Last update: Oct 2026 10.6M

Cost of Living in Sweden

Name: Sweden
Address: SE

Across Sweden, living costs for one person average $1,950 a month, including rent and utilities, which take more than a third of the total. Other living expenses average about $36 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 $1,950 per month with rent on average in Sweden.

$1,950 /mo

A couple spends around $3,011 per month with rent on average in Sweden.

$3,011 /mo

A family of three spends around $4,071 per month with rent on average in Sweden.

$4,071 /mo

Across 73 cities in Sweden, monthly living costs range from $1,448 to $2,597 – a $1,149 difference that makes location a key factor.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 SEK 149

$11.15 SEK 110

$20.28 SEK 200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 SEK 805

$61.2 SEK 604

$138 SEK 1,358

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 SEK 110

$10.00 SEK 98.7

$12.11 SEK 120

Cappuccino

$4.89 SEK 48.24

$3.16 SEK 31.18

$7.36 SEK 72.6

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

$2.80 SEK 27.59

$1.62 SEK 15.95

$4.06 SEK 40.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.93

$1.55 SEK 15.25

$4.03 SEK 39.77

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 SEK 82.4

$5.22 SEK 51.5

$10.29 SEK 102

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 SEK 75.9

$6.16 SEK 60.8

$10.26 SEK 101

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.75

$1.26 SEK 12.41

$2.40 SEK 23.71

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 SEK 29.33

$1.77 SEK 17.44

$5.04 SEK 49.79

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 SEK 36.46

$2.07 SEK 20.43

$5.19 SEK 51.2

Eggs

$4.20 SEK 41.42

$2.82 SEK 27.81

$5.56 SEK 54.8

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 SEK 115

$8.02 SEK 79.2

$20.07 SEK 198

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 SEK 117

$7.02 SEK 69.3

$16.29 SEK 161

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.08 SEK 188

$11.01 SEK 109

$30.28 SEK 299

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 30.96

$1.86 SEK 18.32

$4.13 SEK 40.72

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 SEK 25.72

$2.03 SEK 20.03

$3.56 SEK 35.14

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 30.32

$2.05 SEK 20.28

$4.83 SEK 47.71

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 SEK 44.15

$2.06 SEK 20.33

$6.71 SEK 66.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.74

$1.05 SEK 10.34

$2.62 SEK 25.85

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 16.16

$1.11 SEK 10.97

$2.33 SEK 23.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 SEK 24.05

$1.56 SEK 15.40

$4.17 SEK 41.15

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SEK 14.24

$0.90 SEK 8.91

$2.53 SEK 24.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 78.3

$7.03 SEK 69.4

$8.94 SEK 88.2

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 SEK 110

$8.08 SEK 79.8

$20.11 SEK 198

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 19.49

$1.50 SEK 14.84

$3.02 SEK 29.77

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 21.50

$1.56 SEK 15.44

$3.14 SEK 30.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 SEK 37.69

$3.20 SEK 31.61

$4.44 SEK 43.77

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.1 SEK 820

$58.3 SEK 576

$108 SEK 1,061

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 63.2

$5.25 SEK 51.8

$10.50 SEK 104

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SEK 18.75

$1.49 SEK 14.69

$3.01 SEK 29.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.5 SEK 597

$48.15 SEK 475

$79.4 SEK 784

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.69

$1.62 SEK 15.94

$2.01 SEK 19.83

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

$34.2K SEK 337.2K

$34.2K SEK 337.3K

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

$34.5K SEK 341.0K

$33.6K SEK 331.4K

$35.0K SEK 345.8K

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

$137 SEK 1,355

$76.1 SEK 751

$259 SEK 2,560

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

$26.87 SEK 265

$13.25 SEK 131

$40.87 SEK 403

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.62 SEK 381

$29.26 SEK 289

$50.6 SEK 500

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.42 SEK 399

$28.55 SEK 282

$62.3 SEK 615

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.60 SEK 282

$20.82 SEK 206

$40.38 SEK 398

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 SEK 153

$12.36 SEK 122

$21.54 SEK 213

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

$151 SEK 1,495

$121 SEK 1,195

$182 SEK 1,793

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,388 SEK 53.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 SEK 933

