Moving to Oregon from Sweden

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to Oregon — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Sweden to Oregon, you would find that Oregon is 72.1% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK728,567 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly $75,997 in Oregon to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Salem averages 64°F vs 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sweden to Oregon.

What does your salary buy?

SEK728,567 $75,997

To maintain the same standard of living in Oregon

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.6% more

Groceries

pay 9.1% more

Transportation

pay 26.1% less

Housing

pay 65.3% more

Childcare

pay 5.8 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.2% 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 Oregon cost about 20% more than cities in Sweden.

Sweden

Vasteras 51%
Jonkoping 48%

Oregon

Portland 68%
Beaverton 66%
Bend 66%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Sweden to Oregon, and how the trend has changed.

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

How Sweden and Oregon stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

SE
20.6%
OR
31.9%

Sweden performs better than Oregon across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

SE
88.0%
OR
91.8%

Oregon 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%
OR
5.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

SE
$64,200
OR
$61,622

Oregon 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
OR
78.8 yrs

Sweden performs better than Oregon 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

Salem Rain: 39.7 in/yr (1008 mm)
64° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Stockholm Salem
Jan–Mar 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) 52°/36°F (11°/2°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 68°/45°F (20°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) 80°/51°F (27°/11°C)
Oct–Dec 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) 54°/38°F (12°/3°C)
View all months
Month Stockholm Salem
Jan 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C)
Feb 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C)
Mar 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C)
Apr 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C)
May 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C)
Jun 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C)
Jul 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C)
Aug 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C)
Sep 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C)
Oct 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C)
Nov 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C)
Dec 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°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 Oregon than Sweden?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Oregon and Sweden; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to Oregon?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SEK728,567 comparable salary, that's around $18,999 in Oregon for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Oregon?

Working remotely from Oregon's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Sweden and Oregon.

How is healthcare in Oregon compared to Sweden?

Sweden performs better than Oregon across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Oregon compared to Sweden?

The average high temperature in Salem is 64°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Salem receives around 39.7 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.

What language do they speak in Oregon?

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

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At a Glance

SE
Population 10,483,647 3,831,074
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