Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,727 a month against $2,531 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index

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Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,531

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stockholm and in Karlstad

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

A single person spends $2,531 per month in Stockholm vs $1,727 in Karlstad, rent included.

Stockholm $2,531
Karlstad $1,727

A couple spends around $3,823 per month in Stockholm vs $2,665 in Karlstad, rent included.

Stockholm $3,823
Karlstad $2,665

A family of three spends $5,114 per month in Stockholm vs $3,603 in Karlstad, rent included.

Stockholm $5,114
Karlstad $3,603

Stockholm costs about 47% more than Karlstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Stockholm and Karlstad sit above the global median – Stockholm by 86%, Karlstad by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 SEK 176

$15.14 SEK 149

18.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 SEK 1,000

$80.5 SEK 790

26.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 SEK 115

$10.07 SEK 98.9

16.78%

Cappuccino

$5.17 SEK 50.8

$4.86 SEK 47.68

6.38%

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

$3.66 SEK 35.97

$2.45 SEK 24.01

49.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 SEK 30.16

$2.16 SEK 21.25

42.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 SEK 77.2

$8.08 SEK 79.3

-2.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 SEK 89.4

$6.60 SEK 64.7

38.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SEK 16.20

$1.45 SEK 14.22

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 SEK 38.38

$2.83 SEK 27.80

38.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 SEK 36.47

$3.68 SEK 36.14

1.09%

Eggs

$5.09 SEK 49.96

$4.37 SEK 42.85

16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 SEK 126

$10.17 SEK 99.8

26.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 125

$13.96 SEK 137

-8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.47 SEK 221

$17.73 SEK 174

26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 34.88

$2.95 SEK 28.91

20.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 SEK 28.20

$2.68 SEK 26.35

7.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 31.98

$3.03 SEK 29.71

7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 42.77

$5.40 SEK 53.0

-19.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 17.30

$1.92 SEK 18.80

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.54

$1.72 SEK 16.84

4.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 SEK 24.05

$2.64 SEK 25.87

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.28

$1.30 SEK 12.74

82.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 SEK 85.2

$6.96 SEK 68.3

24.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 SEK 119

$10.17 SEK 99.8

19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 SEK 20.88

$2.42 SEK 23.79

-11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.80

$2.04 SEK 19.98

24.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 SEK 41.94

$3.13 SEK 30.70

36.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,045

$80.4 SEK 789

32.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 SEK 59.4

$5.46 SEK 53.6

10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 SEK 15.13

$1.29 SEK 12.67

19.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.7 SEK 546

$60.4 SEK 592

-7.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.82

$1.72 SEK 16.90

5.81%

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

$32.8K SEK 321.5K

$32.6K SEK 320.4K

0.35%

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

$33.7K SEK 330.8K

$33.8K SEK 331.2K

-0.12%

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

$254 SEK 2,492

$99.4 SEK 975

155.56%

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

$21.66 SEK 213

$15.73 SEK 154

37.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.33 SEK 406

$43.76 SEK 429

-5.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.32 SEK 455

$45.27 SEK 444

2.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.99 SEK 383

$16.66 SEK 163

134.03%

Cinema Ticket

$18.53 SEK 182

$14.08 SEK 138

31.61%

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

$160 SEK 1,566

$126 SEK 1,236

26.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SEK 159.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 SEK 1,091

$106 SEK 1,037

5.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 SEK 586

$39.85 SEK 391

49.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 SEK 1,305

$75.9 SEK 744

75.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 SEK 1,800

$141 SEK 1,384

29.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 SEK 15.8K

$868 SEK 8,518

85.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 SEK 10.1K

$575 SEK 5,638

79.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 SEK 25.6K

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

120.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 SEK 16.5K

$867 SEK 8,504

93.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 115.9K

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

206.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,816 SEK 66.9K

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

145.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,521 SEK 34.6K

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

9.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

4.09

-18.58%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 24, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stockholm

$1K 40.8%

Karlstad

$575 33.3% 44.3% $457

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$418 16.5%

Karlstad

$370 21.4% 11.3% $47

Eating Out

Stockholm

$325 12.9%

Karlstad

$282 16.3% 13.4% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$317 12.5%

Karlstad

$159 9.2% 49.9% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$219 8.7%

Karlstad

$163 9.5% 25.6% $56

Getting Around

Stockholm

$137 5.4%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 23.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$83 3.3%

Karlstad

$73 4.3% 11.9% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Stockholm versus $868 in Karlstad. 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 10% 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 $102 in Stockholm versus $81 in Karlstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $418 vs $370 – making Karlstad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

Same time as Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

62,797

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stockholm is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,796 per month in Stockholm and $2,590 in Karlstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlstad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $868 there versus $1,614 in Stockholm.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Stockholm and $81 in Karlstad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,531 in Stockholm and $1,727 in Karlstad. That makes Karlstad about 32% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlstad, where all-in costs run around $1,727, than in Stockholm at $2,531. In Karlstad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karlstad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Karlstad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.