Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and India

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,917 in Sweden, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Sweden
India
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,917
/mo nomad
🇮🇳 India
$399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sweden and in India

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 India actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,917 in Sweden versus $399 in India.

  • Sweden $1,917
  • India $399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,943 in Sweden versus $639 in India.

  • Sweden $2,943
  • India $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,968 in Sweden versus $879 in India.

  • Sweden $3,968
  • India $879

Internal cost variation is higher in Sweden: monthly costs span $1,436 to $2,531, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Sweden.

Living in Sweden is roughly 380% more expensive than in India on average.

Sweden (41% above) and India (71% below) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sweden
India
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.63 SEK 144
$2.14 ₹203
583.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.6 SEK 791
$10.46 ₹993
670.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 SEK 108
$3.80 ₹361
188.95%
Cappuccino
$4.66 SEK 45.69
$1.68 ₹159
177.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 SEK 26.65
$0.38 ₹35.93
615.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 SEK 22.71
$0.15 ₹14.58
1440.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.02 SEK 78.7
$1.87 ₹177
328.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.41 SEK 72.8
$3.18 ₹302
133.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sweden
India
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 SEK 16.31
$0.62 ₹59.1
167.74%
White Bread (500g)
$3.02 SEK 29.68
$0.50 ₹47.69
504.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.61 SEK 35.46
$0.63 ₹60.2
473.02%
Eggs
$4.27 SEK 41.89
$0.96 ₹91.1
344.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.73 SEK 115
$4.85 ₹460
141.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.54 SEK 113
$2.84 ₹270
306.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.86 SEK 185
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 SEK 29.38
$2.00 ₹190
49.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.55 SEK 25.06
$0.65 ₹61.3
292.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 SEK 29.10
$0.97 ₹92.1
206.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 SEK 42.59
$0.47 ₹44.23
823.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 SEK 16.75
$0.34 ₹31.82
402.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 SEK 15.54
$0.42 ₹39.66
276.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 SEK 23.67
$0.47 ₹44.32
412.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 SEK 13.77
$0.31 ₹29.63
351.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.92 SEK 77.7
$5.08 ₹482
55.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.97 SEK 108
$7.31 ₹694
50.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 SEK 19.49
$1.63 ₹154
22.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 SEK 20.13
$2.76 ₹262
-25.72%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.11 ₹485
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sweden
India
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.75 SEK 36.76
$0.26 ₹24.82
1342.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.6 SEK 810
$8.58 ₹815
862.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.16 SEK 60.5
$1.00 ₹94.5
516.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 SEK 19.10
$0.27 ₹25.69
622.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$59.1 SEK 580
$1.54 ₹146
3737.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 SEK 17.67
$1.07 ₹102
68.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.9K SEK 323.1K
$11.2K ₹1.1M
193.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K SEK 332.9K
$20.1K ₹1.9M
69.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sweden
India
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 SEK 1,285
$37.08 ₹3,521
253.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.75 SEK 263
$3.58 ₹340
647.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.08 SEK 374
$7.15 ₹679
432.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sweden
India
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.21 SEK 385
$15.00 ₹1,424
161.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.16 SEK 267
$7.17 ₹681
278.80%
Cinema Ticket
$14.88 SEK 146
$3.20 ₹303
365.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sweden
India
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$151 SEK 1,482
$58.8 ₹5,583
156.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,223 SEK 41.4K
$1,667 ₹158.2K
153.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sweden
India
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.6 SEK 919
$23.03 ₹2,187
306.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.42 SEK 416
$24.17 ₹2,295
75.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 SEK 971
$41.20 ₹3,912
140.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 SEK 1,421
$29.62 ₹2,812
388.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sweden
India
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$898 SEK 8,815
$146 ₹13.9K
513.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$725 SEK 7,110
$96.4 ₹9,150
651.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,464 SEK 14.4K
$343 ₹32.6K
327.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,168 SEK 11.5K
$234 ₹22.2K
399.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,168 SEK 50.7K
$1,177 ₹111.7K
339.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,366 SEK 33.0K
$633 ₹60.1K
431.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sweden
India
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,056 SEK 30.0K
$409 ₹38.8K
647.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.66
8.93
-59.01%

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

Last update for Sweden: October 27, 2026

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sweden
$725
India
$96 86.7% $628
Groceries & Markets
Sweden
$363
India
$102 71.8% $260
Eating Out
Sweden
$281
India
$67 76.3% $214
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sweden
$196
India
$48 75.6% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Sweden
$171
India
$53 68.9% $118
Getting Around
Sweden
$113
India
$12 89.4% $101
Sport & Entertainment
Sweden
$69
India
$21 69% $48

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $830 in Sweden, $120 in India. Capital cities: $1,614 in Stockholm vs $277 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $2,910 in Sweden, $412 in India. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 592% higher in Sweden.

Dining out costs 600% more in Sweden.

Public transport is 875% more expensive in Sweden.

Salaries are about 7.1 times higher in Sweden, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Sweden.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Sweden
🇮🇳 India
🕒 Local time
00:52 12:52 AM
05:22 5:22 AM
4 h 30 min ahead of Sweden
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,587,710
1,326,093,247
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sweden India 5,570 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sweden
  • India

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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between India and Sweden?
At $399 per month in India and $1,917 in Sweden, India comes out about 79% cheaper. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in India: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $830 in Sweden and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Should I move to India or to Sweden?
It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.

Sweden vs other spots: cost of living compared

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