Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Lulea Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Lulea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,732 in Stockholm versus $1,919 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Stockholm versus $3,101 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Stockholm versus $4,283 in Lulea.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 42% more expensive than in Lulea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 99% above, Lulea 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 SEK 177

$12.44 SEK 120

48.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 SEK 988

$99.1 SEK 954

3.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 SEK 110

$11.59 SEK 112

-1.38%

Cappuccino

$5.35 SEK 51.5

$4.58 SEK 44.07

16.81%

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

$3.89 SEK 37.43

$2.64 SEK 25.39

47.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 SEK 30.85

$1.97 SEK 18.94

62.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 81.5

$9.32 SEK 89.8

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 SEK 88.5

$9.80 SEK 94.4

-6.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.80

$1.87 SEK 18.01

-6.95%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 SEK 40.14

$3.43 SEK 33.03

21.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 SEK 39.39

$4.91 SEK 47.27

-16.70%

Eggs

$5.19 SEK 49.96

$4.67 SEK 44.95

11.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$12.63 SEK 122

4.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.55 SEK 131

$13.62 SEK 131

-0.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.30 SEK 215

$27.73 SEK 267

-19.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 34.19

$2.66 SEK 25.59

33.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 28.63

$2.82 SEK 27.20

5.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.57

$2.50 SEK 24.06

26.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 45.23

$4.35 SEK 41.88

8.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.97

$2.22 SEK 21.40

-15.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.37

$1.55 SEK 14.95

16.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 23.95

$3.44 SEK 33.16

-27.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.95

$1.28 SEK 12.37

94.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 SEK 87.7

$7.17 SEK 69.1

26.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 SEK 122

$12.68 SEK 122

-0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.66

$1.88 SEK 18.14

13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.64

$1.84 SEK 17.71

39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 SEK 44.44

$3.42 SEK 32.96

34.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 SEK 1,085

$57.6 SEK 555

95.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 59.7

$9.51 SEK 91.6

-34.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 SEK 14.74

$2.25 SEK 21.67

-32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.2 SEK 570

$71.9 SEK 693

-17.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.55

$1.76 SEK 16.98

3.41%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.1K

$33.5K SEK 322.7K

2.93%

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

$35.1K SEK 338.3K

$35.8K SEK 344.4K

-1.77%

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

$281 SEK 2,709

$173 SEK 1,663

62.85%

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

$22.69 SEK 218

$32.34 SEK 312

-29.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 SEK 392

$27.89 SEK 269

45.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 SEK 463

$49.35 SEK 475

-2.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.41 SEK 399

$36.98 SEK 356

11.98%

Cinema Ticket

$19.78 SEK 191

$13.46 SEK 130

46.95%

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

$172 SEK 1,658

$161 SEK 1,552

6.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K SEK 162.2K

$5,808 SEK 55.9K

190.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 SEK 1,157

$123 SEK 1,182

-2.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 SEK 557

$34.18 SEK 329

69.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 SEK 1,365

$126 SEK 1,211

12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 SEK 1,952

$166 SEK 1,599

22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 SEK 17.2K

$806 SEK 7,766

121.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$600 SEK 5,775

82.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,323 SEK 32.0K

$1,533 SEK 14.8K

116.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 SEK 17.9K

$1,151 SEK 11.1K

61.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.7K SEK 113.0K

$3,240 SEK 31.2K

262.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,611 SEK 63.7K

$2,346 SEK 22.6K

181.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,662 SEK 35.3K

$2,633 SEK 25.4K

39.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

3.85

-14.03%

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

Last update for Stockholm: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lulea: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,787 in Stockholm and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 39% 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 $99.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $420 per month, with Lulea 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Stockholm. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Stockholm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $103 in Stockholm. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,732 in Stockholm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Stockholm and Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.