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: $2,505 in Stockholm versus $1,885 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Stockholm versus $3,023 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Stockholm versus $4,161 in Lulea.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 33% more expensive than Lulea, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 87% above, Lulea 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 150

$12.89 SEK 120

25.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,045

$93.8 SEK 875

19.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 108

$12.01 SEK 112

-3.58%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.40

$4.65 SEK 43.39

9.25%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.79

$2.56 SEK 23.88

28.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.35

$2.06 SEK 19.25

21.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 80.9

$8.46 SEK 78.9

2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 77.5

$9.98 SEK 93.2

-16.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.03

$1.93 SEK 18.02

-10.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.29

$3.55 SEK 33.15

-2.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.28

$5.02 SEK 46.86

-20.52%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.00

$4.95 SEK 46.21

-4.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$12.91 SEK 120

0.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$13.97 SEK 130

-7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 183

$27.38 SEK 255

-28.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.73

$2.69 SEK 25.13

34.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.37

$2.80 SEK 26.15

1.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.62

$2.62 SEK 24.49

29.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 42.88

$4.52 SEK 42.17

1.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.70

$2.18 SEK 20.33

-12.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.54

$1.64 SEK 15.26

14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.27

$3.42 SEK 31.88

-23.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.98

$1.45 SEK 13.53

11.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$7.45 SEK 69.5

4.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 120

$12.66 SEK 118

1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.15

$1.83 SEK 17.10

18.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 20.95

$1.80 SEK 16.77

24.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.60

$3.36 SEK 31.39

36.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,028

$60.1 SEK 561

83.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.5

$9.53 SEK 88.9

-34.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.67

$1.71 SEK 16.00

-8.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 583

$75.1 SEK 700

-16.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.89 SEK 17.60

-3.70%

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

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

3.08%

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

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

1.52%

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

$229 SEK 2,133

$174 SEK 1,627

31.09%

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

$28.82 SEK 269

$33.07 SEK 309

-12.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 389

$28.42 SEK 265

46.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 435

$49.17 SEK 459

-5.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 359

$36.67 SEK 342

4.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 165

$13.75 SEK 128

28.36%

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

$165 SEK 1,541

$159 SEK 1,481

4.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

15.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 909

$125 SEK 1,168

-22.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 461

$33.73 SEK 315

46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,090

$126 SEK 1,175

-7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,907

$172 SEK 1,605

18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

$791 SEK 7,376

100.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

$578 SEK 5,395

91.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

95.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

$1,053 SEK 9,824

71.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

267.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

181.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

38.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.2

-0.95%

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

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Stockholm and $791 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 38% 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: $112 in Stockholm vs $94.0 in Lulea. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $428, with Stockholm cheaper for home cooking.

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 33% 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.

Stockholm pays 38% more on average, 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: $1,589 in Stockholm versus $791 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Stockholm pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $94.0 versus $112 in Stockholm. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,505 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 $1,885 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 33% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.