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: $1,833 in Sweden versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,835 in Sweden versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,836 in Sweden versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Sweden is roughly 158% more expensive than China on average.

Sweden (37% above) and China (47% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sweden: monthly costs span $1,472 to $2,547, compared to $525–$1,220 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sweden.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 SEK 137

$2.75 ¥18.83

436.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 SEK 771

$24.03 ¥165

244.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.49 SEK 107

$4.96 ¥33.95

131.65%

Cappuccino

$4.82 SEK 44.86

$3.12 ¥21.37

54.49%

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

$2.85 SEK 26.48

$0.48 ¥3.26

493.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 21.58

$0.27 ¥1.84

759.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 SEK 75.0

$0.98 ¥6.73

723.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 SEK 73.4

$2.15 ¥14.69

266.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.14

$1.83 ¥12.53

-4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 SEK 28.77

$1.68 ¥11.54

83.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 SEK 34.73

$0.91 ¥6.21

309.89%

Eggs

$4.30 SEK 40.00

$1.56 ¥10.66

175.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 SEK 110

$12.97 ¥88.9

-8.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 114

$3.25 ¥22.23

276.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.00 SEK 177

$10.51 ¥72.0

80.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 SEK 30.36

$1.81 ¥12.41

80.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 SEK 25.56

$1.30 ¥8.90

111.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 29.21

$1.50 ¥10.26

109.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 SEK 42.60

$1.15 ¥7.87

298.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.41

$0.76 ¥5.20

131.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 SEK 16.08

$0.89 ¥6.07

94.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 SEK 22.66

$0.58 ¥3.97

320.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SEK 14.03

$0.58 ¥3.95

160.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 75.0

$3.50 ¥23.95

130.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 SEK 111

$11.55 ¥79.1

3.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 19.11

$0.78 ¥5.31

162.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SEK 20.18

$1.61 ¥11.03

34.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 SEK 34.53

$0.44 ¥3.01

743.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 SEK 846

$21.15 ¥145

330.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 SEK 57.3

$1.36 ¥9.35

352.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SEK 17.19

$0.36 ¥2.44

413.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 582

$6.61 ¥45.28

847.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 17.93

$1.13 ¥7.74

70.80%

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

$33.2K SEK 308.6K

$19.7K ¥135.2K

68.05%

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

$34.7K SEK 322.9K

$17.1K ¥117.0K

103.24%

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

$129 SEK 1,203

$50.9 ¥349

154.02%

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

$29.20 SEK 272

$10.03 ¥68.7

191.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.94 SEK 362

$11.33 ¥77.6

243.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.04 SEK 382

$40.13 ¥275

2.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.88 SEK 259

$14.97 ¥103

86.24%

Cinema Ticket

$16.68 SEK 155

$6.09 ¥41.74

173.89%

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

$152 SEK 1,414

$418 ¥2,860

-63.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,558 SEK 23.8K

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-85.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 SEK 878

$46.40 ¥318

103.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.30 SEK 384

$32.92 ¥226

25.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 SEK 951

$71.1 ¥487

43.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 SEK 1,391

$72.9 ¥499

105.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 SEK 8,822

$438 ¥3,003

116.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 SEK 6,936

$259 ¥1,775

187.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 SEK 15.0K

$926 ¥6,341

74.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 SEK 11.1K

$548 ¥3,754

117.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,450 SEK 60.0K

$5,047 ¥34.6K

27.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,944 SEK 36.7K

$2,666 ¥18.3K

47.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,341 SEK 31.1K

$1,074 ¥7,357

211.10%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $865 in Sweden, $286 in China. Capital cities: $1,576 in Stockholm vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,125 in Sweden, $834 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 275% 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 $873 per month in China and $2,010 in Sweden, there's a 130% 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.