The city of Stockholm is a great destination for anyone searching for a trip full of culture, art, history, and incredible food. But what are the prices in the Swedish capital like? Wondering if Stockholm is expensive is something that will likely take reign of your thoughts as this city is known for being a pricey destination.
But is a trip to Stockholm a feasible option for a budget traveler? While Stockholm and Sweden, in general, aren’t the most affordable spots in Europe to visit, it’s still possible to enjoy your time in Stockholm with a fair, yet tight budget. With the right planning in advance, there are affordable options in the city.
Stockholm can be an expensive destination and you can expect to spend €80-250 per person, per day (roughly 926-2895 SEK or $84-263 USD). However, this can vary significantly depending on how you break down your spending.

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Stockholm Trip Cost Guide
Stockholm has always been high on the radar for Europe travel enthusiasts. From the cobblestone medieval streets of the city’s old town “Gamla Stan”, to the modern sustainable architecture and wide array of museums in the city, Stockholm has a lot to offer for most types of travelers.
Accommodation Prices
The main cost while planning a trip to Stockholm will likely be accommodation. Keep in mind that for hotels, costs will also vary depending on the time of year that you visit.
Like most destinations, summer is the high season for tourism and prices tend to be at their highest. If you can manage the cold and don’t mind a winter visit, Stockholm will be a lot more affordable to visit in the winter.
The most cost-efficient accommodation option will be a hostel during your Stockholm stay. Central Stockholm has a wide array of hostels, from party hostels to more quiet independent options. These are a great option if you are a backpacker or trying to visit Stockholm on a budget. On average, a hostel room in Stockholm will start at around €25 a night.

So this is undoubtedly the most affordable option for accommodation while visiting Stockholm. If you’re not on a tight budget and would like to save money while still retaining the privacy of your room, a private rental or mid-range hotel is your best option.
Although prices are now starting to increase, private rentals can be a great accommodation option during your stay in Stockholm. You can either book a private flat for yourself or a private room in someone else’s home or flat, with the latter typically being much cheaper.
This is also a great option if you’re looking to save money on food, as it’ll be more convenient to head to a supermarket and prepare meals at your accommodation with the addition of a kitchen.
Again, hotel prices will vary depending on the time of year that you visit, as well as how central the hotel you stay in is. But overall you can expect to pay on average €120 per night for a night in a mid-range hotel in Stockholm.
For those visiting Stockholm that would like to enjoy more of a lavish stay during your trip, a nicer hotel room can cost upwards of €200 per night in Stockholm.

Transportation Prices
When visiting the Swedish capital, you’ll likely be getting around Stockholm mostly by public transport or by walking.
Although the city center is quite vast and spread out, I would recommend against renting a car during your time in the city. But, If you’re hoping to explore more of Sweden and enjoy a road trip, renting a car is a great option as you’ll save money in comparison to buying multiple train tickets.
Transportation in Stockholm is quite affordable. The public transportation system is incredibly efficient, with multiple modes of transport, and reliable schedules. Public transport tickets and passes encompass all transportation; including buses, metro, local trains, and even local ferries.
For these, you have the option to purchase a 75-minute single ticket for 42 SEK (around €3.60), or day passes from 24 hours to 72 hours.
If you think that you’ll be using public transportation frequently during your stay, you’ll save money if you purchase day or multiple-day passes. For a 24-hour pass, you’ll pay 175 SEK (around €15) and for a 72-hour pass, you’ll pay 350 SEK (around €30).
It’s also incredibly convenient to purchase day passes if you want to visit nearby towns such as Gnesta, Bålsta, or Sigtuna as these are included in the Stockholm transportation system. Children under 6 also travel free on Stockholm’s public transportation, making it a great city to travel in if you’ll be adventuring the Swedish capital city with little ones.
Although the Stockholm archipelago is quite large and spread out, the precise center of the city that you’ll likely be spending a lot of your time in is quite small making it easy to get around on foot, especially in the warmer months.

Food Prices
Another integral part of a trip to Stockholm is the cost of food. Unfortunately, prices for food at restaurants can be expensive in Stockholm, especially in comparison to other capital cities in Europe.
Costs will still vary depending on the type of restaurant and cuisine you’d prefer to eat. If you’re hoping to eat at a mid-range traditional Swedish restaurant in the city, be prepared to pay at least €25 per person.
On the other hand, more affordable food options are those at more ethnic restaurants such as Mexican, falafel/kebab, and Asian where you can get a main dish for about €10-15. Fortunately, there are quite a few good ones in the city of Stockholm such as Weidao and Xulo.
If you’re traveling on a fair budget and would like to eat mostly affordable meals but still are keen to try traditional Swedish food, two great options are food tours and food markets. In both cases, you’ll be able to try a good variety of Swedish food without leaving a big dent in your wallet.
If you decide to head to a food market in Stockholm, I recommend heading to the Östermalms Saluhall where you can try numerous affordable options for delicious food in a hip neighborhood.
Another great option if you’re looking to save money on food while in Stockholm, is to head to a supermarket and make your own lunch or dinner.
You can find pretty good pre-made food in the supermarkets in Sweden or even get some bread and fillings to create a filling Swedish-style sandwich. While costs in Swedish supermarkets are a tad higher than elsewhere, they’re still much more affordable in comparison to heading to a restaurant for a full meal in the city.

