Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Vasteras Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Vasteras

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,505 per month in Stockholm vs $1,719 in Vasteras, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,800 per month in Stockholm vs $2,758 in Vasteras, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,096 per month in Stockholm vs $3,797 in Vasteras, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 46% more than Vasteras, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Stockholm and Vasteras sit above the global median – Stockholm by 87%, Vasteras by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 151

$14.87 SEK 140

8.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,052

$68.4 SEK 643

63.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 109

$10.38 SEK 97.5

11.56%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.72

$4.45 SEK 41.79

14.16%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.99

$2.83 SEK 26.55

16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.51

$2.49 SEK 23.41

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 81.5

$7.85 SEK 73.7

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 78.0

$7.33 SEK 68.9

13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.14

$1.60 SEK 14.99

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.50

$2.67 SEK 25.04

29.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.52

$3.79 SEK 35.57

5.28%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.30

$4.07 SEK 38.21

15.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$11.74 SEK 110

10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 121

$12.59 SEK 118

2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 184

$15.73 SEK 148

24.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.96

$3.33 SEK 31.27

8.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.54

$2.59 SEK 24.33

9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.83

$3.59 SEK 33.73

-5.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 43.17

$3.79 SEK 35.60

21.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.82

$1.55 SEK 14.54

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.66

$2.00 SEK 18.79

-6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.43

$2.71 SEK 25.41

-4.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.08

$1.73 SEK 16.26

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$7.26 SEK 68.2

7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 121

$14.39 SEK 135

-10.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.29

$1.40 SEK 13.18

54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.09

$1.89 SEK 17.73

18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.88

$3.45 SEK 32.43

32.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,035

$73.2 SEK 688

50.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.9

$3.71 SEK 34.89

69.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.77

$1.64 SEK 15.45

-4.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 587

$85.6 SEK 804

-27.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.09

$1.96 SEK 18.37

-7.14%

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

$33.0K SEK 309.6K

$32.9K SEK 309.0K

0.20%

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

$35.4K SEK 332.7K

$34.8K SEK 327.2K

1.67%

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

$229 SEK 2,148

$91.0 SEK 855

151.23%

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

$28.82 SEK 271

$29.29 SEK 275

-1.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 392

$36.93 SEK 347

12.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 438

$36.70 SEK 345

26.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 361

$20.74 SEK 195

85.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 166

$19.27 SEK 181

-8.41%

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

$165 SEK 1,552

$156 SEK 1,463

6.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.6K

$5,313 SEK 49.9K

25.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 915

$94.1 SEK 884

3.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 464

$41.89 SEK 393

18.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,097

$93.6 SEK 879

24.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,920

$125 SEK 1,170

64.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.9K

$824 SEK 7,743

92.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.4K

$591 SEK 5,551

87.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 26.0K

$1,480 SEK 13.9K

87.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 17.0K

$1,124 SEK 10.6K

60.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 115.0K

$3,944 SEK 37.0K

210.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.8K

$2,666 SEK 25.0K

150.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.5K

$3,207 SEK 30.1K

17.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.87

-14.58%

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

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Stockholm versus $824 in Vasteras. 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 18% 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 $68.0 in Vasteras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $365 – making Vasteras 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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm costs about 46% more than Vasteras, 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 $3,758 per month in Stockholm and $2,579 in Vasteras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 50% less in Vasteras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $165 per month in Stockholm and $156 in Vasteras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Vasteras, where all-in costs run around $1,719, than in Stockholm at $2,505. In Vasteras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Vasteras costs $1,719 versus $2,505 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 Vasteras. 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.