Sweden on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Sweden is costly, but free museums, the right of public access to nature and lunch deals make a budget trip possible. A realistic minimum, averaged over a trip, is about SEK 1,050 per person a day: SEK 450 for a bed, SEK 350 for food, SEK 150 for sights and SEK 100 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | SEK450 | SEK900 | SEK1,800 |
| Food & drink | SEK350 | SEK600 | SEK1,100 |
| Sights & tickets | SEK150 | SEK350 | SEK550 |
| Local transport | SEK100 | SEK180 | SEK400 |
| Per person, per day | SEK1,050 | SEK2,030 | SEK3,850 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Sweden day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Moderna Museet's permanent collection on Skeppsholmen, Stockholm.
- The Nationalmuseum's collection in Stockholm.
- Stockholm's metro stations, decorated as 'the world's longest art gallery' (with a travel ticket).
- Walking Gamla Stan and the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace.
- Slottsskogen park in Gothenburg, with a free small zoo of Nordic animals.
- Allemansrätten, the right of public access: hiking, swimming and wild camping in nature for free.
Cheap eats
- Dagens lunch weekday deal: about SEK 120–160.
- Korv (hot dog) from a kiosk: about SEK 30–50.
- Kanelbulle (cinnamon bun) from a bakery: about SEK 30–45.
- Shrimp sandwich (räksmörgås) in Gothenburg: about SEK 150–200.
- Falafel or kebab in Malmö: about SEK 70–100.
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in hostels on Södermalm in Stockholm (including the af Chapman ship hostel) and in Gothenburg's Linné district, with doubles from about SEK 700–1,200 and dorm beds lower.
Getting around cheaply
Book SJ trains well in advance or compare long-distance buses. In cities, use the apps: single tickets are about SEK 40–45, and passes cover ferries. From Arlanda, the Flygbussarna coach takes about 45 minutes and costs less than the Arlanda Express.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace guard change (free), with fika (about SEK 70).
- Lunch: dagens lunch (about SEK 140).
- Afternoon: Moderna Museet (free) and a ferry to Djurgården on the SL card (about SEK 110 per day).
- Evening: supermarket dinner and a park picnic (about SEK 120).
- Total: about SEK 1,050 including a SEK 450 bed.
More ways to save
- Choose hotels with breakfast; Swedish hotel breakfasts are big.
- Refill water bottles from the tap.
- Shop at Lidl, Willys or Coop for picnic food.
- Visit archipelagos on public ferries rather than cruises.
- Use allemansrätten for free camping on hiking trips.
- Plan around museum free hours and family discounts.
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Common questions
Can you travel Sweden on a budget?
Yes, with hostels, lunch deals, free museums and early-booked trains, for about SEK 1,050 a day.
Which museums are free in Stockholm?
Moderna Museet's and the Nationalmuseum's collections, among others; check each museum for current policies.
What is allemansrätten?
Sweden's right of public access, letting you hike, swim and camp for a night in nature, as long as you respect landowners and nature.