Moving to United States from Sweden
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to United States — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sweden to United States, you would find that United States is 98.3% more expensive than Sweden overall. A SEK728,567 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly $96,456 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Washington averages 66°F vs 52°F in Stockholm, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Sweden to United States.
What does your salary buy?
SEK728,567 → $96,456
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 6.3% more
Groceries
pay 20.7% more
Transportation
pay 24.8% less
Housing
pay 78.0% more
Childcare
pay 7.3 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.5% 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 United States cost about 62% more than cities in Sweden.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Sweden to United States, and how the trend has changed.
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
How Sweden and United States stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
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 performs better than United States across all safety metrics.
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 United States 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 United States 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 United States leads in electricity per capita.
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
United States performs significantly better than Sweden across all employment & economy metrics.
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 United States 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 | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°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 United States than Sweden?
Day-to-day costs in United States run about 29% higher than Sweden on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a SEK728,567 comparable salary, that's around $24,114 in United States for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United States?
With 37.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United States can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Sweden and United States.
Is United States safe for expats?
Sweden performs better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United States is 6.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden. About 63% of people in United States feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Sweden?
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in health coverage index. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 71.5 in Sweden. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in United States compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in United States?
The official language in United States is English. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