$50.6 SEK 499

$127 SEK 1,248

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 SEK 428

$20.76 SEK 205

$77.8 SEK 768

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 SEK 1,006

$61.3 SEK 605

$153 SEK 1,511

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 SEK 1,446

$80.8 SEK 797

$202 SEK 1,993

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 SEK 9,008

$616 SEK 6,079

$1,630 SEK 16.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 SEK 7,201

$486 SEK 4,797

$1,071 SEK 10.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 SEK 15.1K

$1,141 SEK 11.3K

$2,743 SEK 27.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 SEK 12.0K

$869 SEK 8,579

$1,797 SEK 17.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,281 SEK 52.1K

$3,202 SEK 31.6K

$11.9K SEK 117.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,465 SEK 34.2K

$2,360 SEK 23.3K

$7,260 SEK 71.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,114 SEK 30.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.66

2.8

4.8

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

Last update: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Sweden $1,950

Accommodation & Living

$730 37.4%

Groceries & Markets

$368 18.9%

Eating Out

$290 14.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

$203 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

$174 8.9%

Getting Around

$114 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

$71 3.7%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom averages $846 nationally. In Stockholm, expect around $1,596, while Gavle – the country’s most affordable city overall – comes in at $580.

The average net salary in Sweden is $3,006 – comfortably above average monthly costs of $1,950. Most full-time workers can cover expenses and save.

Groceries average around $363 per month nationally. A mid-range dinner for two costs about $78.

Most affordable: Gavle at $1,448 per month. The capital, Stockholm, sits at $2,597. Across the country, monthly costs span roughly $1,149 between the cheapest and priciest cities.

Cost Highlights

Overall cost of living ($1,950) is 44% above the global median of $1,352.

Average rent ($846) is 27% above the global median of $664.

Dinner for two at a restaurant ($78) is 66% above the global median of $47.

Public transport ($78) is 136% above the global median of $33.

