Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,829 in Sweden versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,832 in Sweden versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,834 in Sweden versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Sweden is roughly 157% more expensive than China on average.

Sweden (36% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sweden: monthly costs span $1,457 to $2,501, compared to $535–$1,206 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sweden.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.96 SEK 140

$2.86 ¥19.36

423.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 SEK 803

$23.29 ¥158

267.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 SEK 104

$4.83 ¥32.66

129.19%

Cappuccino

$4.69 SEK 43.99

$3.04 ¥20.52

54.28%

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

$2.74 SEK 25.75

$0.45 ¥3.03

508.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SEK 21.53

$0.27 ¥1.81

751.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 SEK 72.1

$0.99 ¥6.71

675.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 SEK 75.8

$2.03 ¥13.74

298.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 SEK 15.54

$1.75 ¥11.86

-5.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 SEK 27.85

$1.67 ¥11.31

77.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.79 SEK 35.57

$0.97 ¥6.56

290.72%

Eggs

$4.45 SEK 41.77

$1.54 ¥10.45

188.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 SEK 113

$13.30 ¥89.9

-9.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.18 SEK 114

$3.21 ¥21.69

279.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 SEK 179

$10.79 ¥73.0

76.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 SEK 29.95

$1.81 ¥12.27

76.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 26.09

$1.31 ¥8.84

112.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 SEK 30.50

$1.50 ¥10.15

116.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 40.83

$1.14 ¥7.74

281.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 16.58

$0.73 ¥4.90

142.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.34

$0.87 ¥5.86

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 SEK 22.86

$0.57 ¥3.85

328.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SEK 13.52

$0.54 ¥3.63

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 74.5

$3.53 ¥23.88

124.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 SEK 108

$11.71 ¥79.2

-1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 19.20

$0.84 ¥5.67

144.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SEK 21.42

$1.67 ¥11.29

36.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 SEK 35.41

$0.41 ¥2.75

819.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.6 SEK 860

$20.78 ¥141

340.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.46 SEK 60.6

$1.36 ¥9.21

375.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SEK 17.13

$0.33 ¥2.21

454.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.2 SEK 584

$6.86 ¥46.40

807.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.58

$1.12 ¥7.57

76.79%

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

$32.2K SEK 302.2K

$19.2K ¥129.8K

67.90%

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

$34.1K SEK 320.3K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

101.78%

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

$128 SEK 1,205

$51.8 ¥350

147.87%

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

$28.79 SEK 270

$9.85 ¥66.6

192.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.37 SEK 369

$11.13 ¥75.3

253.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.18 SEK 396

$39.10 ¥264

7.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.75 SEK 260

$14.89 ¥101

86.37%

Cinema Ticket

$16.92 SEK 159

$6.25 ¥42.24

170.72%

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

$153 SEK 1,431

$404 ¥2,732

-62.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 SEK 24.4K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-85.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 SEK 875

$46.11 ¥312

102.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.79 SEK 392

$32.27 ¥218

29.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 980

$72.7 ¥491

43.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 SEK 1,403

$72.9 ¥493

105.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 SEK 8,770

$445 ¥3,009

110.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 SEK 7,052

$255 ¥1,727

194.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 SEK 14.9K

$927 ¥6,266

71.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 SEK 11.3K

$532 ¥3,600

125.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,453 SEK 51.1K

$4,943 ¥33.4K

10.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,565 SEK 33.4K

$2,492 ¥16.9K

43.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 29.5K

$1,057 ¥7,148

197.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

4.06

11.33%

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

Last update for Sweden: June 9, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $865 in Sweden, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,591 in Stockholm vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,051 in Sweden, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 202% higher in Sweden.

Dining out costs 267% more in Sweden.

Public transport is 328% more expensive in Sweden.

Salaries are 254% higher in Sweden, giving Sweden stronger purchasing power.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $871 per month in China and $1,979 in Sweden, there's a 127% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Sweden beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Sweden, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Sweden may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.