Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Queenstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Queenstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Stockholm versus $2,730 in Queenstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Stockholm versus $4,283 in Queenstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Stockholm versus $5,836 in Queenstown.

Living in Stockholm costs roughly 8% less than in Queenstown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 87% above, Queenstown 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 150

$14.92 NZ$25.19

8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,045

$85.1 NZ$144

31.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 108

$9.47 NZ$15.99

22.28%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.40

$3.50 NZ$5.90

45.14%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.79

$2.45 NZ$4.14

34.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.35

$2.34 NZ$3.95

6.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 80.9

$7.13 NZ$12.03

21.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 77.5

$5.90 NZ$9.96

40.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.03

$2.27 NZ$3.84

-24.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.29

$2.05 NZ$3.46

68.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.28

$2.51 NZ$4.24

58.96%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.00

$6.29 NZ$10.62

-24.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$10.13 NZ$17.10

28.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$10.72 NZ$18.10

20.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 183

$16.79 NZ$28.34

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.73

$3.15 NZ$5.32

14.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.37

$2.48 NZ$4.18

14.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.62

$4.15 NZ$7.01

-18.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 42.88

$5.83 NZ$9.84

-21.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.70

$2.69 NZ$4.54

-29.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.54

$2.34 NZ$3.95

-19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.27

$2.80 NZ$4.73

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 14.98

$1.10 NZ$1.85

46.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$29.38 NZ$49.60

-73.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 120

$10.29 NZ$17.38

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.15

$4.85 NZ$8.19

-55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 20.95

$6.85 NZ$11.57

-67.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.60

$2.75 NZ$4.64

66.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,028

$128 NZ$216

-13.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.5

$2.81 NZ$4.75

123.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.67

$1.82 NZ$3.07

-13.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 583

$31.15 NZ$52.6

100.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.67 NZ$2.83

8.98%

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

$33.0K SEK 307.6K

$30.0K NZ$50.7K

9.70%

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

$35.4K SEK 330.5K

$17.9K NZ$30.2K

98.19%

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

$229 SEK 2,133

$282 NZ$477

-19.04%

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

$28.82 SEK 269

$40.45 NZ$68.3

-28.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 389

$62.3 NZ$105

-33.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 435

$57.6 NZ$97.3

-19.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 359

$24.81 NZ$41.89

55.02%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 165

$13.14 NZ$22.19

34.32%

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

$165 SEK 1,541

$490 NZ$827

-66.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.2K

$6,906 NZ$11.7K

-3.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 909

$87.9 NZ$148

10.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 461

$50.0 NZ$84.4

-1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,090

$98.4 NZ$166

18.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,907

$278 NZ$469

-26.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.8K

$1,461 NZ$2,466

8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.3K

$1,298 NZ$2,192

-14.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 25.8K

$3,037 NZ$5,127

-8.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 16.8K

$2,556 NZ$4,315

-29.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 114.3K

$8,161 NZ$13.8K

50.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.4K

$5,609 NZ$9,469

19.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.3K

$3,223 NZ$5,441

17.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

6.74

-38.28%

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

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Last update for Queenstown: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Stockholm and $1,461 in Queenstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $112 in Stockholm vs $85.0 in Queenstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $385 per month, with Queenstown 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 Queenstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Stockholm pays 17% 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 $1,461 in Queenstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Stockholm – a meal for two runs $112 versus $85.0 in Queenstown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,505 per month in Stockholm versus $2,730 in Queenstown – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Stockholm is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Stockholm is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Queenstown, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stockholm and Queenstown 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 Stockholm gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.