Cost Of Living For a Student in Stockholm 2025
Average Monthly Expenditure
Currency: SEK
Average monthly spending for students in Stockholm
How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Stockholm?
Students in Stockholm spend around 23,000 SEK per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 3,600 SEK or as high as 160,000 SEK. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Stockholm
Dining, food, and beverages costs
Fast food combo meal
Restaurant meal for one
Fine dining meal for one
| 330 SEK | 490 SEK | 2,000 SEK |
Cappuccino or latte
Grocery and market costs
Milk large bottle
12 eggs
Fresh whole chicken
Pack of beef
Medium bag of rice
Bag of tomatos
Bag of apples
Commute, travel, and transportation costs
20 minutes taxi ride
Average car full tank
Average car 1-day rental
Average car price
| 120,000 SEK | 230,000 SEK | 310,000 SEK |
Bus ticket one way
Car Service
| 340 SEK | 510 SEK | 1,000 SEK |
Utility cost (monthly)
Utility Bill - Student
| 140 SEK | 940 SEK | 6,200 SEK |
Internet and cable
Mobile phone charges
Leisure and activities costs
Movie ticket
One month gym membership
| 410 SEK | 510 SEK | 1,000 SEK |
Cloths and accessories costs
Pair of jeans or pants
Woman dress
| 280 SEK | 390 SEK | 1,300 SEK |
Woman shoes
Men's shoes
Men suit
| 260 SEK | 320 SEK | 1,700 SEK |
Regular t-shirt
Housing costs / monthly rent
Studio apartment
| 4,300 SEK | 6,400 SEK | 17,000 SEK |
1-bedroom apartment
| 6,400 SEK | 10,000 SEK | 26,000 SEK |
2-bedroom apartment
| 8,500 SEK | 13,000 SEK | 34,000 SEK |
Housing costs / Buying
Studio apartment
| 850,000 SEK | 1.3M SEK | 2.6M SEK |
| $82,000 | $120,000 | $250,000 |
1-bedroom apartment
| $98,000 | $160,000 | $610,000 |
2-bedroom apartment
| 1.7M SEK | 5.1M SEK | 10M SEK |
| $160,000 | $490,000 | $980,000 |
Furniture Costs
King Size Bed
| 4,700 SEK | 5,800 SEK | 7,800 SEK |
Double Bed
| 3,100 SEK | 4,700 SEK | 5,800 SEK |
Single Bed
| 2,700 SEK | 3,600 SEK | 4,700 SEK |
Living Room
| 5,200 SEK | 6,700 SEK | 23,000 SEK |
Dining Table
| 2,300 SEK | 3,100 SEK | 5,800 SEK |
Sofa or Couch
| 3,100 SEK | 4,200 SEK | 9,300 SEK |
Electronics and House Appliance Costs
TV Set
| 3,100 SEK | 4,700 SEK | 9,300 SEK |
Fridge or Freezer
| 2,700 SEK | 4,200 SEK | 5,800 SEK |
Washing Machine
| 3,600 SEK | 5,200 SEK | 9,300 SEK |
Stove or Cooker
| 3,300 SEK | 4,200 SEK | 5,800 SEK |
Mobile Phone
| 3,900 SEK | 4,700 SEK | 6,700 SEK |
Laptop or Computer
| 4,200 SEK | 5,200 SEK | 9,300 SEK |
How do students spend their money in Stockholm?
We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.
Housing and accomodation expenditure for students
Accomodation Cost21%
21% of total expenses on average (16% to 27%)
| LOW | $84 870 SEK |
| AVERAGE | $540 5,600 SEK |
| HIGH | $3,600 37,000 SEK |
| Per Month |
Students in Stockholm typically spend from 16% to 27% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 21% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 5,600 SEK with expenditure ranging from 870 SEK to 37,000 SEK. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.
Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students
Cost of utilities5%
5% of total expenses on average (3% to 9%)
| LOW | $14 140 SEK |
| AVERAGE | $90 940 SEK |
| HIGH | $600 6,200 SEK |
| Per Month |
Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Stockholm ranges from 3% to 9% of total expenses with 5% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 940 SEK with 140 SEK and 6,200 SEK being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.
Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students
Cost of transport and fuel6%
6% of total expenses on average (5% to 12%)
| LOW | $24 250 SEK |
| AVERAGE | $160 1,600 SEK |
| HIGH | $1,100 11,000 SEK |
| Per Month |
Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 250 SEK to 11,000 SEK in a month on commuting with 1,600 SEK being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 6% of total spending on average but can go as low as 5% or as high as 12%.
Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students
Food and Groceries Cost21%
21% of total expenses on average (15% to 25%)
| LOW | $70 720 SEK |
| AVERAGE | $450 4,700 SEK |
| HIGH | $3,000 31,000 SEK |
| Per Month |
The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Stockholm is 4,700 SEK. The cost of groceries can range between 720 SEK to 31,000 SEK. Students spend on average about 21% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 15% and 25% respectively.
Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students
Cost of healthcare7%
7% of total expenses on average (4% to 10%)
| LOW | $21 220 SEK |
| AVERAGE | $140 1,400 SEK |
| HIGH | $900 9,400 SEK |
| Per Month |
Students in Stockholm allocate 4% to 10% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 7%. The range of medical expenses range from 220 SEK to 9,400 SEK with 1,400 SEK being the norm for most students.
Leisure and shopping expenditure for students
Cost of leisure and shopping4%
4% of total expenses on average (2% to 8%)
| LOW | $17 180 SEK |
| AVERAGE | $110 1,200 SEK |
| HIGH | $750 7,800 SEK |
| Per Month |
This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 180 SEK to 7,800 SEK with 1,200 SEK being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 8% of total expenses with an average of 4% for most students.
Education and schooling expenditure for students
Cost of education and schooling19%
19% of total expenses on average (12% to 24%)
| LOW | $66 690 SEK |
| AVERAGE | $430 4,500 SEK |
| HIGH | $2,900 30,000 SEK |
| Per Month |
Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 19% of the monthly expenditure of students with 12% and 24% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 4,500 SEK per month with 690 SEK being the minimum spent amount and 30,000 SEK being the maximum.
Other Expenses17%
17% of total expenses on average (11% to 23%)
| LOW | $52 540 SEK |
| AVERAGE | $340 3,500 SEK |
| HIGH | $2,300 23,000 SEK |
| Per Month |
A typical and healthy budgeting structure
The 50/30/20 rule
Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle,
location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule,
which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.
50% for needs and financial obligations
This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.
30% for wants and discretionary spending
This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.
20% for savings and emergency fund
This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.
About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting
The 50/30/20 rule is used as a general guideline but may not be the best choice for all people. There are in fact many budgeting plans out there like the 70/20/10 and the 60/20/20 rules, all claiming to be the best. More important than all of this is to establish financial discipline by creating a budget tailored to your specific financial goals and situation. It is very important that your financial outflow be less than your income to maintain a healthy cash flow.
Affordable living in Stockholm
Income and cost of living compatibility
We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.
Is it affordable or economical to live in Stockholm?
Around 86% of surveyed students think that living in Stockholm is affordable with proper budgeting while 14% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.
Low-cost alternatives in Stockholm
People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:
Plenty of low-cost options68%
Few low-cost options32%
Based on the survey, 68% of the students living in Stockholm have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 32% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.
Emergency Funds For Students
An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Stockholm whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.
Yes82%
No18%
Based on the survey, 18% of the students living in Stockholm said that they don't have an emergency fund while 82% said that they do.
Financial Literacy in Sweden
Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.
Financial Leteracy71%
We asked student guardians and parents in Stockholm whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 29% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 71% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.
Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning
We wanted to understand whether students of Sweden have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 31% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 69% said that they have everything under control.
Struggles with finance31%
Easily manages finances69%
Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Stockholm
Rental costs and house/apartment prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Rent Cost in Stockholm
Monthly Rent Prices
Studio apartment monthly rent cost
| 4,300 SEK | 6,400 SEK | 17,000 SEK |
1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 6,400 SEK | 10,000 SEK | 26,000 SEK |
2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 8,500 SEK | 13,000 SEK | 34,000 SEK |
3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 10,000 SEK | 17,000 SEK | 46,000 SEK |
Furnished apartment monthly rent cost
| 20,000 SEK | 51,000 SEK | 100,000 SEK |
Townhouse monthly rent cost
| 17,000 SEK | 26,000 SEK | 73,000 SEK |
House monthly rent cost
| 20,000 SEK | 51,000 SEK | 100,000 SEK |
Villa monthly rent cost
| 26,000 SEK | 64,000 SEK | 100,000 SEK |
The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Stockholm ranges between 4,300 SEK and 17,000 SEK, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 6,400 SEK to 26,000 SEK. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 8,500 SEK and 34,000 SEK per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 10,000 SEK to 46,000 SEK. The average rent of a townhouse in Stockholm is around 26,000 SEK while house rental costs can be as high as 51,000 SEK per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 26,000 SEK to 100,000 SEK per month.
