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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,631 per month in Stockholm vs $1,780 in Kista, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,058 per month in Stockholm vs $2,804 in Kista, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,486 per month in Stockholm vs $3,829 in Kista, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 48% more than Kista, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Stockholm and Kista sit above the global median – Stockholm by 92%, Kista by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 SEK 185

$14.16 SEK 140

32.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 SEK 1,027

$78.8 SEK 777

32.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 SEK 120

$10.48 SEK 103

16.22%

Cappuccino

$5.23 SEK 51.5

$4.68 SEK 46.11

11.75%

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

$3.69 SEK 36.36

$2.69 SEK 26.50

37.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 SEK 29.80

$2.21 SEK 21.79

36.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 SEK 82.1

$7.43 SEK 73.3

12.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 SEK 92.0

$7.40 SEK 73.0

26.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.72

$1.73 SEK 17.04

-1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 SEK 40.91

$2.78 SEK 27.43

49.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 SEK 38.50

$3.79 SEK 37.38

3.17%

Eggs

$5.29 SEK 52.2

$4.38 SEK 43.19

20.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 SEK 128

$12.51 SEK 123

3.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 SEK 132

$12.13 SEK 120

10.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.60 SEK 223

$18.01 SEK 177

25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 35.89

$3.25 SEK 32.01

12.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.94

$2.64 SEK 26.04

7.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 32.41

$3.20 SEK 31.57

2.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 SEK 44.32

$4.42 SEK 43.54

1.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.13

$1.61 SEK 15.82

8.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.46

$1.70 SEK 16.73

4.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 SEK 24.27

$2.33 SEK 22.96

5.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 SEK 23.17

$1.54 SEK 15.17

52.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 SEK 87.4

$7.77 SEK 76.6

14.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 SEK 121

$10.30 SEK 102

18.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 SEK 20.61

$2.06 SEK 20.34

1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SEK 25.47

$2.31 SEK 22.77

11.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 SEK 42.77

$3.38 SEK 33.33

28.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,058

$79.4 SEK 782

35.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 SEK 58.7

$6.05 SEK 59.6

-1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SEK 15.25

$1.77 SEK 17.40

-12.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 SEK 563

$62.5 SEK 616

-8.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.64

$1.85 SEK 18.25

-3.24%

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

$34.4K SEK 339.1K

$34.9K SEK 344.2K

-1.48%

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

$35.3K SEK 347.8K

$34.2K SEK 336.7K

3.30%

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

$264 SEK 2,602

$109 SEK 1,074

142.28%

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

$21.83 SEK 215

$26.87 SEK 265

-18.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.49 SEK 409

$39.32 SEK 387

5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.66 SEK 470

$38.98 SEK 384

22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.48 SEK 389

$26.46 SEK 261

49.21%

Cinema Ticket

$19.15 SEK 189

$16.89 SEK 166

13.38%

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

$166 SEK 1,637

$164 SEK 1,618

1.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K SEK 167.9K

$5,266 SEK 51.9K

223.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 SEK 1,126

$94.8 SEK 934

20.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 SEK 595

$43.93 SEK 433

37.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 SEK 1,363

$97.9 SEK 965

41.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 SEK 1,864

$146 SEK 1,442

29.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 SEK 17.4K

$843 SEK 8,303

110.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 SEK 10.6K

$606 SEK 5,969

76.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,181 SEK 31.3K

$1,395 SEK 13.8K

127.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 SEK 18.5K

$1,070 SEK 10.5K

75.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 116.3K

$4,175 SEK 41.1K

182.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,814 SEK 67.2K

$2,932 SEK 28.9K

132.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,595 SEK 35.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

3.42

-1.46%

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

Last update for Stockholm: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kista: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,771 in Stockholm versus $843 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 $104 in Stockholm versus $79.0 in Kista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $369 – 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 48% more than Kista, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,946 per month in Stockholm and $2,670 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 $2,631 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 35% 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 $2,631. 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 $2,631 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.