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: $1,861 in Sweden versus $718 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,886 in Sweden versus $1,146 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,911 in Sweden versus $1,574 in China.

Living in Sweden is roughly 159% more expensive than in China on average.

Sweden (36% above) and China (48% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sweden: monthly costs span $1,466 to $2,747, compared to $466–$1,226 in China. City choice carries more weight in Sweden.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 SEK 146

$2.93 ¥19.65

424.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 SEK 783

$21.85 ¥147

278.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 SEK 109

$5.04 ¥33.83

127.78%

Cappuccino

$4.99 SEK 47.30

$3.02 ¥20.28

65.23%

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

$2.92 SEK 27.71

$0.47 ¥3.18

521.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.57

$0.28 ¥1.85

750.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 SEK 79.5

$1.07 ¥7.17

684.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 SEK 75.7

$2.27 ¥15.25

251.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.88

$1.80 ¥12.10

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 SEK 29.63

$1.70 ¥11.41

84.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 SEK 34.79

$0.97 ¥6.48

278.35%

Eggs

$4.32 SEK 40.97

$1.61 ¥10.81

168.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 SEK 117

$13.00 ¥87.3

-5.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 SEK 118

$3.39 ¥22.77

267.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.94 SEK 189

$11.32 ¥76.0

76.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 SEK 29.98

$1.78 ¥11.97

77.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 SEK 26.08

$1.25 ¥8.37

120.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.59

$1.47 ¥9.89

119.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 SEK 43.24

$1.29 ¥8.69

253.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.33

$0.79 ¥5.28

131.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 16.45

$0.86 ¥5.79

102.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 SEK 22.87

$0.64 ¥4.32

276.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SEK 14.54

$0.59 ¥3.95

159.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 79.2

$3.80 ¥25.50

120.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 SEK 111

$11.90 ¥79.9

-2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 19.27

$0.85 ¥5.69

138.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.71

$1.70 ¥11.42

28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 36.05

$0.29 ¥1.93

1210.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.3 SEK 865

$22.27 ¥150

309.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 SEK 60.0

$1.47 ¥9.86

330.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 SEK 18.49

$0.37 ¥2.50

427.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.1 SEK 607

$7.02 ¥47.12

813.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.60

$1.26 ¥8.47

47.62%

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

$34.8K SEK 329.7K

$19.0K ¥127.5K

83.31%

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

$35.2K SEK 333.1K

$17.0K ¥114.3K

106.67%

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

$134 SEK 1,272

$55.3 ¥371

142.83%

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

$27.55 SEK 261

$8.77 ¥58.9

214.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.52 SEK 384

$10.78 ¥72.4

275.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 SEK 397

$39.49 ¥265

6.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.58 SEK 261

$14.61 ¥98.1

88.77%

Cinema Ticket

$16.62 SEK 158

$6.72 ¥45.15

147.32%

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

$160 SEK 1,512

$447 ¥3,002

-64.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,931 SEK 46.7K

$19.7K ¥132.4K

-74.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 SEK 910

$43.69 ¥293

119.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.36 SEK 411

$34.93 ¥235

24.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SEK 1,013

$77.0 ¥517

38.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 SEK 1,443

$77.2 ¥518

97.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 SEK 8,694

$384 ¥2,579

138.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 SEK 6,773

$231 ¥1,549

209.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 SEK 14.3K

$824 ¥5,534

83.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 SEK 11.5K

$472 ¥3,169

157.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,432 SEK 51.5K

$4,687 ¥31.5K

15.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,503 SEK 33.2K

$2,343 ¥15.7K

49.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,128 SEK 29.6K

$1,082 ¥7,269

189.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

3.47

5.76%

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

Last update for Sweden: August 18, 2026

Last update for China: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $859 in Sweden, $290 in China. Capital cities: $1,807 in Stockholm vs $953 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $3,032 in Sweden, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 196% higher in Sweden.

Dining out costs 281% more in Sweden.

Public transport is 376% more expensive in Sweden.

Salaries are 254% higher in Sweden, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Sweden.

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 $846 per month in China and $2,107 in Sweden, there's a 149% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: 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 is consistently higher than in 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 stretches only to regional areas and 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.