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 $1,826 per month in Sweden vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,827 per month in Sweden vs $3,474 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,828 per month in Sweden vs $4,585 in United Kingdom, rent included.

Sweden is roughly 23% cheaper than 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 36%, United Kingdom by 76%.

United Kingdom has a wider regional cost range ($1,678–$3,892) than Sweden ($1,453–$2,505), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United Kingdom.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.55 SEK 136

$20.41 £15.17

-28.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 799

$87.0 £64.7

-1.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 SEK 106

$10.13 £7.53

12.44%

Cappuccino

$4.71 SEK 43.93

$4.70 £3.49

0.21%

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

$2.89 SEK 26.99

$2.36 £1.75

22.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 21.72

$1.76 £1.30

32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 SEK 74.2

$6.66 £4.95

19.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 SEK 74.3

$6.43 £4.78

23.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 15.95

$1.70 £1.27

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 SEK 29.12

$1.63 £1.21

91.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 SEK 34.78

$2.29 £1.70

62.88%

Eggs

$4.37 SEK 40.76

$4.03 £2.99

8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 SEK 114

$9.77 £7.26

25.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 SEK 116

$8.92 £6.63

39.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.26 SEK 180

$14.31 £10.64

34.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 29.39

$3.05 £2.26

3.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.36

$1.61 £1.19

68.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 28.66

$2.84 £2.11

8.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 SEK 42.23

$3.53 £2.62

28.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.45

$1.61 £1.19

9.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 16.49

$1.57 £1.17

12.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 SEK 21.79

$1.17 £0.87

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.59

$1.56 £1.16

-6.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.87 SEK 73.5

$20.03 £14.89

-60.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 110

$10.90 £8.10

8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.21

$2.90 £2.16

-28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.10

$3.38 £2.51

-33.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.73 SEK 34.85

$3.17 £2.35

17.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 849

$95.2 £70.8

-4.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 SEK 58.1

$5.45 £4.05

14.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SEK 17.09

$1.59 £1.18

15.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.9 SEK 587

$27.31 £20.30

130.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 SEK 18.83

$1.99 £1.48

1.51%

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

$33.2K SEK 309.8K

$37.8K £28.1K

-12.07%

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

$35.0K SEK 327.0K

$40.2K £29.9K

-12.74%

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

$126 SEK 1,177

$323 £240

-60.90%

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

$28.71 SEK 268

$17.22 £12.80

66.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.37 SEK 358

$42.23 £31.39

-9.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.25 SEK 394

$46.03 £34.21

-8.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.41 SEK 256

$15.67 £11.65

74.92%

Cinema Ticket

$16.92 SEK 158

$13.48 £10.02

25.52%

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

$155 SEK 1,448

$1,713 £1,274

-90.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,620 SEK 24.5K

$20.8K £15.5K

-87.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 SEK 865

$91.3 £67.8

1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 SEK 395

$44.88 £33.36

-5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 SEK 965

$102 £75.9

1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 SEK 1,385

$104 £77.3

42.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 SEK 8,810

$1,417 £1,053

-33.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 SEK 6,907

$1,132 £841

-34.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 SEK 14.7K

$2,308 £1,715

-31.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 SEK 11.3K

$1,839 £1,367

-34.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,503 SEK 51.4K

$5,727 £4,257

-3.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,605 SEK 33.6K

$4,523 £3,362

-20.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,258 SEK 30.4K

$3,333 £2,477

-2.25%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $870 in Sweden vs $1,265 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,589 in Stockholm and $3,019 in London.

Average salary: $3,091 in Sweden vs $3,219 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 45% higher in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 21% 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 41% 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 41% 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.