“I hear Stockholm is an expensive city to live in, can you explain what a monthly budget could look like?” Is this running through your mind too? If yes, you are reading the right post. In these series of moving to Stockholm, cost of living is the next big question every student seems to be thinking about.
Let’s break down the expenses together:
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ACCOMMODATION
This ranges from 2500SEK to 6500SEK. I know students who live in shared apartments at Fleminsberg and pay 2500SEK per month. Meanwhile, the cost of a studio apartment in the main campus cost 6500SEK. There are other apartments with their prices in between this range. For example, a single corridor apartment in the main campus costs 5000SEK and then, a single corridor apartment in Lappis costs 4300SEK. Accommodation choice is very relative depending on personal preferences such as proximity to the main campus, desire to stay in a shared accommodation or studio apartment amongst others. Additionally, most of the student accommodation have the electricity and internet bills embedded in the accommodation prices mentioned above.
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FOOD
For grocery shopping, there are options such as Lidl, Willy’s, Hemkop, ICA, oob and COOP. Lidl and Willy’s are the cheapest. Hence, you hear most students say they are headed to Lidl. In a month, if most of your shopping is done in Lidl (and you cook all that you eat), you can budget 800SEK to 1000SEK.
Below is a breakdown of student-priced meals that most students buy generally:
Restaurants in school: 65SEK to 89SEK
Baguette sandwich: 25SEK to 32SEK
Cinnamon bun and a cup of coffee: 15SEK
Obviously, you would want junk sometimes in the month, you can budget about 500SEK to 1000SEK to this. For example, you can buy pizza for 89SEK to 110SEK. You can get burgers from a small shop close to school starting from 50SEK to 89SEK (depends on the package you decide on)
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TRANSPORTATION
One major way to cut your monthly transportation expense is to buy a bike. However, the student price for the SL transport for a month is 570SEK. Students who use the public transportation strictly pay the monthly capped price as opposed paying for each trip to make it cheaper. Most students do not take taxis as they are expensive. A 14-minute Uber ride from the central station to the main campus costs 160SEK averagely.
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COMMUNICATION
Most students pay an average of 100SEK per month for pre-paid services for their phones. There are various telecommunication providers and they all have student packages. Personally, I chose Halebop and with their amazing deals and flexible options, my phone bill per month can be as little as zero to 75SEK.
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SHOPPING
You might want to buy different things such as clothes, shoes, fixtures for your new apartment, school bag, the list can truly be endless. As these might come in randomly but would surely happen, you can budget 500SEK to 800SEK for this each month. Also, there are good thrift stores in Stockholm, you might find interesting things you might like so as to cut some costs.
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MISCELLANEOUS
As a student, you would love to take part in social activities or plan a night out with friends. Whatever it may be, this can be adjusted according to your budget for each month.
In summary:
You might wonder why I did not write anything for miscellaneous on the high end. This is because I know that the common expense range for most students is between 5000SEK to 9000SEK even with those that live in high-end apartments. This is because each individual chooses what to spend on to match their preferences.
Do you have any other questions as regards the cost of living? Feel free to ask! If not, I am glad that I could help you plan your future financial budget:)