Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,828 in Sweden versus $1,718 in Italy.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,831 in Sweden versus $2,621 in Italy.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,834 in Sweden versus $3,524 in Italy.

Living in Sweden is roughly 6% more expensive than in Italy on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Sweden 37% above, Italy 29% above.

Sweden ($1,448–$2,582) and Italy ($1,176–$2,467) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 SEK 143

$17.58 €15.36

-15.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 SEK 823

$82.5 €72.0

3.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 SEK 110

$11.72 €10.24

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$4.82 SEK 46.44

$1.92 €1.68

151.04%

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

$2.82 SEK 27.19

$2.99 €2.61

-5.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.90

$1.36 €1.19

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 SEK 77.5

$5.76 €5.03

39.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 SEK 77.4

$5.22 €4.56

53.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.42

$1.69 €1.48

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 SEK 30.15

$2.33 €2.04

34.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 SEK 37.15

$3.05 €2.67

26.56%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.66

$3.99 €3.49

13.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 SEK 116

$16.68 €14.57

-27.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 SEK 118

$12.57 €10.98

-2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 SEK 182

$20.53 €17.94

-7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 30.38

$2.56 €2.23

23.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.32

$2.20 €1.93

29.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.59

$2.68 €2.34

14.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 SEK 42.17

$3.37 €2.95

29.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 17.69

$2.04 €1.78

-9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.56

$1.88 €1.64

-3.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 SEK 22.50

$1.47 €1.29

58.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 14.03

$0.54 €0.47

170.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 SEK 78.5

$7.00 €6.11

16.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 SEK 109

$7.09 €6.19

59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.29

$1.80 €1.57

17.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 21.03

$2.51 €2.19

-13.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 SEK 35.79

$1.96 €1.71

89.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 SEK 873

$41.58 €36.33

117.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 SEK 62.8

$5.80 €5.07

12.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SEK 17.58

$1.60 €1.39

13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 607

$35.07 €30.64

79.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.55

$2.13 €1.86

-9.39%

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

$32.0K SEK 307.9K

$32.6K €28.5K

-1.89%

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

$34.8K SEK 335.7K

$33.8K €29.5K

3.10%

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

$127 SEK 1,226

$225 €197

-43.45%

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

$29.12 SEK 281

$13.14 €11.48

121.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.54 SEK 371

$31.19 €27.25

23.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.63 SEK 401

$57.2 €49.94

-27.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.79 SEK 268

$25.85 €22.58

7.50%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 SEK 165

$10.34 €9.03

65.57%

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

$152 SEK 1,466

$564 €493

-73.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,607 SEK 25.1K

$10.3K €9,035

-74.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 SEK 916

$91.9 €80.3

3.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.34 SEK 398

$40.54 €35.42

1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SEK 1,009

$98.2 €85.8

6.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 SEK 1,447

$132 €115

13.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 SEK 9,070

$855 €747

10.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 SEK 7,165

$663 €580

12.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 SEK 15.1K

$1,522 €1,330

2.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 SEK 11.7K

$1,089 €951

11.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,268 SEK 50.8K

$3,747 €3,274

40.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,325 SEK 32.0K

$2,299 €2,009

44.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,114 SEK 30.0K

$1,897 €1,657

64.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

4.41

2.49%

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

Last update for Sweden: July 12, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $868 in Sweden, $742 in Italy. Capital cities: $1,566 in Stockholm vs $1,328 in Rome.

National salary averages: $2,959 in Sweden, $1,912 in Italy. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 17% higher in Sweden.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in Sweden.

Salaries are 55% 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 Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,822 per month in Italy and $2,015 in Sweden, there's a 11% 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 Italy: 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 Italy across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Italy, $2,500 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: Italy wins on affordability; Sweden may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.