Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Sala Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Sala

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Stockholm vs $1,496 in Sala, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,842 per month in Stockholm vs $2,234 in Sala, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,138 per month in Stockholm vs $2,973 in Sala, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 70% more than Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Stockholm and Sala sit above the global median – Stockholm by 90%, Sala by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 SEK 150

$12.80 SEK 119

26.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,035

$63.5 SEK 589

75.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 108

$10.15 SEK 94.1

15.07%

Cappuccino

$4.99 SEK 46.24

$3.18 SEK 29.46

56.92%

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

$3.19 SEK 29.61

$1.83 SEK 17.00

74.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.08

$2.47 SEK 22.92

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.28 SEK 76.8

$7.29 SEK 67.6

13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 SEK 77.1

$7.56 SEK 70.1

10.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 16.41

$1.83 SEK 17.01

-3.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 SEK 31.56

$2.65 SEK 24.57

28.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 SEK 36.05

$3.68 SEK 34.12

5.71%

Eggs

$4.58 SEK 42.50

$4.07 SEK 37.73

12.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 SEK 119

$11.73 SEK 109

9.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 SEK 122

$11.91 SEK 110

10.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 SEK 179

$15.92 SEK 148

21.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 SEK 33.06

$3.02 SEK 28.01

18.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.27

$2.70 SEK 25.03

4.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 SEK 31.97

$2.72 SEK 25.25

26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 SEK 42.91

$5.14 SEK 47.63

-9.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 SEK 18.29

$1.52 SEK 14.08

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.41

$1.20 SEK 11.10

56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 23.60

$2.72 SEK 25.24

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SEK 15.04

$1.07 SEK 9.88

51.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 SEK 74.7

$7.55 SEK 70.0

6.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 SEK 130

$6.47 SEK 60.0

117.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 19.88

$2.48 SEK 22.95

-13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 20.98

$1.88 SEK 17.46

20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 SEK 43.32

$3.22 SEK 29.81

45.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 SEK 1,054

$21.91 SEK 203

419.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 58.6

$6.25 SEK 58.0

1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 14.69

$1.66 SEK 15.39

-4.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 SEK 574

$21.07 SEK 195

193.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 16.62

$1.98 SEK 18.34

-9.60%

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

$33.0K SEK 305.7K

$42.7K SEK 395.4K

-22.68%

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

$34.7K SEK 321.4K

$34.4K SEK 318.6K

0.88%

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

$230 SEK 2,134

$88.1 SEK 816

161.36%

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

$28.63 SEK 265

$21.33 SEK 198

34.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.89 SEK 398

$37.05 SEK 343

15.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 SEK 432

$48.76 SEK 452

-4.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.08 SEK 344

$21.11 SEK 196

75.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.90 SEK 166

$19.10 SEK 177

-6.28%

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

$161 SEK 1,491

$147 SEK 1,362

9.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,546 SEK 60.7K

$1,286 SEK 11.9K

409.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 SEK 888

$47.81 SEK 443

100.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 SEK 448

$36.57 SEK 339

32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 SEK 1,080

$55.6 SEK 516

109.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 SEK 1,931

$58.8 SEK 545

254.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 SEK 14.6K

$755 SEK 7,000

108.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 SEK 10.3K

$534 SEK 4,949

108.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 SEK 26.1K

$984 SEK 9,125

185.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 SEK 16.4K

$720 SEK 6,676

146.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 113.2K

$4,275 SEK 39.6K

185.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 SEK 60.4K

$3,074 SEK 28.5K

111.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,839 SEK 35.6K

$2,601 SEK 24.1K

47.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.53

-8.17%

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

Last update for Stockholm: April 28, 2026

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Stockholm versus $755 in Sala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 48% higher in Stockholm, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $112 in Stockholm versus $63 in Sala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $346 – making Sala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm costs about 70% more than Sala, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,820 per month in Stockholm and $2,244 in Sala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $161 per month in Stockholm and $147 in Sala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Stockholm, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sala, where all-in costs run around $1,496, than in Stockholm at $2,547. In Sala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sala costs $1,496 versus $2,547 in Stockholm. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.