 SEK 63.2K

$1,373 SEK 13.1K

381.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,662 SEK 35.0K

$3,222 SEK 30.8K

13.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

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

Last update for Stockholm: August 29, 2026

Last update for Gavle: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,787 in Stockholm and $583 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 14% 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: $103 in Stockholm vs $90.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $365 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 86% in total monthly costs ($2,732 vs $1,471 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,787 in Stockholm versus $583 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 81% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $172 in Stockholm versus $138 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,471 in Gavle versus $2,732 in Stockholm, a $2,000 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 86% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.