Last update: Oct 2026 10.6M

Cost of Living in Sweden

Name: Sweden
Address: SE

Across Sweden, living costs for one person average $1,884 a month, including rent and utilities, which take more than a third of the total. Other living expenses average about $35 a day.

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🇸🇪 Sweden

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sweden

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

A single person spends around $1,884 per month with rent on average in Sweden.

$1,884 /mo

A couple spends around $2,900 per month with rent on average in Sweden.

$2,900 /mo

A family of three spends around $3,915 per month with rent on average in Sweden.

$3,915 /mo

Across 73 cities in Sweden, monthly living costs range from $1,422 to $2,574 – a $1,152 difference that makes location a key factor.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 SEK 146

$11.17 SEK 111

$20.31 SEK 201

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 SEK 785

$59.5 SEK 588

$139 SEK 1,373

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 SEK 110

$10.10 SEK 100.0

$12.12 SEK 120

Cappuccino

$4.75 SEK 46.97

$3.06 SEK 30.27

$7.13 SEK 70.6

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

$2.70 SEK 26.76

$1.58 SEK 15.64

$3.96 SEK 39.16

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 21.95

$1.48 SEK 14.67

$3.57 SEK 35.34

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 77.3

$4.88 SEK 48.30

$9.76 SEK 96.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 SEK 71.8

$5.80 SEK 57.4

$9.67 SEK 95.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 SEK 15.89

$1.19 SEK 11.77

$2.27 SEK 22.47

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 SEK 28.04

$1.69 SEK 16.71

$4.83 SEK 47.83

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 SEK 36.28

$2.05 SEK 20.28

$5.13 SEK 50.8

Eggs

$4.12 SEK 40.81

$2.76 SEK 27.34

$5.82 SEK 57.6

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 SEK 116

$8.07 SEK 79.9

$20.17 SEK 200

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 115

$6.86 SEK 67.9

$15.92 SEK 158

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 SEK 189

$11.00 SEK 109

$30.28 SEK 300

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 SEK 29.32

$1.74 SEK 17.26

$3.88 SEK 38.39

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 SEK 25.05

$1.97 SEK 19.47

$3.45 SEK 34.15

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 29.10

$1.96 SEK 19.43

$4.62 SEK 45.70

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 SEK 41.75

$1.94 SEK 19.23

$6.32 SEK 62.5

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 SEK 17.13

$1.02 SEK 10.07

$2.53 SEK 25.08

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.33

$1.13 SEK 11.16

$2.35 SEK 23.23

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 SEK 23.61

$1.53 SEK 15.10

$4.07 SEK 40.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 SEK 13.91

$0.88 SEK 8.76

$2.45 SEK 24.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.87 SEK 77.9

$7.06 SEK 69.8

$8.97 SEK 88.8

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 SEK 109

$8.02 SEK 79.4

$19.94 SEK 197

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SEK 19.56

$1.52 SEK 15.03

$3.05 SEK 30.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.51

$1.48 SEK 14.63

$2.97 SEK 29.35

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 SEK 36.80

$3.01 SEK 29.82

$4.31 SEK 42.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 SEK 853

$63.4 SEK 627

$108 SEK 1,064

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 SEK 60.7

$5.02 SEK 49.68

$10.04 SEK 99.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SEK 18.39

$1.45 SEK 14.40

$2.94 SEK 29.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.0 SEK 594

$47.63 SEK 471

$79.5 SEK 787

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.84

$1.62 SEK 16.04

$2.02 SEK 19.95

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

$32.9K SEK 325.8K

$32.2K SEK 318.9K

$32.9K SEK 325.8K

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

$33.7K SEK 333.1K

$33.0K SEK 326.3K

$34.3K SEK 339.6K

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

$134 SEK 1,324

$71.0 SEK 703

$256 SEK 2,529

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

$26.46 SEK 262

$13.13 SEK 130

$40.20 SEK 398

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.64 SEK 373

$29.50 SEK 292

$49.33 SEK 488

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.25 SEK 398

$25.38 SEK 251

$60.9 SEK 603

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.59 SEK 263

$19.62 SEK 194

$37.49 SEK 371

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 SEK 156

$13.57 SEK 134

$22.11 SEK 219

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

$147 SEK 1,457

$117 SEK 1,161

$181 SEK 1,788

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,108 SEK 40.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 SEK 924

$50.2 SEK 496

$123 SEK 1,216

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 SEK 407

$19.59 SEK 194

$73.5 SEK 727

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 SEK 965

$58.6 SEK 580

$146 SEK 1,449

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 SEK 1,404

$78.3 SEK 775

$196 SEK 1,938

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 SEK 8,654

$608 SEK 6,017

$1,697 SEK 16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 SEK 6,810

$450 SEK 4,454

$1,081 SEK 10.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 SEK 13.8K

$987 SEK 9,771

$2,934 SEK 29.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 SEK 11.1K

$782 SEK 7,742

$1,717 SEK 17.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,136 SEK 50.8K

