Stockholm is beautiful. It is also expensive. As in, it’s one of the most expensive cities to visit. If you’re on a tight budget, you might want to stay for just a few days. Ohh, and go easy on the drinking because alcohol is a real killer thanks to all the taxes.
In this Stockholm travel price guide, we’ve outlined the estimated travel expenses for food, accommodation, attractions, alcohol, and other common expenses so you can best budget your trip to Stockholm.
This Stockholm Price Guide is part of our City Price Guide Series where we break down the travel costs of Europe’s most popular cities.
Average Daily Costs for Visiting Stockholm
It costs around $70-$115/day to visit Stockholm comfortably as a budget traveler.
If you want to upgrade your accommodations, add another $80-$100/night depending on your level of accommodation. These prices also don’t include big nights out at the bar/pub, club entry fees, souvenir/clothing shopping, tours, random purchases, nicer food, etc.
NOTE: Sweeden uses the Swedish Krona, not the Euro. We’ve converted some of the prices to US Dollars since the Swedish Krona (SEK) is a bit confusing to convert in your head. Check out XE.com for the latest exchange rates.
Daily Cost for Budget Travel in Stockholm: 905 SEK (Approx. $110)
- Attractions: 140 SEK (one paid attraction + any free sights)
- Food: 430 SEK
- Breakfast: 50 SEK
- Lunch: 110 SEK
- Dinner: 200 SEK
- Treat (dessert/beer/wine): 70 SEK
- Transportation: 0 (might as well walk)
- Accommodation (Hostel): 335 SEK
Daily Cost of Frugal Travel in Stockholm: 600 SEK (Approx. $72)
- Attractions: 100 SEK (free walking tour + visit one of the free/cheaper sights)
- Food: 240 SEK
- Breakfast: 0 SEK (free hostel breakfast)
- Lunch: 70 SEK (street food or takeaway shop fare)
- Dinner: 150 SEK (make your own meal in the hostel or grab something cheap)
- Beer: 20 SEK (chill out at the park and have a cold one)
- Transportation: 0 SEK (walk)
- Accommodation (Cheap Hostel): 250 SEK.
Stockholm Attraction and Museum Prices
Stockholm has a lot of stuff to check out and the prices of museums and other attractions are reasonable. Another option for travelers is the Stockholm City Pass — which offers admission to 75+ museums, tours, and attractions and allows unlimited trips on the Stockholm public transit system. (24h/48h/72h/120h for 559 SEK/ 696 SEK/ 1219 SEK/ 1579 SEK).
Food Prices in Stockholm
Yeah, food is expensive in Stockholm — even the “budget” restaurants are still going to be fairly expensive so prepare yourself now.
Swedish cuisine is famous for its herring, lingonberries, and smorgas. Cafés and stands throughout the city offer local and international food. Look for food halls, which range in price from expensive to not-nearly-as-expensive, and offer a variety of cuisines. Read more of our strategies for Eating and Drinking in Europe on a Budget.
Budget Breakfast Prices in Stockholm: 30 SEK-80 SEK ($4-$12)
- Many hostels will offer a free simple breakfast of that normally consists of cereal, bread/croissant, and maybe milk, coffee, tea, or juice (some hostels will offer more and some less). Hotel breakfasts tend to be overpriced, so skip those in most cases.
- The most common Swedish breakfast is a smorgas, or open-faced sandwich with ham, cucumber, tomato, or beef on it. Muesli and filmjok (like yogurt) is another common breakfast item. Traditional Swedish breakfast can be had for 65-100 SEK around the city.
A Few Budget-Friendly Breakfast Places in Stockholm:
Budget Lunch Prices in Stockholm: 60-160 SEK ($9-$20)
- Super budget travelers can make a super cheap lunch of bread, cheese, and fruit from any grocery store.
