Moving to New York from Sweden
What to Expect
Considering a move from Sweden to New York? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Sweden to New York, you would find that New York is 2.3 times more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK728,567 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly $88,726 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
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 New York.
What does your salary buy?
SEK728,567 → $88,726
To maintain the same standard of living in New York
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 6.8% more
Groceries
pay 31.1% more
Transportation
pay 12.5% less
Housing
pay 83.9% more
Childcare
pay 8.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.9% 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 New York cost about 33% more than cities in Sweden.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to New York
We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.
- ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
- ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
- ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you
Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Sweden to New York.
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 New York compared to Sweden.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Sweden performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New York 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
New York 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 New York 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 | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°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 New York than Sweden?
On average New York is around 18% pricier than Sweden, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to New York?
Budget about $22,182 for 3 months in New York (based on a SEK728,567 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New York?
From major New York cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Sweden and New York are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in New York compared to Sweden?
Sweden performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New York compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in New York?
The official language in New York is English. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