$3,047 SEK 30.2K

$11.5K SEK 113.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,264 SEK 32.3K

$2,137 SEK 21.1K

$6,983 SEK 69.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,003 SEK 29.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.67

2.8

4.8

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

Last update: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Sweden $1,884

Accommodation & Living

$688 36.5%

Groceries & Markets

$360 19.1%

Eating Out

$281 14.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

$198 10.5%

Clothing & Footwear

$168 8.9%

Getting Around

$117 6.2%

Sport & Entertainment

$72 3.8%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom averages $810 nationally. In Stockholm, expect around $1,658, while Gavle – the country's most affordable city overall – comes in at $560.

The average net salary in Sweden is $2,883 – comfortably above average monthly costs of $1,884. Most full-time workers can cover expenses and save.

Groceries average around $352 per month nationally. A mid-range dinner for two costs about $76.0.

Most affordable: Gavle at $1,422 per month. The capital, Stockholm, sits at $2,574. Across the country, monthly costs span roughly $1,152 between the cheapest and priciest cities.

Cost Highlights

Overall cost of living ($1,884) is 40% above the global median of $1,350.

Average rent ($810) is 24% above the global median of $652.

Dinner for two at a restaurant ($76.0) is 58% above the global median of $48.00.

Public transport ($77.0) is 126% above the global median of $34.00.

Good to know

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,587,710

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.1 USD

100 SEK = 8.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

By City in Sweden

Lowest

Highest

Rank	City	Population	Living Index	Solo costs (no rent) / month	Solo costs (with rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (no rent) / month	Family of 3 costs (with rent) / month	Mobile download speed (Mbps)	Internet download speed (Mbps)
1	Akersberga	32659	92	$1,099	$1,881	$2,677	$3,883	174.54	192.8
2	Almhult	18039	95	$1,002	$1,946	$2,559	$3,691	98.13	148.34
3	Åtvidaberg	11473	82	$958	$1,680	$2,420	$3,551	258.16	129.98
4	Bålsta	13138	76	$895	$1,547	$2,222	$3,286	77.9	216.37
5	Boden	18680	86	$1,057	$1,775	$2,646	$3,781	38.62	147.8
6	Boras	66273	91	$941	$1,862	$2,460	$2,519	20.95	210.16
7	Botkyrka	95238	89	$1,049	$1,824	$2,579	$3,743	71	272.27
8	Bromölla	12628	83	$967	$1,685	$2,436	$3,533	94.18	156.7
9	Eskilstuna	67359	85	$970	$1,748	$2,394	$3,600	45.45	213.34
10	Eslov	17748	82	$990	$1,668	$2,541	$3,644	64.05	223.07
11	Fagersta	13362	92	$1,105	$1,890	$2,677	$3,856	27.63	233.49
12	Falköping	16350	71	$984	$1,445	$2,475	$3,515	82.2	197.19
13	Falun	39492	103	$1,079	$2,095	$2,621	$4,258	229.61	175.31
14	Gavle	100000	69	$953	$1,422	$2,400	$3,101	130.83	244.2
15	Gothenburg	607882	99	$1,021	$2,026	$2,587	$4,099	31.17	257.68
16	Hagfors	11581	89	$1,105	$1,814	$2,754	$3,877	32.19	144.46
17	Halmstad	55688	78	$942	$1,605	$2,336	$3,402	79.47	147.57
18	Haparanda	4800	84	$1,006	$1,720	$2,523	$3,639	201.38	206.4
19	Härnösand	24689	84	$1,003	$1,729	$2,516	$3,625	289.91	221.15
20	Hässleholm	18500	79	$908	$1,631	$2,353	$3,340	106.01	202.63
21	Helsingborg	93838	82	$947	$1,697	$2,354	$3,538	82.54	210.88
22	Höllviken	10607	84	$987	$1,733	$2,456	$3,587	176.31	234.19
23	Hultsfred	14090	86	$1,011	$1,762	$2,503	$3,677	324.16	137.29
24	Jonkoping	84423	82	$983	$1,695	$2,546	$3,795	194.83	176.4
25	Kalix	15734	84	$1,006	$1,732	$2,529	$3,639	108.59	209.94
26	Kalmar	35170	93	$1,015	$1,907	$2,532	$3,781	116.04	234.75
27	Karlskrona	35212	79	$1,002	$1,617	$2,437	$3,434	50.96	166.24
28	Karlstad	62797	83	$1,045	$1,713	$2,610	$3,572	204.06	190.09
29	Kiruna	22454	84	$1,025	$1,719	$2,801	$4,002	54.3	145.55
30	Kista	10254	84	$1,005	$1,726	$2,525	$3,644	46.34	270.93
31	Köping	17743	81	$981	$1,670	$2,417	$3,518	101.22	159.22
32	Kristianstad	35711	85	$1,006	$1,723	$2,531	$3,625	192.01	175.7
33	Landskrona	30499	80	$994	$1,651	$2,460	$3,372	33.35	183.96
34	Lidingo	48541	89	$1,031	$1,837	$2,564	$3,780	147.61	245.06
35	Lindesberg	9600	88	$1,063	$1,793	$2,774	$3,935	284.24	156.54
36	Linkoping	115682	87	$969	$1,789	$2,398	$3,814	48.4	214.57
37	Ljungby	28404	77	$921	$1,582	$2,397	$3,454	126.95	129.01
38	Ludvika	26343	75	$1,018	$1,544	$2,551	$3,629	231.19	194.85
39	Lulea	73864	88	$1,075	$1,820	$2,808	$4,073	43.09	156.52
40	Lund	82800	85	$1,005	$1,754	$2,583	$4,049	49.52	237.81
41	Malmo	316588	99	$1,086	$2,031	$2,693	$4,185	211.82	262.9
42	Marsta	24068	80	$972	$1,642	$2,391	$3,456	53	227.44
43	Mölndal	60000	76	$916	$1,578	$2,319	$3,365	136.05	249.84
44	Mora	10896	92	$1,029	$1,889	$2,700	$3,948	307.94	102.11
45	Norrkoping	98088	86	$1,081	$1,761	$2,668	$3,620	95.54	219.39
46	Nyköping	29891	84	$998	$1,710	$2,569	$3,681	256.7	181.24
47	Orebro	98237	84	$1,079	$1,718	$2,718	$3,727	259.23	222.23
48	Ornskoldsvik	32953	84	$1,007	$1,734	$2,529	$3,628	165.81	102.3
49	Ostersund	44000	84	$1,010	$1,729	$2,527	$3,644	62.51	225.53
50	Sala	22994	75	$852	$1,530	$2,128	$2,989	26.66	189.5

