Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in Sweden: $1,917 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Canada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Sweden
Canada
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,917
/mo nomad
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,310
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sweden and in Canada

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sweden and in Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,917 per month in Sweden vs $2,310 in Canada, rent included.

  • Sweden $1,917
  • Canada $2,310

A couple spends around $2,943 per month in Sweden vs $3,356 in Canada, rent included.

  • Sweden $2,943
  • Canada $3,356

A family of three spends $3,968 per month in Sweden vs $4,403 in Canada, rent included.

  • Sweden $3,968
  • Canada $4,403

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in Sweden ($1,436–$2,531), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Sweden is roughly 17% lower than in Canada on average.

Both Sweden and Canada are pricier than the global median – Sweden by 41%, Canada by 70%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sweden
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.63 SEK 144
$18.16 CA$25.38
-19.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.6 SEK 792
$71.2 CA$99.5
13.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 SEK 108
$10.81 CA$15.11
1.57%
Cappuccino
$4.66 SEK 45.72
$3.78 CA$5.28
23.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 SEK 26.66
$2.11 CA$2.95
28.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 SEK 22.72
$1.66 CA$2.32
39.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.02 SEK 78.7
$5.62 CA$7.85
42.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.41 SEK 72.8
$5.72 CA$7.99
29.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sweden
Canada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 SEK 16.32
$2.17 CA$3.04
-23.50%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 SEK 29.70
$2.60 CA$3.64
16.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.61 SEK 35.48
$3.65 CA$5.10
-1.10%
Eggs
$4.27 SEK 41.92
$3.63 CA$5.07
17.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.73 SEK 115
$10.76 CA$15.04
9.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 SEK 113
$11.90 CA$16.62
-3.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.86 SEK 185
$15.42 CA$21.55
22.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 SEK 29.40
$4.03 CA$5.63
-25.81%
Banana (1kg)
$2.55 SEK 25.08
$1.38 CA$1.93
84.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 SEK 29.12
$3.88 CA$5.41
-23.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 SEK 42.62
$4.08 CA$5.70
6.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 SEK 16.76
$2.57 CA$3.59
-33.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 SEK 15.55
$2.48 CA$3.46
-36.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 SEK 23.68
$2.65 CA$3.70
-9.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 SEK 13.78
$1.71 CA$2.40
-18.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.92 SEK 77.8
$14.32 CA$20.01
-44.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.97 SEK 108
$13.49 CA$18.84
-18.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 SEK 19.51
$2.84 CA$3.97
-29.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 SEK 20.15
$3.30 CA$4.61
-37.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Sweden
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.75 SEK 36.78
$2.55 CA$3.57
47.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.6 SEK 811
$71.9 CA$100
14.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.16 SEK 60.5
$3.18 CA$4.44
93.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 SEK 19.11
$1.54 CA$2.15
26.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.1 SEK 580
$26.69 CA$37.29
121.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 SEK 17.69
$1.24 CA$1.74
45.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.9K SEK 323.3K
$27.9K CA$38.9K
18.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K SEK 333.1K
$21.1K CA$29.4K
61.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sweden
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 SEK 1,286
$147 CA$206
-11.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.75 SEK 263
$41.80 CA$58.4
-36.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.08 SEK 374
$60.2 CA$84.1
-36.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sweden
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.21 SEK 385
$39.01 CA$54.5
0.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.16 SEK 267
$19.06 CA$26.63
42.50%
Cinema Ticket
$14.88 SEK 146
$11.21 CA$15.66
32.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sweden
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$151 SEK 1,483
$721 CA$1,007
-79.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,223 SEK 41.5K
$14.8K CA$20.7K
-71.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sweden
Canada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.6 SEK 919
$55.3 CA$77.2
69.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.42 SEK 417
$38.95 CA$54.4
8.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 SEK 972
$87.4 CA$122
13.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 SEK 1,422
$101 CA$142
43.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sweden
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$898 SEK 8,821
$1,290 CA$1,803
-30.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 SEK 7,115
$1,130 CA$1,579
-35.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,464 SEK 14.4K
$2,036 CA$2,845
-28.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 SEK 11.5K
$1,731 CA$2,418
-32.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,168 SEK 50.8K
$4,769 CA$6,663
8.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,366 SEK 33.0K
$3,730 CA$5,211
-9.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sweden
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,056 SEK 30.0K
$3,070 CA$4,289
-0.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.66
4.87
-24.85%

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

Last update for Sweden: October 27, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sweden
$725
Canada
$1.1K 56% $405
Groceries & Markets
Sweden
$363
Canada
$371 2.3% $8.4
Eating Out
Sweden
$281
Canada
$278 1.1% $3.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sweden
$196
Canada
$249 27.4% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Sweden
$171
Canada
$127 25.5% $44
Getting Around
Sweden
$113
Canada
$93 18% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Sweden
$69
Canada
$61 10.9% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $830 in Sweden vs $1,250 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,614 in Stockholm and $1,434 in Ottawa.

Average salary: $2,910 in Sweden vs $2,968 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 51% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 20% more in Sweden.

Public transport is 18% more expensive in Sweden.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇨🇦 Canada
🕒 Local time
02:09 2:09 AM
20:09 8:09 PM
6 h behind Sweden
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,587,710
36,991,981
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sweden Canada 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sweden
  • Canada

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Sweden vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Sweden?
Sweden is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 17% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $830 in Sweden.
Should I move to Canada or to Sweden?
Sweden is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Sweden vs other spots: cost of living compared

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