Cost of Living in Sweden - Updated Prices & Insights

Name: Sweden
Address: SE

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends around $1,833 per month with rent on average across Sweden.

A couple spends around $2,828 per month with rent on average across Sweden.

A family of three spends around $3,823 per month with rent on average across Sweden.

Across 73 cities in Sweden, monthly living costs range from $1,480 to $2,580 – a $1,100 difference that makes location a key factor.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.59 SEK 133

$10.42 SEK 95.2

$20.84 SEK 190

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 SEK 755

$62.1 SEK 567

$155 SEK 1,416

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 SEK 104

$10.07 SEK 92.0

$12.73 SEK 116

Cappuccino

$4.75 SEK 43.34

$2.62 SEK 23.94

$6.81 SEK 62.2

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

$2.77 SEK 25.26

$1.66 SEK 15.19

$4.15 SEK 37.93

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 21.66

$1.60 SEK 14.62

$3.20 SEK 29.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 SEK 72.4

$5.28 SEK 48.22

$10.04 SEK 91.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 SEK 71.6

$6.17 SEK 56.3

$9.94 SEK 90.8

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 15.69

$1.29 SEK 11.79

$2.25 SEK 20.51

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 SEK 27.27

$1.81 SEK 16.54

$4.45 SEK 40.59

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 SEK 34.36

$2.12 SEK 19.33

$5.19 SEK 47.37

Eggs

$4.51 SEK 41.17

$3.02 SEK 27.54

$5.83 SEK 53.2

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 SEK 111

$8.53 SEK 77.9

$20.15 SEK 184

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.47 SEK 114

$7.99 SEK 73.0

$18.01 SEK 164

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 SEK 174

$10.61 SEK 96.8

$31.81 SEK 290

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 SEK 29.64

$1.71 SEK 15.61

$4.27 SEK 38.97

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 SEK 25.66

$2.15 SEK 19.62

$3.76 SEK 34.31

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 29.47

$2.14 SEK 19.58

$4.31 SEK 39.35

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 39.84

$2.06 SEK 18.76

$6.17 SEK 56.3

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 16.82

$1.08 SEK 9.86

$2.72 SEK 24.80

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 16.12

$1.26 SEK 11.50

$2.62 SEK 23.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 SEK 22.26

$1.61 SEK 14.72

$4.30 SEK 39.22

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SEK 13.41

$0.94 SEK 8.61

$2.62 SEK 23.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 SEK 72.8

$7.23 SEK 66.0

$8.83 SEK 80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 SEK 111

$8.86 SEK 80.9

$21.02 SEK 192

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 18.51

$1.53 SEK 13.99

$3.07 SEK 27.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 20.41

$1.59 SEK 14.53

$3.18 SEK 29.05

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 SEK 33.98

$3.10 SEK 28.26

$4.45 SEK 40.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 830

$66.1 SEK 603

$112 SEK 1,023

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.48 SEK 59.2

$5.40 SEK 49.29

$10.81 SEK 98.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SEK 17.28

$1.26 SEK 11.52

$4.72 SEK 43.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.3 SEK 587

$47.16 SEK 431

$85.7 SEK 783

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 SEK 18.35

$1.84 SEK 16.76

$2.27 SEK 20.69

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

$33.1K SEK 302.5K

$32.2K SEK 293.7K

$35.4K SEK 323.1K

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

$34.2K SEK 311.9K

$34.1K SEK 311.0K

$36.7K SEK 335.1K

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

$126 SEK 1,150

$66.0 SEK 603

$271 SEK 2,473

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

$28.46 SEK 260

$15.55 SEK 142

$41.48 SEK 379

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 357

$26.60 SEK 243

$53.2 SEK 486

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 SEK 379

$26.27 SEK 240

$63.0 SEK 575

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.58 SEK 252

$20.06 SEK 183

$36.95 SEK 337

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 SEK 157

$14.89 SEK 136

$23.57 SEK 215

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

$157 SEK 1,434

$129 SEK 1,176

$188 SEK 1,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 SEK 23.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 SEK 861

$42.44 SEK 387

$127 SEK 1,162

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.12 SEK 375

$20.84 SEK 190

$62.5 SEK 571

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 SEK 929

$62.4 SEK 570

$156 SEK 1,425

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 SEK 1,336

$73.3 SEK 669

$209 SEK 1,912

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 SEK 8,548

$629 SEK 5,744

$1,582 SEK 14.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 SEK 6,785

$528 SEK 4,823

$1,268 SEK 11.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 SEK 14.8K

$1,182 SEK 10.8K

$2,838 SEK 25.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 SEK 11.0K

$844 SEK 7,704

$2,110 SEK 19.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,186 SEK 56.5K

$3,433 SEK 31.3K

$11.9K SEK 108.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,845 SEK 35.1K

$2,479 SEK 22.6K

$7,544 SEK 68.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,362 SEK 30.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

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

Last update: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom averages $867 nationally. In Stockholm, expect around $1,562, while Boden – the country's most affordable city overall – comes in at $947.

The average net salary across Sweden is $3,129 – comfortably above average monthly costs of $1,833. Most full-time workers can cover expenses and save.

Groceries average around $362 per month nationally. A mid-range dinner for two costs about $77.

Most affordable: Boden at $1,480 per month. The capital, Stockholm, sits at $2,580. Across the country, monthly costs span roughly $1,100 between the cheapest and priciest cities.