Apartment and house prices in Stockholm
Cost of buying a property
Studio apartment price
| 850,000 SEK | 1.3M SEK | 2.6M SEK |
| $82,000 | $120,000 | $250,000 |
1-bedroom apartment price
| $98,000 | $160,000 | $610,000 |
2-bedroom apartment price
| 1.7M SEK | 5.1M SEK | 10M SEK |
| $160,000 | $490,000 | $980,000 |
3-bedroom apartment price
| 5.7M SEK | 8.5M SEK | 26M SEK |
Townhouse price
House price
Villa price
The average price of a studio apartment in Stockholm can range from 850,000 SEK to 2.6M SEK depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 1M SEK to 6.4M SEK. A villa can cost you 57M SEK on average with prices ranging from 10M SEK to 85M SEK.
If you're leasing or purchasing, housing costs in Stockholm will probably constitute your biggest expenditure, yet it's an area where you wield considerable influence. This is due to the substantial variance in housing prices across communities. Keep in mind the location of your workplace and the accessibility of essential amenities to prevent negating the savings from lower rental rates with increased transportation expenses.
House / apartment prices to income ratio
Property price to income ratio
( average property price / average monthly income ) x 100
| 53 | x159 monthly income | 254 |
Property prices in Stockholm can be x159 to x254 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x159 multiples of the average monthly salary in Stockholm.
Rent to income ratio
Rent to income ratio
( monthly rental / monthly income ) x 100
The average rent-to-income ratio in Stockholm is around 39%. This means that people pay 39% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 27% to 50% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.
The housing-to-income ratio is a very important metric to evaluate and measure how affordable living is in a particular area, city, or country since housing comprises the biggest chunk of expenditure. A higher housing to income ratio means that the place is relatively expensive. The figure by itself does tell much. It only starts to make sense when comparing the housing to income ratio across different locations.
Housing affordability index
The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.
Housing Affordability Index
36% Property Taxes
Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.
Home Maintenance Costs
Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.
Urban vs. rural living costs
Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.
Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Stockholm
Utilities expenditure can vary slightly between different areas and locations.
Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Stockholm
Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student
| 140 SEK | 940 SEK | 6,200 SEK |
Internet and cable cost
Mobile phone bill and charges
Because most utility bills club electricity, water, and gas costs in one bill, we can't provide a breakup for each type of utility and will display electricity, gas, and water as single cost.
The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 940 SEK. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 230 SEK to 620 SEK with 470 SEK being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 310 SEK but can range between 190 SEK and 930 SEK depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.
Energy / Utility expense to income ratio
( monthly utility expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average utility-to-income ratio in Stockholm is around 4.5%. This means that people pay 4.5% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 1.1% to 9.1% depending on salary and location.
Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Stockholm
Grocery / Food expenditure and prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Stockholm
Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.
Fast food combo meal price
The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Stockholm is approximatly 93 SEK with meal cost ranging from 47 SEK to 160 SEK. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.
Restaurant meal for one price
If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 160 SEK and 490 SEK with 240 SEK being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Stockholm.
Fine dining meal for one price
| 330 SEK | 490 SEK | 2,000 SEK |
The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 330 SEK to 2,000 SEK with the average cost being 490 SEK for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Stockholm.
Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..
The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Stockholm is around 62 SEK. Price ranges between 39 SEK and 93 SEK depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.
Grocery and market costs
Large bottle of milk price
The average price of a large bottle of milk in Stockholm is 37 SEK. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 47 SEK and the minimum being 31 SEK depending on the brand of milk and other properties.
12 eggs price
A dozen eggs costs around 31 SEK on average with 23 SEK and 47 SEK being the lower and upper limits respectively.
Fresh whole chicken price
The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Stockholm is between 53 SEK and 97 SEK depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 68 SEK.
Pack of beef price
The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 93 SEK. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.
Medium bag of rice price
A bag of rice in Stockholm costs around 34 SEK on average with prices rangeing between 25 SEK and 49 SEK depending on the brand and quality.
Bag of tomatos price
A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 9.3 SEK to 23 SEK. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Bag of apples price
A bag of apples costs 22 SEK on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio
( monthly grocery expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average grocery-to-income ratio in Stockholm is around 27%. This means that students spend 27% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 18% to 34% depending on salary and location.
Expenditure on food and grocery for students
Students' spending on grocery ranges from 720 SEK to 31,000 SEK with the location, income, and size of the student being the most determinite factors.
