Cost of living in Örebro

Is Örebro expensive?

No — Örebro, Sweden's sixth city, sits in central Sweden about midway between Stockholm and Gothenburg and is noticeably cheaper than both. Housing costs around a quarter less than in Stockholm. The city is compact, flat and bike-friendly, and the university, with around 17,000 students, gives it a young feel.

• Single person: ~12,000–14,000 kr/month including rent
• Family of four: ~28,000–37,000 kr/month including rent
• Around 25–30% cheaper than Stockholm, mainly thanks to housing
• A student city — a younger population and student prices

Costs at a glance

Rent and housing

The biggest landlord is the municipal company ÖrebroBostäder (ÖBO), with around 22,500 apartments, which allocates first-hand contracts by queue time. The queue is free to join but long — seven to eight years on average, and 12–13 years in the most central areas, but only 3–5 years in the outer districts. Most newcomers therefore start second-hand or in a suburb. Buying is cheap compared with the big cities.

• First-hand (ÖBO): studio ~4,000–6,000 kr, one-bed ~6,500–8,500 kr, two-bed ~8,500–11,100 kr
• Second-hand: one-bed ~5,200–6,800 kr, two-bed ~8,800–12,100 kr
• The queue (free): 7–8 years on average, 12–13 years centrally, 3–5 years in the suburbs
• Buying a co-op flat: ~27,000 kr/m² on average, 35,000–48,000 kr/m² centrally, 18,000–30,000 kr/m² in the suburbs

Electricity, insurance and internet

Heating and water are usually included in the rent (warm rent) via Örebro's district heating. Örebro is in electricity zone SE3. On top of the rent you pay electricity, home insurance, broadband and mobile. Power is cheap in summer but can get expensive in the winter months.

• Household electricity: ~400–900 kr/month, mostly December–February
• Home insurance: ~150–250 kr/month
• Broadband: ~300–400 kr/month
• Mobile plan: ~150–300 kr/month

Food and eating out

Food prices are the same as elsewhere in the country; Lidl and Willys are cheapest, ICA and Coop dearest. A single person spends around 3,700 kr a month on food, a family of four around 8,400–11,600 kr. Örebro has plenty of affordable lunch spots thanks to the students.

• Grocery budget: single ~3,700 kr/month, family ~8,400–11,600 kr/month
• Set weekday lunch: ~95–159 kr (around 128 kr on average)
• Dinner for two: ~700–800 kr
• Fika (coffee + bun): ~60–90 kr, a beer at a bar ~65–75 kr

Getting around

Länstrafiken Örebro runs the buses and regional trains. The city is flat and compact, so a bike and the bus go a long way. In the second half of 2026 the monthly pass is temporarily halved. To Stockholm the train takes about 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours, which makes weekend commuting feasible.

• Monthly pass (city zone): 780 kr (temporarily ~390 kr from July–December 2026)
• Single ticket in the city: ~32 kr (youth 17 kr)
• Student and senior discounts available
• Train to Stockholm: ~1 hr 40 min–2 hrs

Healthcare and preschool

Healthcare and preschool are capped, as across the country. A care visit in Region Örebro county costs 260 kr (A&E 390 kr), and after 1,450 kr in a year the rest is free. Children under 20 have free care. Preschool is charged by income under a maximum-fee system, and the lowest incomes pay nothing.

• Care visit: 260 kr, free after 1,450 kr per 12 months
• Prescription medicine: its own ceiling ~2,950–3,800 kr per 12 months
• Preschool: at most ~1,547 kr/month for the first child, less on a low income
• Under 20: free care; 15 hours a week of free preschool for ages 3–5

An example monthly budget

A rough month in Örebro. With the temporarily halved monthly pass it is a little cheaper in the second half of 2026.

• Single person: rent 5,500–7,000 + food 3,500 + transport 390–780 + bills 1,000–1,400 + other 1,200 ≈ 12,000–14,000 kr
• Family of four: rent 9,000–12,000 + food 9,000–11,600 + transport 1,000–1,800 + preschool 1,500–3,100 + bills 1,800–2,600 + other 3,000–4,000 ≈ 28,000–37,000 kr

Neighbourhoods and good to know

The most affordable areas with established immigrant communities and a shorter housing queue are Vivalla, Oxhagen, Varberga, Baronbackarna and Brickebacken — Million-Programme suburbs with the lowest purchase prices (~18,000–30,000 kr/m²) and a queue of around 3–5 years. Some of them are classified by the police as vulnerable areas (Vivalla as particularly vulnerable) — noted here as plain fact, alongside the strong networks and municipal investment these areas also receive.

Join the ÖBO queue straight away — it is free and queue time is decisive. SVI Fokus is not an authority; always check current rents, fees and rules against the sources below and the responsible authority.

Compare with Stockholm and Gothenburg, or go back to the overview of the cost of living in Sweden.