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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Stockholm vs $1,793 in Kista, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,842 per month in Stockholm vs $2,815 in Kista, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,138 per month in Stockholm vs $3,837 in Kista, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 42% more than Kista, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Stockholm and Kista sit above the global median – Stockholm by 90%, Kista by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 SEK 150

$13.70 SEK 127

17.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,038

$74.0 SEK 688

50.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 109

$10.59 SEK 98.5

10.29%

Cappuccino

$4.99 SEK 46.39

$4.62 SEK 43.01

8.01%

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

$3.19 SEK 29.70

$2.74 SEK 25.47

16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.16

$2.47 SEK 22.97

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.28 SEK 77.0

$7.90 SEK 73.5

4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 SEK 77.3

$7.31 SEK 68.0

13.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 16.47

$1.68 SEK 15.60

5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 SEK 31.66

$2.74 SEK 25.51

24.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 SEK 36.17

$3.76 SEK 35.01

3.46%

Eggs

$4.58 SEK 42.64

$4.25 SEK 39.51

7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 SEK 120

$11.98 SEK 111

7.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 SEK 123

$11.99 SEK 111

9.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 SEK 180

$16.81 SEK 156

15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 SEK 33.16

$3.17 SEK 29.50

12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.36

$2.57 SEK 23.89

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 SEK 32.07

$3.00 SEK 27.94

15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 SEK 43.05

$4.47 SEK 41.59

3.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 SEK 18.34

$1.64 SEK 15.23

20.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.46

$1.80 SEK 16.70

4.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 23.67

$2.61 SEK 24.28

-2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SEK 15.08

$1.56 SEK 14.48

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 SEK 74.9

$7.30 SEK 67.9

10.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 SEK 131

$11.71 SEK 109

19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 19.95

$1.90 SEK 17.72

12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.05

$1.97 SEK 18.36

14.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 SEK 43.46

$3.46 SEK 32.17

34.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 SEK 1,058

$72.9 SEK 678

56.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 58.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 14.74

$1.60 SEK 14.85

-1.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 SEK 576

$62.7 SEK 583

-1.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 16.67

$1.99 SEK 18.46

-10.05%

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

$33.0K SEK 306.7K

$32.0K SEK 297.6K

3.05%

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

$34.7K SEK 322.5K

$34.9K SEK 324.2K

-0.53%

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

$230 SEK 2,141

$113 SEK 1,048

104.33%

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

$28.63 SEK 266

$28.32 SEK 263

1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.89 SEK 399

$36.33 SEK 338

18.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 SEK 433

$40.09 SEK 373

16.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.08 SEK 345

$25.58 SEK 238

44.96%

Cinema Ticket

$17.90 SEK 166

$15.59 SEK 145

14.82%

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

$161 SEK 1,496

$144 SEK 1,341

11.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,546 SEK 60.9K

$4,172 SEK 38.8K

56.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 SEK 891

$95.7 SEK 890

0.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 SEK 449

$41.45 SEK 386

16.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 SEK 1,083

$98.1 SEK 912

18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 SEK 1,937

$153 SEK 1,425

35.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 SEK 14.7K

$841 SEK 7,818

87.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 SEK 10.4K

$663 SEK 6,166

67.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 SEK 26.1K

$1,401 SEK 13.0K

100.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 SEK 16.5K

$1,067 SEK 9,924

66.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 113.6K

$4,449 SEK 41.4K

174.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 SEK 60.6K

$2,664 SEK 24.8K

144.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,839 SEK 35.7K

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Kista: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Stockholm versus $841 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 $112 in Stockholm versus $74.0 in Kista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $363 – 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 42% 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 $3,820 per month in Stockholm and $2,689 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 $2,547 in Stockholm and $1,793 in Kista. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 56% 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 $1,793, than in Stockholm at $2,547. 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 $1,793 versus $2,547 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.