Food & Grocery in Sweden
Sweden offers a mix of global cuisine and local Nordic flavors, making it easy for international students to enjoy both familiar and new foods. While eating out in Sweden can be expensive, students can save significantly by cooking at home using fresh groceries available at a wide range of supermarkets and ethnic stores.
🛒 Popular Supermarkets in Sweden
- ICA: One of Sweden’s largest grocery chains with branches in nearly every city. Offers a wide range of food products, household goods, and student-friendly meal deals.
🌐 https://www.ica.se/ - Coop: A sustainability-focused supermarket chain offering organic and fair-trade products. Great for eco-conscious students.
🌐 https://www.coop.se/ - Willys: A budget-friendly supermarket ideal for students. Known for low prices on staples like rice, pasta, bread, milk, and eggs.
🌐 https://www.willys.se/ - Lidl Sweden: A popular German discount chain operating across Sweden, offering good quality produce, bakery items, and packaged food at lower prices.
🌐 https://www.lidl.se/ - Hemköp: Slightly more premium but offers good quality groceries and discounts through their loyalty program.
🌐 https://www.hemkop.se/
🥘 Affordable Eating Options for Students
- Student Cafeterias (Matsalar): Most universities in Sweden have on-campus dining halls offering subsidized meals for students.
- Lunch Buffets (Dagens Lunch): Many restaurants offer “Dagens lunch” (daily lunch specials) between 11 AM – 2 PM, usually for SEK 90–130, including salad, drink, and coffee.
- Food Trucks & Kiosks: In cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Lund, you can find food trucks serving falafel, kebabs, and wraps at reasonable prices.
🌍 South Asian, African, and International Grocery Stores
Sweden is increasingly diverse, with international grocery stores catering to South Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and East Asian communities.
- Oriental Supermarket (Stockholm, Malmö): Offers Indian spices, lentils, rice, snacks, and frozen foods.
🌐 https://orientalmarket.se/ - Kista Grossen (Stockholm): Large ethnic supermarket with Halal meats, Indian groceries, and African ingredients.
🌐 https://www.kistagrossen.se/ - Himalaya Livs (Stockholm): Nepali-Indian store stocking Maggi noodles, masalas, rice, and pickles.
🌐 https://www.facebook.com/himalayalivs/ - Asien Livs Göteborg: East and South Asian grocery items in Gothenburg.
🌐 https://www.facebook.com/asienlivs/
🍚 Typical Monthly Grocery Budget in Sweden (2025 Estimate)
| Item | Approx. Price (SEK) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Milk (1L) | 12 – 15 | Weekly |
| Rice (1kg, Basmati) | 30 – 45 | Biweekly |
| Eggs (12 pack) | 25 – 35 | Weekly |
| Bread (loaf) | 20 – 30 | Weekly |
| Chicken (1kg) | 60 – 90 | Weekly |
| Fresh vegetables (1kg) | 25 – 40 | Weekly |
| Lentils (1kg) | 35 – 55 | Monthly |
✅ Average monthly grocery expenses for students: SEK 1,500 – 2,500 depending on diet and city.
👩🏽🍳 Tips for Budget-Friendly Eating
- Cook in batches and freeze leftovers.
- Join a student cooking group or food-sharing app like Karma (for discounted unsold food).
- Compare supermarket prices on Matspar.se for best deals.
📱 Helpful Apps for Grocery Savings & Food Discovery
- Matpriskollen: Compare prices across Swedish grocery chains.
🌐 https://www.matpriskollen.se/ - Too Good To Go: Get discounted surplus food from cafes and bakeries.
🌐 https://toogoodtogo.se/ - Karma: Buy surplus meals from restaurants and stores at half price.
🌐 https://karma.life/