Sweden - Currency and Cost of Living

The Swedish currency is the Kronor (Sk or SEK), made up of 100 ore. Banknotes come in denominations of 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 SEK, and coins in denominations of 50 ore, and 1, 5, and 10 kronor.

As at March 2006, 1 SEK is equal to US$0.13, GBGBP0.07 and EUR0.10.

The cost of living is high in Sweden, and most expatriates are likely to find most prices higher than in their home countries. Alcohol in particular is very expensive, and can only be bought at the state-run Systembolaget (the Swedish Alcohol Retail Monopoly).

It has been estimated that monthly living costs, excluding housing, for a single person in Sweden are around 5820 SEK (ca EUR 582), while living costs for a couple are around SEK 8680 (EUR 868).

Typical prices include:

Litre of milk SEK 8
Loaf of bread SEK 10-20
1 kg cheese: SEK 50
1 kg chicken SEK 30-50
1 kg rice: SEK 30-35
Can of soft drink SEK15.00
Half-litre bottle of beer SEK50.00
Low cost cafe meal SEK35 - SEK50
Expensive restaurant meal SEK150 - SEK350

Tipping is not expected in restaurants as service is always included on the bill. It is customary to tip the cloakroom attendant in restaurants around SEK15 to SEK20.

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