Moving to Sweden from Norway
What to Expect
Considering a move from Norway to Sweden? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Norway to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 29.7% cheaper than Norway overall. A NOK720,000 salary in Norway would need to be roughly SEK529,000 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Norway and Sweden.
What does your salary buy?
NOK720,000 → SEK529,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 34.4% less
Groceries
pay 23.8% less
Transportation
pay 19.4% less
Housing
pay 38.0% less
Childcare
pay 32.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.6% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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 25% less than cities in Norway.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Norway to Sweden.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Sweden compared to Norway.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Norway performs better than Sweden across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Norway generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Norway generally does better on environment, though Sweden leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Norway performs better than Sweden across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Norway performs better than Sweden across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Sweden generally does better on family life, though Norway leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Norwegian Tax Administration (2017), Skatteverket (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Oslo | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/22°F (0°/-6°C) | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/43°F (15°/6°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/51°F (19°/10°C) | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/30°F (4°/-1°C) | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Oslo | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°/20°F (-1.8°/-6.8°C) | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 30°/20°F (-0.9°/-6.8°C) | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 38°/26°F (3.5°/-3.3°C) | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.8°C) | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) |
| May | 60°/44°F (15.8°/6.5°C) | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.4°/10.6°C) | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.5°/12.2°C) | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 68°/52°F (20.1°/11.3°C) | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) |
| Sep | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.5°C) | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 49°/39°F (9.3°/3.8°C) | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) |
| Nov | 38°/29°F (3.2°/-1.5°C) | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) |
| Dec | 31°/22°F (-0.5°/-5.6°C) | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) |
Data:
Norwegian Meteorological Institute,
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Norway 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.
Norway passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa Free
Sweden passport holder visiting Norway
Visa FreeData: 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 Norway?
On average Sweden is about 30% less expensive than Norway, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Sweden?
Budget about SEK132,250 for 3 months in Sweden (based on a NOK720,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Sweden?
Connectivity is usually fine (Sweden: 40.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Sweden offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Sweden safe for expats?
Norway performs better than Sweden across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Norway.
How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Norway?
Norway 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 49.8 in Norway. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Norway: 87).
What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Norway?
The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 49°F in Oslo. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Oslo gets 30.0 in.
What language do they speak in Sweden?
The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Norway, the official languages are Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Sami.