Activities Prices
Stockholm is the city in the world with the most museums and that leaves you with an abundance of spots to explore and things to do in the city.
But how much will these activities cost you during your time in the Swedish capital? Fortunately, compared to the higher costs of accommodation and food in Stockholm, activity costs are pretty on average to costs in the rest of Europe.
The average admission cost for many museums in Stockholm such as the Vasa Museum, Nobel Prize Museum or the ABBA the Museum is around €18, but again, keep in mind that the cost can also vary depending on the time of year that you visit. Historic sites tend to be a bit cheaper, around €15.
Tickets at many attractions will be more costly in the summer season and more affordable throughout the winter months. If you plan on visiting quite a few museums and would like to save money, Stockholm has a pass for visitors called the Stockholm Go City Pass.
A pass is a great option as it includes pretty much all of the main museums in the city as well as a hop-on hop-off bus, and hop-on hop-off ferry for the summer months to take you to the neighboring archipelago islands. Prices for the pass increase as the summer draws closer, so keep this in mind when planning to book and purchase a pass.

If you’re hoping to spend as little as possible during your time in Stockholm, there are a lot of walking tours offered in the city. It’s expected to leave a small tip at the end of each tour but this is still going to be a lot more affordable in comparison to paid-for tours or museum entry fees.
If you’re staying in a hostel, keep an eye out for walking tours as a lot of hostels have planned activities that are usually quite affordable or free.
Other free activity options that can keep your Stockholm prices a bit lower include the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace, the Nobel Prize Museum which has occasional free entry, IKEA Bus to the biggest IKEA in the world and enjoying the street art on the Stockholm Metro.

Entertainment Prices
If you are a budget traveler and like to go for a drink while traveling, Stockholm, unfortunately, isn’t going to be the most cost-favorable city for you.
Alcohol in Sweden has a government alcohol monopoly called Systembolaget, and in turn, alcohol can only be bought at these designated shops on certain days/times, and alcohol in restaurants and bars is rather pricey.
Expect to pay €10-15 for a glass of wine or a beer and anything higher is expected as well. Although it isn’t too expensive, it does add up quickly so if you’re hoping to save money, have a drink or two out and stop by the Systembolaget (government-run liquor stores) for drinks at your accommodation.
Coffee culture is huge in Sweden and the capital city of Stockholm is no exception. “Fika” is a Swedish ritual deep within the culture, and grabbing a coffee and a pastry as a midday break at a cozy cafe, either alone or with others is the best way to experience fika.
But how much will this caffeinated Swedish ritual cost? Expect to pay €4 for a cappuccino and around €3-5 for a pastry. The cost can be higher depending on the location and type of cafe; the trendy, artisanal, and more central will typically be higher in cost.
Other than the many art museums in Stockholm, another great way to experience Swedish culture and the arts is to head to a show at the Royal Swedish Opera. The company/theater goes back to 1773 and the theater is truly stunning. Here you can find all sorts of shows, from ballet to kid-friendly performances.
Ticket costs vary depending on the show you visit, as well as the seats but you can expect to pay on average €10-15 for the cheapest ticket and show, which is quite affordable in comparison to opera in other cities.

Average Prices in Stockholm
So, how expensive is Stockholm? The capital city of Sweden is by no means a budget travel destination, but with planning and economizing on your trip, you can still enjoy a wonderful stay in the vibrant city of Stockholm.
To give you a better idea of the trip cost to Stockholm, I’ve broken down the main costs on the low to high end that you’ll need to be aware of on your trip. Keep in mind that these costs are assuming a trip cost is split between people so accommodation costs are split.
Accommodation: €25-100 / night
Transportation: €10-15 / day
Food: €20-60 / day
Activities: €15-45 / day
Entertainment: €10-30 / day
With the above things kept in mind, expect to spend, on average, around €80-250 per person per day while visiting Stockholm. This won’t include any pre-trip expenses such as airfares or travel insurance.
Keep in mind that you can try to save some cash and keep your daily costs lower if you book your accommodation in advance, maybe stay in a hostel or find an affordable Airbnb, eat affordably with shopping at local supermarkets, and purchase a city pass in advance if you plan on visiting a fair amount of museums.

Compared to the rest of Europe, Stockholm is definitely more expensive. But on the other hand, Stockholm can be cheaper than other neighboring Scandinavian capital cities such as Oslo or Copenhagen.
Despite the high costs of the city, it is possible to have an enjoyable time in the thriving Swedish capital city.
Are you planning to visit Stockholm? Have any questions about the prices? Let us know in the comments!

this guide is really helpful