Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Kista Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Kista

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,557 per month in Stockholm vs $1,780 in Kista, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,865 per month in Stockholm vs $2,756 in Kista, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,174 per month in Stockholm vs $3,732 in Kista, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 44% more than Kista, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Stockholm and Kista sit above the global median – Stockholm by 92%, Kista by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 153

$13.69 SEK 130

17.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,049

$73.1 SEK 695

50.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 SEK 111

$10.52 SEK 100.0

11.12%

Cappuccino

$5.04 SEK 47.86

$4.60 SEK 43.69

9.57%

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

$3.15 SEK 29.94

$2.70 SEK 25.61

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.30

$2.50 SEK 23.72

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.38 SEK 79.6

$7.86 SEK 74.7

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 SEK 82.0

$7.18 SEK 68.3

20.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.03

$1.62 SEK 15.36

10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.37

$2.74 SEK 26.07

24.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 SEK 37.56

$3.80 SEK 36.12

3.95%

Eggs

$4.68 SEK 44.49

$4.24 SEK 40.26

10.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.95 SEK 123

$11.84 SEK 112

9.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.00 SEK 123

$11.58 SEK 110

12.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.07 SEK 181

$17.16 SEK 163

11.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 SEK 32.94

$3.20 SEK 30.44

8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 27.46

$2.71 SEK 25.71

6.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 SEK 32.48

$3.10 SEK 29.46

10.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 SEK 43.94

$4.39 SEK 41.73

5.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 SEK 18.12

$1.62 SEK 15.39

17.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 SEK 17.63

$1.80 SEK 17.06

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.98

$2.58 SEK 24.53

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.34

$1.51 SEK 14.38

6.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.07 SEK 76.7

$7.27 SEK 69.0

11.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 SEK 117

$9.83 SEK 93.4

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.16

$1.91 SEK 18.17

16.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.58

$1.90 SEK 18.03

25.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.50 SEK 42.75

$3.42 SEK 32.53

31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 SEK 1,080

$74.1 SEK 704

53.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 SEK 59.3

$6.38 SEK 60.7

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 15.13

$1.60 SEK 15.24

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.5 SEK 584

$63.1 SEK 599

-2.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 SEK 17.84

$1.90 SEK 18.09

-1.05%

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

$32.0K SEK 304.1K

$32.2K SEK 305.7K

-0.53%

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

$34.8K SEK 330.4K

$34.0K SEK 323.0K

2.28%

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

$227 SEK 2,152

$114 SEK 1,085

98.44%

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

$28.66 SEK 272

$28.54 SEK 271

0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.65 SEK 405

$36.96 SEK 351

15.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.85 SEK 445

$40.39 SEK 384

15.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.07 SEK 352

$25.40 SEK 241

45.94%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 171

$15.61 SEK 148

15.57%

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

$163 SEK 1,553

$145 SEK 1,380

12.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,574 SEK 62.5K

$4,118 SEK 39.1K

59.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 SEK 912

$94.1 SEK 894

2.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.89 SEK 474

$40.14 SEK 381

24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,142

$99.0 SEK 940

21.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 SEK 1,906

$154 SEK 1,461

30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 SEK 15.2K

$835 SEK 7,931

91.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 SEK 10.4K

$645 SEK 6,131

69.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 SEK 26.1K

$1,381 SEK 13.1K

98.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 SEK 17.0K

$1,081 SEK 10.3K

65.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.6K SEK 110.3K

$4,281 SEK 40.7K

171.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,671 SEK 63.4K

$3,076 SEK 29.2K

116.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,505 SEK 33.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.53

-8.17%

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

Last update for Stockholm: July 28, 2026

Last update for Kista: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Stockholm versus $835 in Kista. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Stockholm versus $73.0 in Kista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $357 – making Kista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm costs about 44% more than Kista, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,835 per month in Stockholm and $2,669 in Kista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kista, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,557 in Stockholm and $1,780 in Kista. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Kista. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kista, where all-in costs run around $1,780, than in Stockholm at $2,557. In Kista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kista costs $1,780 versus $2,557 in Stockholm. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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