Moving to Finland from Sweden
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Sweden to Finland — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Sweden to Finland, you would find that Finland is 1.3% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK740,000 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly €67,300 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Finland cheaper than Sweden?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 11.6% more
Groceries
pay 15.0% less
Transportation
pay 6.8% more
Housing
pay 4.9% less
Childcare
pay 2.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.8% more
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 Finland?
What does your salary buy?
SEK740,000 → €67,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Finland
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 Finland cost about 3% more than cities in Sweden.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Sweden to Finland, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Sweden to Finland.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Finland 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
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland 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
Sweden generally does better on environment, though Finland leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Finland leads in electricity per capita.
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
Sweden generally does better on employment & economy, though Finland leads in top income tax rate.
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 Finland leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Skatteverket (2016), Finnish Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Finland vs Sweden
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Stockholm | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 58°/40°F (14°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 65°/49°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
Finnish Meteorological Institute
Can you move from Sweden to Finland?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden and Finland. To live, work, or study long-term in Finland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Finland's immigration authority.
Sweden passport holder visiting Finland
Visa Free
Finland passport holder visiting Sweden
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 Finland than Sweden?
Costs in Finland and Sweden are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Finland?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €16,825 in Finland on a SEK740,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Finland?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Finland has 36.5 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 Finland safe for expats?
Finland generally does better on safety, though Sweden leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden. About 86% of people in Finland feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Finland compared to Sweden?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 44.1 in Sweden. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Finland compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Finland?
The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
