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: $2,582 in Stockholm versus $1,865 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,840 in Stockholm versus $3,060 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Stockholm versus $4,256 in Lulea.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 38% more expensive than in Lulea, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 93% above, Lulea 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 155

$12.56 SEK 121

28.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,062

$94.6 SEK 911

16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 113

$11.60 SEK 112

0.69%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 50.1

$4.87 SEK 46.91

6.78%

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

$3.28 SEK 31.64

$2.55 SEK 24.56

28.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.78

$1.97 SEK 19.01

25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 SEK 82.0

$8.57 SEK 82.6

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 80.1

$9.97 SEK 96.0

-16.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.33

$1.93 SEK 18.64

-6.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.84

$3.42 SEK 32.98

-0.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 39.19

$5.07 SEK 48.86

-19.72%

Eggs

$4.70 SEK 45.33

$4.74 SEK 45.70

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 123

$12.76 SEK 123

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$14.05 SEK 135

-5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 SEK 187

$28.00 SEK 270

-30.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 34.66

$2.61 SEK 25.15

37.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.93

$2.76 SEK 26.58

5.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 32.54

$2.60 SEK 25.03

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 44.21

$4.36 SEK 42.04

5.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 18.92

$2.23 SEK 21.48

-12.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.17

$1.66 SEK 15.95

13.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 24.24

$3.48 SEK 33.52

-27.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.55

$1.44 SEK 13.84

11.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 77.7

$7.42 SEK 71.5

8.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 121

$12.34 SEK 119

1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$1.88 SEK 18.15

16.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 22.76

$1.85 SEK 17.87

27.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 43.89

$3.36 SEK 32.35

35.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,080

$58.3 SEK 562

92.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 61.7

$9.54 SEK 91.9

-32.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$1.73 SEK 16.68

-4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 SEK 610

$74.5 SEK 718

-15.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.92

$1.89 SEK 18.22

-1.59%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.3K

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

2.64%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.9K

$35.7K SEK 343.7K

-3.15%

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

$227 SEK 2,189

$176 SEK 1,692

29.40%

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

$29.59 SEK 285

$31.87 SEK 307

-7.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 SEK 405

$28.56 SEK 275

47.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 SEK 443

$48.58 SEK 468

-5.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 SEK 367

$36.54 SEK 352

4.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 SEK 171

$13.73 SEK 132

29.50%

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

$164 SEK 1,582

$163 SEK 1,566

1.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,573 SEK 63.3K

$5,827 SEK 56.2K

12.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 941

$124 SEK 1,190

-20.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 SEK 480

$33.60 SEK 324

48.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,159

$130 SEK 1,252

-7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,945

$170 SEK 1,643

18.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

$806 SEK 7,765

94.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$589 SEK 5,675

84.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 SEK 26.5K

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

91.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

66.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 113.3K

$3,107 SEK 29.9K

278.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$2,323 SEK 22.4K

179.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,643 SEK 35.1K

$2,654 SEK 25.6K

37.27%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Stockholm and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 37% 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: $110 in Stockholm vs $95.0 in Lulea. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $426, 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 38% 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 37% 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: $1,566 in Stockholm versus $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Stockholm pay roughly 6% 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 $95.0 versus $110 in Stockholm. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,582 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 $1,865 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 38% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.