Moving to Sweden from Poland

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Poland to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 38.7% more expensive than Poland overall. A PLN284,812 salary in Poland would need to be roughly SEK913,487 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?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Poland to Sweden.

What does your salary buy?

PLN284,812 SEK913,487

To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden

Calculate with your salary →

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

Restaurants

pay 33.9% more

Groceries

pay 76.1% more

Transportation

pay 83.8% more

Housing

pay 37.3% more

Childcare

pay 51.7% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 68.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PLN = 2.56 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.

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 21% more than cities in Poland.

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
4,493 ↓ 4% vs 2022

people moved from Poland 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 Poland to Sweden.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

PL
0.7
SE
1.1
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

PL
11%
SE
73%

Sweden generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PL
$3,939
SE
$7,770
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

PL
33.9
SE
71.5

Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland 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

PL
41.0
SE
8.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PL
7.6t
SE
3.6t

Sweden performs significantly better than Poland across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PL
23.0
SE
40.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PL
32.1%
SE
3.6%

Sweden performs significantly better than Poland across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PL
2.9%
SE
7.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PL
$44,100
SE
$64,200

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PL
78.8 yrs
SE
82.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PL
4.2
SE
2.3

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

Data: Ministry of Finance, Poland, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Warsaw Rain: 20.9 in/yr (532 mm)
55° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Warsaw Stockholm
Jan–Mar 38°/26°F (3°/-3°C) 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/46°F (19°/8°C) 61°/45°F (16°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) 69°/56°F (21°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 44°/33°F (7°/1°C) 43°/36°F (6°/2°C)
View all months
Month Warsaw Stockholm
Jan 33°/24°F (0.7°/-4.4°C) 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C)
Feb 36°/25°F (2.1°/-3.9°C) 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C)
Mar 44°/30°F (6.9°/-0.9°C) 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C)
Apr 57°/38°F (13.9°/3.6°C) 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C)
May 68°/47°F (19.8°/8.6°C) 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C)
Jun 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C)
Jul 76°/57°F (24.6°/13.7°C) 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C)
Aug 75°/55°F (23.9°/13.0°C) 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C)
Sep 65°/48°F (18.4°/9.0°C) 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C)
Oct 55°/40°F (12.8°/4.7°C) 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C)
Nov 43°/33°F (5.9°/0.5°C) 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C)
Dec 35°/26°F (1.6°/-3.1°C) 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C)

Data: Institute of Meteorology and Water Management Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Poland 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.

Poland passport

Poland passport holder visiting Sweden

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

Sweden passport holder visiting Poland

Visa Free
Sweden passport holders can enter Poland 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 Poland?

No — Sweden is on average about 25% more expensive than Poland. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Sweden?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly SEK228,372 in Sweden on a PLN284,812 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 40.4 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?

Sweden generally does better on safety, though Poland leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Poland. About 73% of people in Sweden feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Poland?

Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Poland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 71.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 33.9 in Poland. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Poland: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 55°F in Warsaw. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Warsaw gets 20.9 in.

What language do they speak in Sweden?

The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Poland, the official language is Polish.

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At a Glance

PL SE
Population 38,093,101 10,483,647
Currency Polish Zloty (PLN) Swedish Krona (SEK)
Languages Polish Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +48 +46
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112