Good to know

🕒 Local time

23:13 11:13 PM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,587,710

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.13 USD

100 SEK = 9.07 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	$1,122	$1,904	$2,741	$3,948	174.54	192.8
2	Almhult	18039	96	$1,016	$2,005	$2,601	$3,679	98.13	148.34
3	Åtvidaberg	11473	81	$982	$1,708	$2,488	$3,632	258.16	129.98
4	Bålsta	13138	75	$915	$1,572	$2,277	$3,367	77.9	216.37
5	Boden	18680	86	$1,084	$1,806	$2,706	$3,845	38.62	147.8
6	Boras	66273	92	$962	$1,913	$2,507	$2,568	20.95	210.16
7	Botkyrka	95238	89	$1,073	$1,910	$2,633	$3,813	71	272.27
8	Bromölla	12628	82	$1,008	$1,721	$2,526	$3,659	94.18	156.7
9	Eskilstuna	67359	86	$999	$1,800	$2,439	$3,646	45.45	213.34
10	Eslov	17748	82	$1,006	$1,768	$2,601	$3,740	64.05	223.07
11	Fagersta	13362	92	$1,135	$1,923	$2,752	$3,934	27.63	233.49
12	Falköping	16350	71	$1,014	$1,488	$2,548	$3,633	82.2	197.19
13	Falun	39492	104	$1,118	$2,160	$2,720	$4,387	229.61	175.31
14	Gavle	100000	70	$971	$1,448	$2,447	$3,169	130.83	244.2
15	Gothenburg	607882	98	$1,044	$2,071	$2,666	$4,177	31.17	257.68
16	Hagfors	11581	88	$1,112	$1,830	$2,784	$3,849	32.19	144.46
17	Halmstad	55688	78	$969	$1,625	$2,392	$3,491	79.47	147.57
18	Haparanda	4800	84	$1,063	$1,715	$2,672	$3,954	201.38	206.4
19	Härnösand	24689	84	$1,035	$1,797	$2,618	$3,670	289.91	221.15
20	Hässleholm	18500	79	$935	$1,658	$2,424	$3,443	106.01	202.63
21	Helsingborg	93838	83	$975	$1,748	$2,429	$3,655	82.54	210.88
22	Höllviken	10607	84	$1,002	$1,828	$2,501	$3,570	176.31	234.19
23	Hultsfred	14090	86	$1,038	$1,740	$2,570	$3,790	324.16	137.29
24	Jonkoping	84423	87	$960	$1,813	$2,509	$3,771	194.83	176.4
25	Kalix	15734	84	$1,019	$1,674	$2,623	$3,761	108.59	209.94
26	Kalmar	35170	94	$1,037	$1,974	$2,591	$3,874	116.04	234.75
27	Karlskrona	35212	80	$1,023	$1,663	$2,493	$3,518	50.96	166.24
28	Karlstad	62797	84	$1,067	$1,766	$2,680	$3,654	204.06	190.09
29	Kiruna	22454	84	$1,021	$1,730	$2,559	$3,676	54.3	145.55
30	Kista	10254	84	$1,035	$1,683	$2,607	$3,674	46.34	270.93
31	Köping	17743	82	$1,000	$1,683	$2,472	$3,571	101.22	159.22
32	Kristianstad	35711	90	$1,090	$1,898	$2,696	$3,881	192.01	175.7
33	Landskrona	30499	81	$1,013	$1,683	$2,513	$3,469	33.35	183.96
34	Lidingo	48541	88	$1,044	$1,774	$2,600	$3,854	147.61	245.06
35	Lindesberg	9600	88	$1,093	$1,822	$2,852	$4,004	284.24	156.54
36	Linkoping	115682	92	$1,016	$1,915	$2,516	$4,001	48.4	214.57
37	Ljungby	28404	75	$921	$1,571	$2,402	$3,480	126.95	129.01
38	Ludvika	26343	76	$1,051	$1,594	$2,631	$3,690	231.19	194.85
39	Lulea	73864	89	$1,113	$1,878	$2,953	$4,235	43.09	156.52
40	Lund	82800	91	$1,029	$1,897	$2,644	$4,241	49.52	237.81
41	Malmo	316588	102	$1,106	$2,120	$2,757	$4,290	211.82	262.9
42	Marsta	24068	80	$993	$1,609	$2,431	$3,532	53	227.44
43	Mölndal	60000	76	$942	$1,610	$2,382	$3,334	136.05	249.84
44	Mora	10896	100	$1,213	$2,149	$3,112	$4,378	307.94	102.11
45	Norrkoping	98088	86	$1,105	$1,799	$2,741	$3,742	95.54	219.39
46	Nyköping	29891	83	$1,021	$1,721	$2,567	$3,684	256.7	181.24
47	Orebro	98237	84	$1,107	$1,765	$2,790	$3,796	259.23	222.23
48	Ornskoldsvik	32953	84	$1,042	$1,761	$2,645	$3,715	165.81	102.3
49	Ostersund	44000	84	$1,034	$1,761	$2,548	$3,703	62.51	225.53
50	Sala	22994	76	$881	$1,584	$2,200	$3,104	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 $1,448 in the most affordable city to $2,597 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 other cities are usually cheaper. Choosing which city to live in is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make.

Absolutely – in smaller cities across Sweden, $2,000 covers rent and daily expenses with room to spare for eating out, entertainment, and saving. Even mid-sized cities work at this budget level.

Sweden is mid-range globally, with more affordable cities starting around $1,448 per month. Not the cheapest option out there, but far from the most expensive – a reasonable balance of cost and quality of life.