Cost of living in Sweden

What does it cost to live in Sweden?

Sweden does not have the very highest prices in Europe, but it is an expensive country to live in — above all for housing. At the same time, much of what is costly elsewhere, such as healthcare, school and preschool, is heavily subsidised and capped, so it cannot run away with your budget. That means your monthly costs are decided mostly by one thing: rent, and which city you live in.

Roughly, a single person in a big city needs about 13,000–22,000 kr a month to cover rent, food, transport and bills. A family of two adults and two children usually lands at 28,000–42,000 kr. The figures below are approximate for 2026 — always check the current prices against the sources at the foot of the page.

• Biggest cost: rent — and it varies most between cities
• Cheapest big city: Malmö. Most expensive: Stockholm. Gothenburg sits in between
• Healthcare, preschool and medicine are capped — they cannot spiral
• VAT is already in the shelf price (25% on most things, 12% on food)

Costs at a glance

Housing is the big question

Sweden has two rental markets, and the difference is decisive for a newcomer. A first-hand contract has a regulated, lower rent and runs indefinitely — but you usually only get one after standing in a municipal housing queue for years. A second-hand contract is more expensive and less secure, but can be had quickly, and it is how most new arrivals start. Join the queue straight away all the same: queue time is the only thing that eventually gets you a cheap first-hand flat.

• First-hand (regulated rent): studio ~5,000–7,500 kr, one-bed ~7,500–11,000 kr, two-bed ~9,000–15,000 kr depending on the city
• Second-hand (market rent): often 30–100% more for the same flat
• The housing queue: from a few years in smaller cities to 9–12 years in Stockholm
• Buying (a co-op flat): from around 27,000 kr/m² in Södertälje to over 100,000 kr/m² in central Stockholm

Food, transport and bills

Beyond rent, costs are much the same across the country. Food is dearest if you shop at ICA or Coop and cheapest at Lidl and Willys — the gap can be 15–25%. Public transport is cheap compared with owning a car, and alcohol is sold only at Systembolaget and is expensive. Heating and water are nearly always included in the rent; you pay electricity, home insurance, broadband and mobile separately.

• Grocery budget: single person ~3,000–4,000 kr/month, family of four ~8,000–11,000 kr/month
• Monthly transit pass: ~600–1,150 kr depending on the city (half-price in the second half of 2026)
• Electricity: ~300–1,000 kr/month for a flat, mostly in winter
• Home insurance ~150–250 kr, broadband ~300–450 kr, mobile ~150–300 kr

What is capped: healthcare and preschool

One thing that surprises many newcomers: healthcare and preschool cannot become arbitrarily expensive. You pay a small patient fee per visit, but there is an annual ceiling — a high-cost ceiling (högkostnadsskydd) — after which the rest is free. Children and young people under 20 have free healthcare. Preschool is charged by income under a maximum-fee system (maxtaxa), and the lowest incomes pay nothing.

• A care visit: ~200–275 kr, then free after the ceiling of 1,450 kr per 12 months
• Prescription medicine: its own ceiling, ~2,950–3,800 kr per 12 months, then free
• Under 20: free care and free medicines
• Preschool: at most ~1,500–1,850 kr/month for the first child, less on a low income, 15 hours a week free for ages 3–5

Compare the cities

City by city

Because rent drives so much, it pays to compare cities. We have six detailed guides — the three big cities and three cities that are popular with newcomers.

Read on about the cost of living in Stockholm (the most expensive), Gothenburg, Malmö (the cheapest of the big cities), Uppsala (a student city near Stockholm), Södertälje (an affordable commuter city) and Örebro (a mid-sized city in central Sweden).