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Stockholm on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Stockholm on a budget takes planning but is doable with hostels, set lunches and free sights. A realistic minimum is about 1,110 SEK (roughly €100) per person a day: 500 SEK for a bed, 350 for food, 200 for sights and 60 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | SEK500 | SEK1,100 | SEK2,500 |
| Food & drink | SEK350 | SEK650 | SEK1,300 |
| Sights & tickets | SEK200 | SEK450 | SEK800 |
| Local transport | SEK60 | SEK100 | SEK300 |
| Per person, per day | SEK1,110 | SEK2,300 | SEK4,900 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Stockholm day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walking the lanes of Gamla Stan and Stortorget.
- The changing of the guard at the Royal Palace (summer, around midday).
- Metro station art at T-Centralen, Kungsträdgården, Solna Centrum and Stadion (ticket needed).
- The Monteliusvägen path on Södermalm for sunset views.
- Skeppsholmen island and the view back to the old town.
- Swimming at Långholmen and Smedsuddsbadet in summer.
Cheap eats
- Dagens lunch: 120–150 SEK including salad and coffee.
- Tunnbrödsrulle from a korvkiosk: roughly 40–90 SEK.
- Fried Baltic herring (stekt strömming) from a kiosk: roughly 100–200 SEK.
- Kanelbulle and coffee for fika: about 70–100 SEK together.
- Food-hall counters at Hötorgshallen or Söderhallarna.
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels near T-Centralen or on Södermalm, from about 1,000–1,600 SEK for a double or less for a dorm bed.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the centre and use SL with a contactless card or a 24- or 72-hour ticket. From Arlanda, commuter trains and buses are cheaper than the Arlanda Express.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Vasa Museum at opening (about 220 SEK).
- Lunch: dagens lunch on Södermalm (about 140 SEK).
- Afternoon: fika with a kanelbulle (about 90 SEK), then the Djurgården ferry back to Gamla Stan (covered by a 60 SEK share of an SL ticket).
- Evening: kiosk tunnbrödsrulle and sunset at Monteliusvägen (about 90 SEK).
- Total: about 1,110 SEK including a 500 SEK bed share.
More ways to save
- Buy a 72-hour SL ticket if you will use transport often.
- Shop at supermarkets for breakfast and picnic dinners.
- Pick one or two paid museums a day rather than a pass you will not use.
- Take a Waxholmsbolaget ferry to Vaxholm instead of a sightseeing cruise.
- Buy wine and beer at Systembolaget rather than ordering in bars.
- Budget for coat-check fees in bars and clubs, roughly 30–50 SEK.
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Common questions
Can you visit Stockholm on a budget?
Yes with planning: hostels, dagens lunch, kiosk food and free sights keep it to about 1,110 SEK a day.
What is the cheapest way from Arlanda Airport?
Commuter trains and buses are cheaper than the Arlanda Express, which takes 18–20 minutes.
Do I need cash in Stockholm?
Almost never. Cards are accepted everywhere and some places no longer take cash.