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: $2,582 in Stockholm versus $2,721 in Queenstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,840 in Stockholm versus $4,293 in Queenstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Stockholm versus $5,865 in Queenstown.

Living in Stockholm costs roughly 5% less than in Queenstown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 93% above, Queenstown 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 155

$15.10 NZ$25.84

6.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,062

$84.2 NZ$144

30.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 113

$9.83 NZ$16.81

18.82%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 50.1

$3.42 NZ$5.85

52.05%

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

$3.28 SEK 31.64

$2.36 NZ$4.04

38.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.78

$2.33 NZ$3.99

6.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 SEK 82.0

$7.16 NZ$12.24

18.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 80.1

$6.12 NZ$10.48

35.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.33

$2.17 NZ$3.70

-17.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.84

$2.09 NZ$3.58

63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 39.19

$2.42 NZ$4.15

68.18%

Eggs

$4.70 SEK 45.33

$6.60 NZ$11.30

-28.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 123

$9.98 NZ$17.08

27.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$10.66 NZ$18.24

24.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 SEK 187

$16.55 NZ$28.32

17.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 34.66

$3.12 NZ$5.34

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.93

$2.51 NZ$4.30

15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 32.54

$4.00 NZ$6.84

-15.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 44.21

$5.94 NZ$10.17

-22.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 18.92

$2.58 NZ$4.41

-24.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.17

$2.27 NZ$3.88

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 24.24

$2.82 NZ$4.82

-10.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.55

$1.11 NZ$1.91

45.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 77.7

$28.36 NZ$48.53

-71.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 121

$9.73 NZ$16.65

28.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$4.73 NZ$8.10

-53.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 22.76

$7.10 NZ$12.15

-66.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 43.89

$2.73 NZ$4.67

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,080

$128 NZ$219

-12.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 61.7

$2.85 NZ$4.87

124.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$1.87 NZ$3.19

-11.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 SEK 610

$31.84 NZ$54.5

98.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.92

$1.67 NZ$2.86

11.38%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.3K

$29.7K NZ$50.8K

11.29%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.9K

$17.8K NZ$30.5K

93.92%

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

$227 SEK 2,189

$283 NZ$485

-19.84%

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

$29.59 SEK 285

$40.99 NZ$70.1

-27.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 SEK 405

$64.0 NZ$109

-34.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 SEK 443

$58.7 NZ$100

-21.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 SEK 367

$24.66 NZ$42.19

54.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 SEK 171

$13.46 NZ$23.02

32.10%

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

$164 SEK 1,582

$498 NZ$852

-67.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,573 SEK 63.3K

$7,085 NZ$12.1K

-7.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 941

$87.2 NZ$149

11.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 SEK 480

$49.34 NZ$84.4

0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,159

$97.7 NZ$167

23.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,945

$283 NZ$484

-28.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

$1,491 NZ$2,551

5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$1,270 NZ$2,173

-14.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 SEK 26.5K

$3,030 NZ$5,184

-9.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

$2,587 NZ$4,427

-30.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 113.3K

$7,658 NZ$13.1K

53.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$5,369 NZ$9,186

20.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,643 SEK 35.1K

$3,095 NZ$5,296

17.70%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Queenstown: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Stockholm and $1,491 in Queenstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Stockholm vs $84.0 in Queenstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $382 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% 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 $1,491 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 $110 versus $84.0 in Queenstown. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,582 per month in Stockholm versus $2,721 in Queenstown – a 5% 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 5% less than in Queenstown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.