Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and Spain Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and Spain

Name: Spain
Address: ES

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,828 in Sweden versus $1,642 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,831 in Sweden versus $2,393 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,834 in Sweden versus $3,144 in Spain.

Living in Sweden is roughly 11% more expensive than in Spain on average.

Both countries sit above the global median: Sweden 37% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,125 to $3,182, compared to $1,448–$2,582 in Sweden. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 SEK 143

$16.46 €14.38

-9.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 SEK 823

$58.1 €50.7

47.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 SEK 110

$10.59 €9.25

8.12%

Cappuccino

$4.82 SEK 46.44

$2.30 €2.01

109.57%

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

$2.82 SEK 27.19

$2.59 €2.26

8.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.90

$1.88 €1.65

26.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 SEK 77.5

$3.41 €2.98

135.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 SEK 77.4

$3.97 €3.47

102.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.42

$1.18 €1.03

44.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 SEK 30.15

$1.54 €1.34

103.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 SEK 37.15

$1.59 €1.39

142.77%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.66

$3.05 €2.67

48.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 SEK 116

$14.38 €12.56

-16.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 SEK 118

$8.46 €7.39

44.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 SEK 182

$15.94 €13.93

18.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 30.38

$2.54 €2.22

24.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.32

$2.08 €1.82

36.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.59

$2.02 €1.77

51.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 SEK 42.17

$2.66 €2.32

64.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 17.69

$1.82 €1.59

1.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.56

$1.88 €1.65

-3.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 SEK 22.50

$1.35 €1.18

72.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 14.03

$0.75 €0.66

94.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 SEK 78.5

$6.35 €5.55

28.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 SEK 109

$5.75 €5.02

96.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.29

$1.30 €1.14

62.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 21.03

$2.11 €1.85

3.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 SEK 35.79

$1.72 €1.50

115.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 SEK 873

$35.11 €30.67

157.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 SEK 62.8

$4.56 €3.99

42.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SEK 17.58

$1.30 €1.13

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 607

$26.70 €23.33

135.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.55

$1.81 €1.58

6.63%

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

$32.0K SEK 307.9K

$39.2K €34.3K

-18.59%

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

$34.8K SEK 335.7K

$30.6K €26.7K

13.78%

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

$127 SEK 1,226

$153 €133

-16.59%

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

$29.12 SEK 281

$20.36 €17.79

43.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.54 SEK 371

$34.00 €29.71

13.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.63 SEK 401

$48.13 €42.05

-13.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.79 SEK 268

$16.14 €14.10

72.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 SEK 165

$9.37 €8.19

82.71%

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

$152 SEK 1,466

$520 €454

-70.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,607 SEK 25.1K

$10.2K €8,888

-74.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 SEK 916

$85.9 €75.1

10.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.34 SEK 398

$36.75 €32.11

12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SEK 1,009

$91.7 €80.1

14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 SEK 1,447

$108 €94.7

38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 SEK 9,070

$1,043 €911

-9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 SEK 7,165

$834 €729

-10.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 SEK 15.1K

$1,674 €1,462

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 SEK 11.7K

$1,223 €1,069

-0.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,268 SEK 50.8K

$4,158 €3,633

26.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,325 SEK 32.0K

$2,629 €2,297

26.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,114 SEK 30.0K

$1,965 €1,717

58.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

3.51

28.77%

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

Last update for Sweden: July 12, 2026

Last update for Spain: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $868 in Sweden, $897 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,566 in Stockholm vs $1,607 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $2,959 in Sweden, $1,989 in Spain. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 45% more in Sweden.

Public transport is 133% more expensive in Sweden.

Salaries are 49% 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,154 per month in Spain and $2,015 in Sweden, there's a 7% 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 Sweden: 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 Spain is consistently higher than in Sweden across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Sweden, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain 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: Sweden wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.