Moving to China from Sweden
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to China — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sweden to China, you would find that China is 18.2% cheaper than Sweden overall. A SEK728,567 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly CN¥257,823 in China to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Beijing averages 64°F vs 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sweden to China.
What does your salary buy?
SEK728,567 → CN¥257,823
To maintain the same standard of living in China
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 75.9% less
Groceries
pay 46.6% less
Transportation
pay 59.9% less
Housing
pay 67.1% less
Childcare
pay 3.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 50.2% 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 China cost about 46% less than cities in Sweden.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Sweden and China stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
China generally does better on safety, though Sweden leads in road traffic deaths.
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
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sweden performs better than China across all environment metrics.
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
Sweden generally does better on infrastructure, though China leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
China generally does better on employment & economy, though Sweden leads in gdp per capita.
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 performs better than China across all family life metrics.
Data: Skatteverket, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Stockholm | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 51°/32°F (11°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Beijing |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
China Meteorological Administration
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.
Sweden passport holder visiting China
Visa Free
China passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in China than Sweden?
Generally yes: China runs about 49% cheaper than Sweden on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to China?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SEK728,567 comparable salary, that's around CN¥64,456 in China for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from China?
With 41.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, China can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Sweden and China.
Is China safe for expats?
China generally does better on safety, though Sweden leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden. About 91% of people in China feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in China compared to Sweden?
China generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 71.5 in Sweden. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in China compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Beijing is 64°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Beijing receives around 22.8 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in China?
The official language in China is Chinese. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
