Moving to Sweden from Switzerland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Switzerland to Sweden? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Switzerland to Sweden, you would find that Sweden is 45.6% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly SEK407,000 in Sweden to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Swedish.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Switzerland and Sweden.
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → SEK407,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Sweden
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 49.8% less
Groceries
pay 25.0% less
Transportation
pay 27.7% less
Housing
pay 52.9% less
Childcare
pay 88.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 34.9% less
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 Sweden cost about 43% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Switzerland to Sweden.
people moved from Switzerland to Sweden · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Sweden compared to Switzerland.
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 generally does better on safety, though Switzerland leads in homicide rate.
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
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Sweden performs significantly better than Switzerland 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
Switzerland generally does better on infrastructure, though Sweden leads in water stress level.
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
Switzerland performs 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 generally does better on family life, though Switzerland leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), Skatteverket (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Bern | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bern | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland and Sweden. To live, work, or study long-term in Sweden, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Sweden's immigration authority.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Sweden
Visa Free
Sweden passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Sweden than Switzerland?
On average Sweden is about 46% less expensive than Switzerland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Sweden?
Budget about SEK101,750 for 3 months in Sweden (based on a CHF62,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Sweden?
Connectivity is usually fine (Sweden: 40.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Sweden offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Sweden safe for expats?
Sweden generally does better on safety, though Switzerland leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Sweden is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland. About 73% of people in Sweden feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Sweden compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sweden leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Sweden, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Sweden scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Sweden compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Stockholm is 52°F, compared to 55°F in Bern. Stockholm receives around 21.5 in of rainfall per year, while Bern gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Sweden?
The official language in Sweden is Swedish. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
