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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,631 per month in Stockholm vs $1,788 in Varnamo, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,058 per month in Stockholm vs $2,849 in Varnamo, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,486 per month in Stockholm vs $3,910 in Varnamo, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 47% more than Varnamo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Stockholm and Varnamo sit above the global median – Stockholm by 92%, Varnamo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 SEK 185

$13.63 SEK 134

38.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 SEK 1,027

$94.6 SEK 932

10.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 SEK 120

$12.37 SEK 122

-1.54%

Cappuccino

$5.23 SEK 51.5

$4.93 SEK 48.62

6.09%

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

$3.69 SEK 36.36

$2.76 SEK 27.22

33.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 SEK 29.80

$2.23 SEK 21.94

35.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 SEK 82.1

$8.28 SEK 81.6

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 SEK 92.0

$7.34 SEK 72.4

27.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.72

$1.71 SEK 16.84

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.15 SEK 40.91

$2.73 SEK 26.91

52.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 SEK 38.50

$3.92 SEK 38.63

-0.26%

Eggs

$5.29 SEK 52.2

$4.70 SEK 46.33

12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 SEK 128

$13.11 SEK 129

-0.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.43 SEK 132

$12.30 SEK 121

9.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.60 SEK 223

$17.53 SEK 173

28.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 35.89

$3.13 SEK 30.89

16.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.94

$3.00 SEK 29.57

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 32.41

$2.89 SEK 28.44

13.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 SEK 44.32

$4.68 SEK 46.08

-3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.13

$1.79 SEK 17.66

-2.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.46

$1.49 SEK 14.70

18.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 SEK 24.27

$2.74 SEK 27.00

-10.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 SEK 23.17

$1.60 SEK 15.81

46.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 SEK 87.4

$8.02 SEK 79.0

10.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 SEK 121

$11.67 SEK 115

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 SEK 20.61

$2.03 SEK 19.96

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SEK 25.47

$2.79 SEK 27.45

-7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 SEK 42.77

$3.41 SEK 33.57

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,058

$80.1 SEK 789

34.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 SEK 58.7

$5.14 SEK 50.6

15.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SEK 15.25

$1.16 SEK 11.45

33.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.2 SEK 563

$43.03 SEK 424

32.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.64

$1.80 SEK 17.72

-0.56%

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

$34.4K SEK 339.1K

$34.1K SEK 336.2K

0.86%

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

$35.3K SEK 347.8K

$34.4K SEK 338.5K

2.74%

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

$264 SEK 2,602

$81.5 SEK 803

224.20%

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

$21.83 SEK 215

$32.13 SEK 317

-32.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.49 SEK 409

$42.81 SEK 422

-3.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.66 SEK 470

$39.50 SEK 389

20.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.48 SEK 389

$26.42 SEK 260

49.43%

Cinema Ticket

$19.15 SEK 189

$15.50 SEK 153

23.55%

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

$166 SEK 1,637

$165 SEK 1,628

0.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K SEK 167.9K

$5,125 SEK 50.5K

232.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 SEK 1,126

$83.1 SEK 819

37.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 SEK 595

$60.5 SEK 596

-0.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 SEK 1,363

$106 SEK 1,043

30.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 SEK 1,864

$129 SEK 1,271

46.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 SEK 17.4K

$844 SEK 8,319

109.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 SEK 10.6K

$621 SEK 6,118

72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,181 SEK 31.3K

$1,410 SEK 13.9K

125.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 SEK 18.5K

$1,038 SEK 10.2K

81.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 116.3K

$4,235 SEK 41.7K

178.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,814 SEK 67.2K

$2,859 SEK 28.2K

138.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,595 SEK 35.4K

$2,104 SEK 20.7K

70.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

3.03

11.22%

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

Last update for Stockholm: September 13, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,771 in Stockholm versus $844 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 71% 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 $95.0 in Varnamo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $379 – 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 47% more than Varnamo, 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 $2,682 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 34% less in Varnamo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $166 per month in Stockholm and $165 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 $1,788, than in Stockholm at $2,631. 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 $1,788 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 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.