Moving to Germany from Sweden
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Sweden to Germany — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Sweden to Germany, you would find that Germany is 43.8% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK728,567 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly €68,926 in Germany to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in German.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Sweden to Germany.
What does your salary buy?
SEK728,567 → €68,926
To maintain the same standard of living in Germany
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 20.0% more
Groceries
pay 7.1% less
Transportation
pay 2.0% less
Housing
pay 45.9% more
Childcare
pay 3.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 8.5% 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 Germany cost about 9% 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 Germany, based on official data.
people moved from Sweden to Germany · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Sweden to Germany.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Germany leads in homicide rate.
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 Germany leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sweden performs better than Germany 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 Germany 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
Germany 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 Germany 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 | Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 41°/31°F (5°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 72°/55°F (22°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 47°/37°F (8°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Berlin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.9°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.5°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 47°/34°F (8.5°/1.3°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 56°/40°F (13.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 66°/48°F (18.9°/9.0°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 71°/54°F (21.6°/12.3°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.3°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 74°/57°F (23.6°/14.1°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 66°/51°F (18.8°/10.6°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 56°/44°F (13.4°/6.4°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 45°/36°F (7.1°/2.2°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 40°/31°F (4.4°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
Deutscher Wetterdienst
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden and Germany. To live, work, or study long-term in Germany, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Germany's immigration authority.
Sweden passport holder visiting Germany
Visa Free
Germany 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 Germany than Sweden?
No — Germany is on average about 5% more expensive than Sweden. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Germany?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly €17,232 in Germany on a SEK728,567 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Germany?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Germany has 45.0 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 Germany safe for expats?
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Germany leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Germany is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden. About 72% of people in Germany feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Germany compared to Sweden?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Germany leads in health coverage index. There are 45.2 doctors per 10,000 people in Germany, compared to 71.5 in Sweden. Germany scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Germany compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Berlin is 56°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Berlin receives around 22.5 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Germany?
The official language in Germany is German. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
