Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and United Kingdom

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,828 per month in Sweden vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,831 per month in Sweden vs $3,471 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,834 per month in Sweden vs $4,579 in United Kingdom, rent included.

The cost of living in Sweden is roughly 23% lower than in United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Sweden and United Kingdom are pricier than the global median – Sweden by 37%, United Kingdom by 77%.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,670–$3,916) than in Sweden ($1,448–$2,582), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.86 SEK 143

$20.23 £15.04

-26.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 SEK 823

$88.3 £65.6

-3.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 SEK 110

$10.35 £7.69

10.63%

Cappuccino

$4.82 SEK 46.44

$4.77 £3.55

1.05%

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

$2.82 SEK 27.19

$2.44 £1.82

15.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.90

$1.73 £1.29

37.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 SEK 77.5

$6.85 £5.09

17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 SEK 77.4

$6.52 £4.84

23.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.42

$1.66 £1.23

2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 SEK 30.15

$1.71 £1.27

83.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.86 SEK 37.15

$2.21 £1.64

74.66%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.66

$4.09 £3.04

10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 SEK 116

$9.52 £7.08

26.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 SEK 118

$9.02 £6.71

35.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 SEK 182

$14.18 £10.54

33.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 30.38

$2.96 £2.20

6.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.32

$1.68 £1.25

69.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.59

$2.84 £2.11

8.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 SEK 42.17

$3.41 £2.53

28.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 17.69

$1.69 £1.26

8.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.56

$1.58 £1.17

15.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 SEK 22.50

$1.12 £0.84

108.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 14.03

$1.53 £1.14

-4.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 SEK 78.5

$20.16 £14.99

-59.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 SEK 109

$10.47 £7.78

7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.29

$2.87 £2.14

-26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 21.03

$3.30 £2.45

-33.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 SEK 35.79

$3.33 £2.48

11.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 SEK 873

$96.3 £71.6

-5.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 SEK 62.8

$5.53 £4.11

17.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SEK 17.58

$1.60 £1.19

13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 607

$27.51 £20.45

128.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.55

$1.90 £1.41

1.58%

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

$32.0K SEK 307.9K

$38.1K £28.3K

-16.10%

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

$34.8K SEK 335.7K

$41.0K £30.5K

-15.03%

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

$127 SEK 1,226

$326 £242

-60.98%

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

$29.12 SEK 281

$17.18 £12.77

69.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.54 SEK 371

$42.96 £31.94

-10.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.63 SEK 401

$45.94 £34.15

-9.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.79 SEK 268

$15.87 £11.80

75.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 SEK 165

$13.80 £10.26

24.06%

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

$152 SEK 1,466

$1,723 £1,281

-91.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,607 SEK 25.1K

$20.9K £15.5K

-87.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.1 SEK 916

$90.3 £67.1

5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.34 SEK 398

$44.39 £33.00

-6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SEK 1,009

$103 £76.7

1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 SEK 1,447

$103 £76.3

46.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 SEK 9,070

$1,419 £1,055

-33.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 SEK 7,165

$1,143 £850

-34.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 SEK 15.1K

$2,298 £1,708

-31.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 SEK 11.7K

$1,873 £1,392

-35.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,268 SEK 50.8K

$5,728 £4,258

-8.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,325 SEK 32.0K

$4,339 £3,226

-23.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,114 SEK 30.0K

$3,264 £2,427

-4.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

5.75

-21.39%

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

Last update for Sweden: July 12, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $868 in Sweden vs $1,266 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,566 in Stockholm and $2,937 in London.

Average salary: $2,959 in Sweden vs $3,192 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 46% higher in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in United Kingdom.

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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sweden is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 39% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sweden, contributing to the overall 39% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sweden, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sweden is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.