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: $1,826 in Sweden versus $1,646 in Spain.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,827 in Sweden versus $2,401 in Spain.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,828 in Sweden versus $3,155 in Spain.

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

Both countries sit above the global median: Sweden 36% above, Spain 23% above.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,133 to $3,262, compared to $1,453–$2,505 in Sweden. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.55 SEK 136

$16.17 €13.91

-10.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 799

$57.3 €49.27

49.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 SEK 106

$10.62 €9.14

7.25%

Cappuccino

$4.71 SEK 43.93

$2.38 €2.05

97.90%

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

$2.89 SEK 26.99

$2.59 €2.23

11.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 21.72

$1.91 €1.64

21.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 SEK 74.2

$3.49 €3.00

127.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 SEK 74.3

$4.03 €3.46

97.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 15.95

$1.24 €1.07

37.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 SEK 29.12

$1.59 €1.37

96.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 SEK 34.78

$1.59 €1.37

134.59%

Eggs

$4.37 SEK 40.76

$3.05 €2.62

43.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 SEK 114

$14.55 €12.52

-15.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 SEK 116

$8.42 €7.24

48.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.26 SEK 180

$15.52 €13.35

24.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 29.39

$2.54 €2.18

24.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.36

$2.01 €1.73

35.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 28.66

$2.09 €1.80

46.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 SEK 42.23

$2.53 €2.18

79.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.45

$1.85 €1.59

-4.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 16.49

$1.89 €1.63

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 SEK 21.79

$1.35 €1.16

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.59

$0.74 €0.64

97.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.87 SEK 73.5

$6.35 €5.47

23.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 110

$5.66 €4.87

108.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.21

$1.25 €1.08

64.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.10

$2.06 €1.77

9.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.73 SEK 34.85

$1.69 €1.46

120.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 849

$35.10 €30.20

159.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 SEK 58.1

$4.42 €3.80

40.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SEK 17.09

$1.34 €1.15

36.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.9 SEK 587

$26.32 €22.64

138.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 SEK 18.83

$1.84 €1.58

9.78%

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

$33.2K SEK 309.8K

$38.8K €33.4K

-14.46%

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

$35.0K SEK 327.0K

$31.6K €27.2K

10.81%

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

$126 SEK 1,177

$150 €129

-16.16%

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

$28.71 SEK 268

$20.56 €17.69

39.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.37 SEK 358

$34.49 €29.67

11.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.25 SEK 394

$47.96 €41.25

-11.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.41 SEK 256

$16.05 €13.80

70.78%

Cinema Ticket

$16.92 SEK 158

$8.99 €7.73

88.21%

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

$155 SEK 1,448

$509 €438

-69.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,620 SEK 24.5K

$9,884 €8,502

-73.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 SEK 865

$86.5 €74.4

7.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 SEK 395

$37.14 €31.95

14.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 SEK 965

$92.0 €79.1

12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 SEK 1,385

$109 €93.6

36.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 SEK 8,810

$1,045 €899

-9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 SEK 6,907

$834 €717

-11.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 SEK 14.7K

$1,689 €1,453

-6.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 SEK 11.3K

$1,238 €1,065

-2.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,503 SEK 51.4K

$4,378 €3,766

25.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,605 SEK 33.6K

$2,747 €2,363

31.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,258 SEK 30.4K

$2,073 €1,783

57.14%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Spain: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $870 in Sweden, $898 in Spain. Capital cities: $1,589 in Stockholm vs $1,566 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $3,091 in Sweden, $2,030 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 52% 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 Spain: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,198 per month in Spain and $1,979 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.

Sweden 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 Spain beats 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 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. Sweden wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.