Moving to Illinois from Sweden
What to Expect
Considering a move from Sweden to Illinois? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Sweden to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 99.9% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK723,502 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly $75,971 in Illinois to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Springfield averages 63°F vs 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Sweden and Illinois.
What does your salary buy?
SEK723,502 → $75,971
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.1% less
Groceries
pay 11.0% more
Transportation
pay 24.4% less
Housing
pay 61.1% more
Childcare
pay 7.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.8% 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.
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 Illinois cost about 13% more than cities in Sweden.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Sweden to Illinois.
people moved from Sweden to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
102.40,687
Sweden
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Illinois compared to Sweden.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Sweden performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Illinois performs significantly 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
share of people below the poverty line
Illinois performs significantly better than Sweden across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Sweden performs better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Stockholm | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 42°/25°F (6°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 74°/52°F (23°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 83°/61°F (29°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 52°/33°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 35°/19°F (1.6°/-7.4°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.2°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/0.1°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 65°/42°F (18.1°/5.8°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 83°/62°F (28.4°/16.6°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 85°/64°F (29.4°/17.6°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 79°/55°F (26.1°/12.6°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 66°/44°F (19.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 52°/34°F (11.3°/1.1°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 38°/22°F (3.5°/-5.3°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Sweden passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 Illinois than Sweden?
Illinois and Sweden are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
Budget about $18,993 for 3 months in Illinois (based on a SEK723,502 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
From major Illinois cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Sweden and Illinois are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Sweden?
Sweden performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Springfield is 63°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Springfield receives around 37.4 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
