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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,631 per month in Stockholm vs $1,619 in Sala, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,058 per month in Stockholm vs $2,351 in Sala, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,486 per month in Stockholm vs $3,083 in Sala, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 62% more than Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Stockholm and Sala sit above the global median – Stockholm by 92%, Sala by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 SEK 185

$12.46 SEK 123

50.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 SEK 1,027

$61.7 SEK 608

69.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 SEK 120

$10.06 SEK 99.2

21.07%

Cappuccino

$5.23 SEK 51.5

$3.30 SEK 32.50

58.48%

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

$3.69 SEK 36.36

$1.87 SEK 18.44

97.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 SEK 29.80

$2.33 SEK 23.01

29.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 SEK 82.1

$7.12 SEK 70.2

16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 SEK 92.0

$7.32 SEK 72.2

27.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.72

$1.81 SEK 17.88

-6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 SEK 40.91

$2.62 SEK 25.85

58.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 SEK 38.50

$3.64 SEK 35.85

7.42%

Eggs

$5.29 SEK 52.2

$5.00 SEK 49.28

5.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 SEK 128

$11.89 SEK 117

9.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 SEK 132

$13.80 SEK 136

-2.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.60 SEK 223

$22.79 SEK 225

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 35.89

$3.08 SEK 30.39

18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.94

$2.68 SEK 26.39

5.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 32.41

$2.72 SEK 26.85

20.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 SEK 44.32

$4.92 SEK 48.51

-8.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.13

$1.54 SEK 15.16

12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.46

$1.22 SEK 12.06

45.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 SEK 24.27

$2.72 SEK 26.82

-9.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 SEK 23.17

$1.02 SEK 10.05

130.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 SEK 87.4

$7.33 SEK 72.2

21.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 SEK 121

$6.30 SEK 62.1

94.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 SEK 20.61

$2.01 SEK 19.80

3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SEK 25.47

$1.93 SEK 19.00

33.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 SEK 42.77

$3.11 SEK 30.65

39.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,058

$21.82 SEK 215

391.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 SEK 58.7

$6.03 SEK 59.4

-1.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SEK 15.25

$1.84 SEK 18.17

-15.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 SEK 563

$83.3 SEK 820

-31.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.64

$1.76 SEK 17.31

1.70%

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

$34.4K SEK 339.1K

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

-0.20%

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

$35.3K SEK 347.8K

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

3.00%

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

$264 SEK 2,602

$186 SEK 1,835

41.79%

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

$21.83 SEK 215

$21.01 SEK 207

3.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.49 SEK 409

$39.07 SEK 385

6.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.66 SEK 470

$47.16 SEK 465

1.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.48 SEK 389

$20.57 SEK 203

91.93%

Cinema Ticket

$19.15 SEK 189

$16.44 SEK 162

16.48%

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

$166 SEK 1,637

$164 SEK 1,618

1.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K SEK 167.9K

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

1245.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 SEK 1,126

$45.96 SEK 453

148.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 SEK 595

$36.55 SEK 360

65.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 SEK 1,363

$55.3 SEK 544

150.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 SEK 1,864

$57.8 SEK 570

227.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 SEK 17.4K

$757 SEK 7,464

133.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 SEK 10.6K

$536 SEK 5,285

99.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,181 SEK 31.3K

$967 SEK 9,533

228.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 SEK 18.5K

$714 SEK 7,040

163.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 116.3K

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

181.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,814 SEK 67.2K

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

132.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,595 SEK 35.4K

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

44.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

3.2

5.31%

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

Last update for Stockholm: September 13, 2026

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,771 in Stockholm versus $757 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 44% 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 $104 in Stockholm versus $62.0 in Sala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $376 – 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 62% 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 $3,946 per month in Stockholm and $2,429 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 $166 per month in Stockholm and $164 in Sala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sala, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Stockholm at $2,631. 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 $1,619 versus $2,631 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.