Sweden Median Internet Speeds (Updated April 2026)

Mobile

Mbps

Fixed Broadband

Mbps

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cost of Living in Sweden - Frequently Asked Questions

Sweden offers high-quality public services and safety, which can balance higher costs with reliable infrastructure. In general terms, Cost of Living in Sweden tends to reward you if you plan for longer stays and can share housing or opt for longer-term rentals. Cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg offer vibrant work cultures and excellent transit, while smaller towns provide quieter options with lower price pressure. Budget-minded travelers can still stretch a budget by leveraging libraries, free museum days, and seasonal discounts. Tip: Look for neighborhoods near transit hubs or universities to optimize access and price while maintaining life quality.

Daily life blends efficiency with a respect for privacy and nature. Your housing search will involve balancing size, location, and rental terms; outside major cities you may find more space for similar budgets. Food options range from seasonal markets to reliable supermarkets; cooking at home helps you manage costs, while occasional dining out supports local cafes. Transport is straightforward: robust public transit, bike-friendly streets, and commuter trains connect regions. Run errands by clustering trips to save time and travel costs. Sweden living cost varies by city, season, and neighborhood, so tailor routines to your location. Tip: Use seasonality to buy produce when it’s best value and plan ahead for housing and transit needs.

Quality of life hinges on balance: you can enjoy clean systems, safety, and nature by budgeting around core costs. Use a simple framework: fixed costs (housing, utilities) versus flexible spending (eating out, entertainment). In winter, heating needs can reshape monthly plans, so seek well-insulated homes and efficient heat sources. Neighborhood fit matters: central districts offer culture and quick transit but higher rents, while suburbs or university towns often provide more space and value with reliable services. Seasonal activities and markets can keep life affordable and engaging. Tip: track your essential expenses for a few months to spot savings and refine your location choice.

Sweden falls in the middle globally – not a bargain destination, not an expensive one. Costs vary a lot by region, which means it works for a wide range of incomes and lifestyles depending on where you settle.

In 2026, monthly costs in Sweden range from $1,422 in the most affordable city to $2,574 in the most expensive one. Where you choose to live makes a dramatic difference – the gap between cheapest and most expensive cities is huge.

Rent in Sweden varies a lot – Stockholm has the highest prices, and the gap between capital and provincial rents can be 50% or more. Choosing which city to live in is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make.

In regional cities, $2,000 is plenty. In Stockholm? You'll need to plan carefully, especially around housing. Shared apartments or outer neighborhoods are the usual workarounds.

Sweden is mid-range globally, with more affordable cities starting around $1,422 per month. Not the cheapest option out there, but far from the most expensive – a reasonable balance of cost and quality of life.