Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Varnamo Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Varnamo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,547 per month in Stockholm vs $1,814 in Varnamo, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,842 per month in Stockholm vs $2,828 in Varnamo, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,138 per month in Stockholm vs $3,842 in Varnamo, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 40% more than Varnamo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Stockholm and Varnamo sit above the global median – Stockholm by 90%, Varnamo by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 SEK 150

$12.57 SEK 117

28.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,038

$87.3 SEK 812

27.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 109

$12.19 SEK 113

-4.18%

Cappuccino

$4.99 SEK 46.39

$5.05 SEK 46.93

-1.19%

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

$3.19 SEK 29.70

$2.84 SEK 26.38

12.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.16

$2.07 SEK 19.28

20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.28 SEK 77.0

$8.00 SEK 74.4

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 SEK 77.3

$7.51 SEK 69.8

10.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 16.47

$1.60 SEK 14.90

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 SEK 31.66

$2.13 SEK 19.83

59.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 SEK 36.17

$2.94 SEK 27.34

32.31%

Eggs

$4.58 SEK 42.64

$4.44 SEK 41.29

3.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 SEK 120

$13.16 SEK 122

-2.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.17 SEK 123

$11.74 SEK 109

12.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 SEK 180

$16.83 SEK 157

15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 SEK 33.16

$3.17 SEK 29.50

12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.36

$2.82 SEK 26.23

0.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 SEK 32.07

$2.77 SEK 25.75

24.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 SEK 43.05

$4.52 SEK 42.07

2.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 SEK 18.34

$1.69 SEK 15.69

16.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.46

$1.59 SEK 14.83

18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 23.67

$2.66 SEK 24.78

-4.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SEK 15.08

$1.28 SEK 11.89

26.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 SEK 74.9

$8.20 SEK 76.3

-1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 SEK 131

$12.22 SEK 114

14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 19.95

$2.02 SEK 18.80

5.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.05

$2.25 SEK 20.91

0.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.67 SEK 43.46

$3.48 SEK 32.36

34.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 SEK 1,058

$73.7 SEK 686

54.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 SEK 58.8

$5.61 SEK 52.2

12.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 14.74

$2.56 SEK 23.77

-38.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 SEK 576

$63.8 SEK 593

-3.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 16.67

$1.89 SEK 17.61

-5.29%

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

$33.0K SEK 306.7K

$32.7K SEK 303.8K

0.97%

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

$34.7K SEK 322.5K

$34.1K SEK 316.8K

1.79%

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

$230 SEK 2,141

$123 SEK 1,141

87.55%

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

$28.63 SEK 266

$29.26 SEK 272

-2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.89 SEK 399

$40.11 SEK 373

6.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 SEK 433

$41.27 SEK 384

12.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.08 SEK 345

$24.88 SEK 231

49.04%

Cinema Ticket

$17.90 SEK 166

$17.70 SEK 165

1.13%

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

$161 SEK 1,496

$179 SEK 1,664

-10.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,546 SEK 60.9K

$4,165 SEK 38.7K

57.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 SEK 891

$80.2 SEK 746

19.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 SEK 449

$61.0 SEK 567

-20.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 SEK 1,083

$106 SEK 986

9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$208 SEK 1,937

$127 SEK 1,181

64.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 SEK 14.7K

$833 SEK 7,743

89.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 SEK 10.4K

$663 SEK 6,169

67.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 SEK 26.1K

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

104.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 SEK 16.5K

$1,065 SEK 9,902

66.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 113.6K

$4,394 SEK 40.9K

177.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 SEK 60.6K

$3,014 SEK 28.0K

116.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,839 SEK 35.7K

$2,169 SEK 20.2K

76.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.8

-13.33%

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

Last update for Stockholm: April 28, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,576 in Stockholm versus $833 in Varnamo. 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 77% 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 $87.0 in Varnamo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $403 vs $355 – making Varnamo 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 Varnamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm costs about 40% more than Varnamo, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. 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 $2,720 in Varnamo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 54% less in Varnamo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $161 per month in Stockholm and $179 in Varnamo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Varnamo, where all-in costs run around $1,814, than in Stockholm at $2,547. In Varnamo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Varnamo costs $1,814 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 Varnamo. 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.