Moving to Sweden from Michigan

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Michigan to Sweden — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Michigan to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 5.0% more expensive than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly SEK758,973 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Michigan to Sweden.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 SEK758,973

To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 6.2% more

Groceries

pay 8.6% more

Transportation

pay 61.2% more

Housing

pay 31.2% less

Childcare

pay 81.7% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 19.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 9.65 SEK (July 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Michigan to Sweden, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
1,101 ↓ 12% vs 2022

people moved from United States 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

How Michigan and Sweden stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MI
36.0%
SE
20.6%

Sweden performs significantly better than Michigan across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MI
89.4%
SE
88.0%

Michigan performs better than Sweden across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MI
4.8%
SE
7.6%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MI
$55,508
SE
$64,200

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

MI
76.0 yrs
SE
82.7 yrs

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

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lansing Rain: 32.2 in/yr (817 mm)
58° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lansing Stockholm
Jan–Mar 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) 69°/56°F (21°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) 43°/36°F (6°/2°C)
View all months
Month Lansing Stockholm
Jan 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C)
Feb 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C)
Mar 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C)
Apr 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C)
May 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C)
Jun 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C)
Jul 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C)
Aug 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C)
Sep 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C)
Oct 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C)
Nov 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C)
Dec 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.

United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Sweden

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Sweden without a visa.
Sweden passport

Sweden passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sweden passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.

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 Michigan?

Day-to-day costs in Sweden run about 5% higher than Michigan on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Sweden?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around SEK189,743 in Sweden for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Sweden?

Working remotely from Sweden's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Michigan and Sweden.

How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Michigan?

Sweden performs significantly better than Michigan across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.

What language do they speak in Sweden?

The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Michigan, the official language is English.

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At a Glance

SE
Population 9,883,640 10,483,647
Currency United States Dollar ($) Swedish Krona (SEK)
Languages English Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +1 +46
Time zones 11 1
Emergency number 911 112