Cost of living in Stockholm
Capped childcare fees and universal healthcare make family costs unusually low relative to the headline tax rate.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $1,600, Food $587, Transport $155, Utilities $151, Healthcare $17, Lifestyle $142, Other $84.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Estimated $1,600
Salary and tax in Stockholm
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $12,027 | $0 | $2,331 | 30.1% | -$404 |
| $75,000 | $25,626 | $0 | $4,115 | 34.2% | $1,380 |
| $120,000 | $49,026 | $0 | $5,915 | 40.9% | $3,180 |
| $200,000 | $90,626 | $0 | $9,115 | 45.3% | $6,380 |
- Municipal rate averages ~32%; the 20% state surtax applies above the threshold.
- Employer social fees (31.42%) sit outside gross salary.
People who actually live in Stockholm
Quality of life
A year of weather in Stockholm
Average monthly temperature in Stockholm: January -1.4 degrees, February -0.7 degrees, March 1.8 degrees, April 5.3 degrees, May 11.4 degrees, June 16.4 degrees, July 18 degrees, August 16.7 degrees, September 14.6 degrees, October 7.9 degrees, November 2.6 degrees, December 0.5 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived33%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated67%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
Prices in Stockholm
| Item | USD | SEK |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | ||
| One-bedroom, city centre | $1,600 | SEK 15,892 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $1,250 | SEK 12,416 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $3,000 | SEK 29,797 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $2,200 | SEK 21,851 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $8,500 | SEK 84,426 |
| Bills | ||
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $130 | SEK 1,291 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $42 | SEK 417 |
| Mobile plan | $24 | SEK 238 |
| Food | ||
| Groceries, one adult per month | $346 | SEK 3,437 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $13 | SEK 129 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $76 | SEK 755 |
| Coffee | $3.82 | SEK 38 |
| Beer in a bar | $6.78 | SEK 67 |
| Transport | ||
| Monthly transit pass | $68 | SEK 675 |
| Taxi, per km | $2.41 | SEK 24 |
| Petrol, per litre | $1.95 | SEK 19 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | ||
| Health insurance, per adult | $55 | SEK 546 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $25 | SEK 248 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $200 | SEK 1,986 |
| International school, per year | $28,000 | SEK 278,109 |
| Gym membership | $40 | SEK 397 |
| Cinema ticket | $16 | SEK 159 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
Employer-sponsored work permit. No nomad visa.
1 USD ≈ SEK 9.93
Europe/Stockholm
continental climate
Compare Stockholm with…
Getting set up in Stockholm
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Stockholm — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
No submissions yet. Yours would be the first.
We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Stockholm?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $2,735 a month, of which $1,600 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $3,549, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $5,478.
Is Stockholm expensive?
On our index Stockholm scores 43 where New York is 100 — about 57% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $3,100 a month covers 1.1× that budget.
What salary do you need in Stockholm?
To cover the single-adult budget of $2,735 a month after tax, you need roughly $47,000 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Stockholm?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $1,600 a month, $1,250 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $3,000 central and $2,200 further out.
Can you work remotely from Stockholm?
Employer-sponsored work permit. No nomad visa.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.