Cost Highlights

Overall living costs ($1,833) is 37% above the global median of $1,340.

Average rent ($867) is 40% above the global median of $621.

Dining out ($77) is 60% above the global median of $48.

Public transport ($77) is 133% above the global median of $33.

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	$963	$1,806	$2,565	$3,810	174.54	192.8
2	Almhult	18039	92	$1,048	$1,861	$2,527	$3,839	98.13	148.34
3	Boden	18680	74	$1,141	$1,480	$2,388	$3,134	38.62	147.8
4	Boras	66273	99	$1,006	$1,991	$2,695	$3,669	20.95	210.16
5	Botkyrka	95238	90	$1,068	$1,818	$2,488	$3,742	71	272.27
6	Bromölla	12628	91	$1,139	$1,827	$2,631	$3,792	94.18	156.7
7	Bålsta	13138	81	$875	$1,648	$2,307	$3,370	77.9	216.37
8	Eskilstuna	-	86	$938	$1,693	$2,195	$3,683	45.45	213.34
9	Eslov	17748	90	$1,146	$1,799	$2,737	$3,857	64.05	223.07
10	Fagersta	13362	91	$1,080	$1,827	$2,594	$3,829	27.63	233.49
11	Falköping	16350	91	$1,119	$1,790	$2,370	$3,775	82.2	197.19
12	Falun	39492	108	$1,210	$2,145	$2,671	$4,431	229.61	175.31
13	Gavle	100000	101	$950	$2,009	$2,474	$4,000	130.83	244.2
14	Gothenburg	607882	105	$1,081	$2,113	$2,773	$4,282	31.17	257.68
15	Hagfors	11581	93	$1,231	$1,868	$2,597	$3,886	32.19	144.46
16	Halmstad	55688	87	$945	$1,697	$2,608	$3,732	79.47	147.57
17	Haparanda	4800	91	$1,050	$1,782	$2,245	$3,806	201.38	206.4
18	Helsingborg	93838	89	$1,028	$1,772	$2,563	$3,765	82.54	210.88
19	Hultsfred	14090	88	$930	$1,780	$2,818	$3,702	324.16	137.29
20	Härnösand	24689	91	$1,123	$1,779	$2,445	$3,852	289.91	221.15
21	Hässleholm	18500	87	$1,090	$1,731	$2,644	$3,815	106.01	202.63
22	Höllviken	10607	89	$1,138	$1,744	$2,431	$3,769	176.31	234.19
23	Jonkoping	84423	91	$1,137	$1,799	$2,244	$3,922	194.83	176.4
24	Kalix	15734	90	$1,116	$1,794	$2,588	$3,755	108.59	209.94
25	Kalmar	35170	95	$1,066	$1,920	$2,262	$3,796	116.04	234.75
26	Karlskrona	35212	88	$868	$1,770	$2,200	$3,490	50.96	166.24
27	Karlstad	62797	89	$1,239	$1,778	$2,392	$3,705	204.06	190.09
28	Kiruna	22454	97	$1,103	$1,965	$2,937	$4,229	54.3	145.55
29	Kista	-	91	$967	$1,824	$2,617	$3,806	46.34	270.93
30	Kristianstad	35711	92	$1,099	$1,831	$2,646	$3,763	192.01	175.7
31	Köping	17743	86	$1,004	$1,740	$2,630	$3,605	101.22	159.22
32	Landskrona	30499	90	$1,028	$1,799	$2,824	$3,456	33.35	183.96
33	Lidingo	48541	92	$883	$1,807	$2,509	$3,693	147.61	245.06
34	Lindesberg	9600	93	$920	$1,877	$2,541	$3,977	284.24	156.54
35	Linkoping	115682	91	$1,101	$1,840	$2,689	$3,901	48.4	214.57
36	Ljungby	28404	89	$1,016	$1,776	$2,628	$3,802	126.95	129.01
37	Ludvika	26343	80	$1,135	$1,613	$2,901	$3,764	231.19	194.85
38	Lulea	73864	95	$1,126	$1,864	$2,862	$4,242	43.09	156.52
39	Lund	82800	96	$1,017	$1,894	$2,666	$4,019	49.52	237.81
40	Malmo	316588	104	$1,156	$2,050	$2,884	$4,359	211.82	262.9
41	Marsta	24068	89	$1,115	$1,801	$2,885	$3,757	53	227.44
42	Mora	10896	97	$1,102	$1,896	$2,718	$4,131	307.94	102.11
43	Mölndal	60000	84	$832	$1,653	$2,058	$3,508	136.05	249.84
44	Norrkoping	98088	89	$1,025	$1,811	$2,242	$3,675	95.54	219.39
45	Nyköping	29891	87	$1,106	$1,749	$2,261	$3,611	256.7	181.24
46	Orebro	98237	84	$1,025	$1,676	$2,614	$3,830	259.23	222.23
47	Ornskoldsvik	32953	91	$1,104	$1,801	$2,862	$3,778	165.81	102.3
48	Ostersund	44000	92	$1,013	$1,808	$2,522	$3,781	62.51	225.53
49	Sala	22994	75	$972	$1,485	$1,945	$2,966	26.66	189.5
50	Skelleftea	32775	106	$934	$2,105	$2,469	$4,187	58.02	114.26

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 $1,480 in smaller cities to $2,580 in major hubs. 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, $1,500 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 $1,480 per month. Not the cheapest option out there, but far from the most expensive – a reasonable balance of cost and quality of life.