Moving to North Carolina from Sweden

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Sweden to North Carolina? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Sweden to North Carolina, you would find that North Carolina is 91.5% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK728,567 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly $79,708 in North Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Asheville averages 67°F vs 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Sweden and North Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

SEK728,567 $79,708

To maintain the same standard of living in North Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 4.0% less

Groceries

pay 31.7% more

Transportation

pay 24.5% less

Housing

pay 65.9% more

Childcare

pay 7.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 7.6% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 SEK = 0.1029 USD (July 2026)

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 North Carolina cost about 22% more than cities in Sweden.

Sweden

Vasteras 51%
Jonkoping 48%

North Carolina

Durham 74%

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 North Carolina.

Moved in 2023
950 ↑ 2% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in North Carolina compared to Sweden.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

SE
20.6%
NC
33.6%

Sweden performs better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

SE
88.0%
NC
88.7%

North Carolina performs significantly better than Sweden across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

SE
7.6%
NC
3.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

SE
$64,200
NC
$59,308

North Carolina generally does better on employment & economy, though Sweden leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SE
82.7 yrs
NC
76.1 yrs

Sweden performs better than North Carolina across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Stockholm Rain: 21.5 in/yr (546 mm)
52° / 41°F

Avg. annual high / low

Asheville Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
67° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Stockholm Asheville
Jan–Mar 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) 52°/32°F (11°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 75°/53°F (24°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) 58°/38°F (15°/3°C)
View all months
Month Stockholm Asheville
Jan 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C)
Feb 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C)
Mar 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C)
Apr 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)
May 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C)
Jun 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C)
Jul 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C)
Aug 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C)
Sep 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C)
Oct 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C)
Nov 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C)
Dec 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°C)

Data: Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), National Weather Service 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

Sweden passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Sweden passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Sweden

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Sweden without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in North Carolina than Sweden?

On average North Carolina is around 6% pricier than Sweden, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to North Carolina?

Budget about $19,927 for 3 months in North Carolina (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 North Carolina?

From major North Carolina cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Sweden and North Carolina are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in North Carolina compared to Sweden?

Sweden performs better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in North Carolina compared to Sweden?

The average high temperature in Asheville is 67°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Asheville receives around 37.0 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.

What language do they speak in North Carolina?

The official language in North Carolina is English. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.

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At a Glance

SE
Population 10,483,647 9,535,483
Currency Swedish Krona (SEK) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Swedish English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +46 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911