Moving to Sweden from Austria

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Austria to Sweden — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Austria to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 15.1% cheaper than Austria overall. A €67,000 salary in Austria would need to be roughly SEK633,000 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Sweden cheaper than Austria?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 20.2% less

Groceries

pay 7.9% less

Transportation

pay 7.2% more

Housing

pay 22.4% less

Childcare

pay 65.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.9% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (October 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Sweden?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → SEK633,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Sweden cost about 10% less than cities in Austria.

Austria

Dornbirn 56%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Austria to Sweden, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
254 ↓ 24% vs 2022

people moved from Austria to Sweden · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Sweden?

Top countries of origin for Sweden's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Austria to Sweden.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

AT
0.9
SE
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AT
4.6
SE
2.1

Austria generally does better on safety, though Sweden leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

AT
$8,250
SE
$7,770
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

AT
55.1
SE
44.1

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AT
17.0
SE
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AT
6.3t
SE
3.6t

Sweden performs significantly better than Austria across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AT
30.1
SE
40.6
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AT
8.7%
SE
3.6%

Sweden performs significantly better than Austria across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AT
5.6%
SE
8.7%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

AT
$62,930
SE
$63,133

Austria generally does better on employment & economy, though Sweden leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

AT
82.0 yrs
SE
84.1 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AT
2.8
SE
2.0

Sweden performs significantly better than Austria across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Ministry of Finance (2016), Skatteverket (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Sweden vs Austria

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Vienna Rain: 24.4 in/yr (620 mm)
58° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Stockholm Rain: 21.5 in/yr (546 mm)
52° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Vienna Stockholm
Jan–Mar 43°/31°F (6°/0°C) 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 67°/50°F (20°/10°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 75°/58°F (24°/14°C) 69°/56°F (21°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 48°/37°F (9°/3°C) 43°/36°F (6°/2°C)
View all months
Month Vienna Stockholm
Jan 37°/28°F (2.9°/-2.0°C) 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C)
Feb 41°/30°F (5.1°/-0.9°C) 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C)
Mar 51°/36°F (10.3°/2.4°C) 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C)
Apr 59°/42°F (15.2°/5.8°C) 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C)
May 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.5°C) 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C)
Jun 74°/56°F (23.4°/13.5°C) 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C)
Jul 78°/60°F (25.6°/15.4°C) 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C)
Aug 78°/60°F (25.4°/15.3°C) 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C)
Sep 69°/53°F (20.3°/11.7°C) 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C)
Oct 58°/45°F (14.2°/7.0°C) 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C)
Nov 46°/36°F (7.5°/2.4°C) 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C)
Dec 39°/31°F (4.0°/-0.5°C) 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C)

Data: GeoSphere Austria GeoSphere Austria, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)

Can you move from Austria to Sweden?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Austria and Sweden. To live, work, or study long-term in Sweden, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sweden's immigration authority.

Austria passport

Austria passport holder visiting Sweden

Visa Free
Austria passport holders can enter Sweden without a visa.
Sweden passport

Sweden passport holder visiting Austria

Visa Free
Sweden passport holders can enter Austria without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Sweden than Austria?

Yes — Sweden is on average about 15% cheaper than Austria. City-level variation can be significant.

How much money do I need to move to Sweden?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly SEK158,250 in Sweden on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Sweden?

Internet is rarely the blocker — Sweden has 40.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

Is Sweden safe for expats?

Austria generally does better on safety, though Sweden leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.9 in Austria.

How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Austria?

Austria generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 55.1 in Austria. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Austria: 85).

What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Austria?

The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 58°F in Vienna. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Vienna gets 24.4 in.

What language do they speak in Sweden?

The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Austria, the official language is German.

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At a Glance

AT SE
Population 9,208,163 10,596,620
Currency Euro (€) Swedish Krona (SEK)
Languages German Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +43 +46
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112