Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sweden and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Sweden: $1,917 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Sweden
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Sweden Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,917

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sweden and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sweden and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,917 per month in Sweden vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Sweden $1,917
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $2,943 per month in Sweden vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Sweden $2,943
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $3,968 per month in Sweden vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Sweden $3,968
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Sweden ($1,436–$2,531), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Sweden is roughly 30% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Sweden and the United States are pricier than the global median – Sweden by 41%, the United States by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 SEK 144

$20.03 $20.03

-26.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.6 SEK 792

$80.0 $80.0

0.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 SEK 108

$11.80 $11.80

-6.95%

Cappuccino

$4.66 SEK 45.72

$5.55 $5.55

-16.04%

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

$2.72 SEK 26.66

$2.66 $2.66

2.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SEK 22.72

$2.17 $2.17

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 SEK 78.7

$6.12 $6.12

31.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 SEK 72.8

$7.94 $7.94

-6.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 SEK 16.32

$1.04 $1.04

59.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 SEK 29.70

$3.59 $3.59

-15.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 35.48

$4.52 $4.52

-20.13%

Eggs

$4.27 SEK 41.92

$4.28 $4.28

-0.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 115

$13.22 $13.22

-11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 SEK 113

$12.60 $12.60

-8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.86 SEK 185

$17.60 $17.60

7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 29.40

$5.30 $5.30

-43.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.08

$1.69 $1.69

50.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 29.12

$4.44 $4.44

-33.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 SEK 42.62

$4.77 $4.77

-9.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 SEK 16.76

$2.97 $2.97

-42.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.55

$3.15 $3.15

-49.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 SEK 23.68

$2.20 $2.20

9.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 SEK 13.78

$2.35 $2.35

-40.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 SEK 77.8

$10.98 $10.98

-27.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 SEK 108

$15.05 $15.05

-27.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SEK 19.51

$2.06 $2.06

-3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.15

$3.79 $3.79

-45.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 SEK 36.78

$1.94 $1.94

93.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.6 SEK 811

$59.4 $59.4

39.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 SEK 60.5

$3.58 $3.58

72.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 SEK 19.11

$1.88 $1.88

3.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 SEK 580

$29.84 $29.84

98.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.69

$1.02 $1.02

76.47%

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

$32.9K SEK 323.3K

$28.8K $28.8K

14.51%

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

$33.9K SEK 333.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

29.45%

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

$131 SEK 1,286

$218 $218

-39.94%

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

$26.75 SEK 263

$62.5 $62.5

-57.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.08 SEK 374

$74.5 $74.5

-48.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 SEK 385

$41.86 $41.86

-6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.16 SEK 267

$22.81 $22.81

19.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.88 SEK 146

$14.70 $14.70

1.22%

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

$151 SEK 1,483

$1,489 $1,489

-89.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,223 SEK 41.5K

$25.3K $25.3K

-83.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 SEK 919

$54.3 $54.3

72.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.42 SEK 417

$42.71 $42.71

-0.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 SEK 972

$94.1 $94.1

5.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 SEK 1,422

$114 $114

27.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 SEK 8,821

$1,659 $1,659

-45.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 SEK 7,115

$1,348 $1,348

-46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 SEK 14.4K

$2,682 $2,682

-45.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 SEK 11.5K

$2,169 $2,169

-46.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,168 SEK 50.8K

$3,283 $3,283

57.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,366 SEK 33.0K

$2,482 $2,482

35.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,056 SEK 30.0K

$4,296 $4,296

-28.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

6.55

-44.12%

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

Last update for Sweden: October 27, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sweden

$725 37.8%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 86% $623

Groceries & Markets

Sweden

$363 18.9%

United States

$415 15.2% 14.6% $53

Eating Out

Sweden

$281 14.7%

United States

$328 12% 16.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sweden

$196 10.2%

United States

$355 13% 81.3% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Sweden

$171 8.9%

United States

$137 5% 19.8% $34

Getting Around

Sweden

$113 5.9%

United States

$80 2.9% 29.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Sweden

$69 3.6%

United States

$71 2.6% 3.3% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $830 in Sweden vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,614 in Stockholm and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $2,910 in Sweden vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 95% higher in the United States.

Public transport is 24% more expensive in Sweden.

Salaries are 56% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Sweden

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

23:47 11:47 PM

6 h behind Sweden

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,587,710

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sweden United States 7,440 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sweden
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sweden is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 30% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $830 in Sweden.

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