- Look for food halls, which offer “cheap” takeaway and ingredients, especially Hotorgshallen or the Kista Galleria for a variety of local and international fare. 95-150 SEK for a meal.
- You can find lots of cheap Asian dumpling sit-down/takeaway options in Stockholm, running about 100 SEK for a meal.
- Takeaway from a kebab stand or cart will run 40-110 SEK.
Budget Dinner Prices in Stockholm: 90-250 SEK ($12-$30)
- Pretty much all the options from the ‘Budget Lunch’ section above will also apply for dinner.
- Again, check out the food halls at Hotorgshallen or the Kista Galleria for cheap takeaway.
- Ethnic food – whether falafel, Mexican, or pan Asian – is another reliable cheap choice. Expect to spend 45-200 SEK on a full meal.
- A traditional meal at a mid-range Swedish restaurant in Stockholm will run 250-350 SEK.
A Few Budget-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Places
Drinks and Alcohol Prices in Stockholm
- Expect to pay 55-60 SEK for a beer out.
- At a grocery, beer runs 17-21 SEK, and a bottle of wine about 90 SEK.
Transportation Prices in Stockholm
Stockholm has a public transit system with buses, trams, and an underground (T-Bana). The T-Bana is divided into three zones, and tickets can be purchased by zone (for 75-120 minute periods). The SL Access card must be purchased for 20 SEK before tickets/fares can be added to it.
- 24-hour travel card: 115 SEK
- 72-hour travel card: 230 SEK
- 7-day travel card: 300 SEK
Zone tickets can also be purchased for travel within one, two, or three of the Stockholm transit zones. The tickets are valid only for the zone purchased, and are valid from 75-120 minutes (with unlimited transfers within the zone):
- 1 zone: 36 SEK
- 2 zones: 54 SEK
- 3 zones: 72 SEK
Airport transit from city center: 280 SEK for a one-way adult ticket on the Arlanda Express train.
Airport transit from city center (commuter train, via Stockholm SL public transit system): 135 SEK
Airport transit from city center (taxi): 450-500 SEK (fixed price arranged between the airport and local taxi companies)
Bicycle rental: City bikes in Stockholm can be rented for 80/210/290 SEK for 1/3/24-hour periods, or for 1070 SEK/week.
Hostel, Hotel, & Rental Apartment Prices in Stockholm
Stockholm’s accommodation is high quality but also expensive. Hostels aren’t too bad, but they’re certainly not cheap either.
Hostel Prices in Stockholm: 220-630 SEK ($21-$60/night)
The nightly price of a well-rated hostel in Stockholm starts around $36-$48/night per person—although many hostels raise their prices on the weekend. Remember, these prices are for a bed in a shared dorm room. Private rooms start are around $70-$130 per night. Check out the latest hostel prices at Hostelworld since prices are always fluctuating.
The Best-Rated Hostels in Stockholm:
Budget Hotel Prices in Stockholm: 945-1677 SEK ($90-$160)
A decent budget hotel that is in the city center will cost around $100-$140/night. You can find cheaper hotels if you want to stay farther away from the center of the city or if you don’t mind staying in a junky place.
We suggest checking out Booking.com to see hotel prices for your dates since they’re always changing.
Rental Apartment Prices in Stockholm: 838-1884 SEK ($80-$180)
Stockholm has plenty of rental apartments. These rentals can be a good option for large groups or travelers who want a little more space (and a kitchen). On the other hand, there are a few downsides to rental apartments — like limited/inconvenient check-in processes and extra cleaning fees/service charges (which can make short stays quite a bit more expensive). For short stays, we prefer hotels/hostels but rental apartments can be a nice option for longer stays.
Airbnb is always popular but you can sometimes find cheaper/better options on our list of Airbnb Alternatives.
GET MORE BUDGET TRAVEL TIPS FOR VISITING EUROPE
Check out our guide on How Much It Costs To Backpack Europe to learn more about budgeting your entire trip (including many more city price guides).
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