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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Sweden for 2026. Stockholm leads with a cost index of 132 and rent of 12 500 kr/month.
Ranking of cities in Sweden for 2026. Stockholm leads with a cost index of 132 and rent of 12 500 kr/month.
Stockholm ranks #1 with a cost index of 132 and rent of 12 500 kr/month.
The median city is Västerås — cost index 95, rent 7 500 kr/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 97 (0 vs national average of 97).
Average quality of life: 70/100. Top: Stockholm at 67/100.
Safest city: Visby (88/100 safety score).
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stockholm | 132 | 12 500 kr | 420 000 kr |
| 2 | Uppsala | 110 | 9 800 kr | 385 000 kr |
| 3 | Lund | 108 | 9 200 kr | 380 000 kr |
| 4 | Gothenburg | 108 | 9 500 kr | 375 000 kr |
| 5 | Halmstad | 101 | 8 200 kr | 365 000 kr |
| 6 | Malmö | 105 | 9 000 kr | 360 000 kr |
| 7 | Linköping | 98 | 8 200 kr | 360 000 kr |
| 8 | Luleå | 93 | 7 200 kr | 360 000 kr |
| 9 | Umeå | 97 | 7 800 kr | 355 000 kr |
| 10 | Helsingborg | 100 | 8 500 kr | 350 000 kr |
| 11 | Jönköping | 92 | 7 400 kr | 345 000 kr |
| 12 | Örebro | 93 | 7 500 kr | 345 000 kr |
| 13 | Västerås | 95 | 7 500 kr | 345 000 kr |
| 14 | Norrköping | 92 | 7 600 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 15 | Falun | 89 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 16 | Sundsvall | 90 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 17 | Växjö | 91 | 7 100 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 18 | Eskilstuna | 92 | 7 200 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 19 | Karlstad | 90 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 20 | Östersund | 90 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr |
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Stockholm stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 132 and median income of 420 000 kr, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. the spread across all 24 cities is 46 points on the cost index. Karlskrona sits at the other end with index 86 and rent of 6 500 kr/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Linköping leads with a composite score of 72/100 — reflecting its safety (75), healthcare (80), and walkability (78) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Sweden is a good example of that tension.
Stockholm — cost index 132, rent 12 500 kr/mo, income 420 000 kr, QoL 67/100.
Uppsala — cost index 110, rent 9 800 kr/mo, income 385 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Lund — cost index 108, rent 9 200 kr/mo, income 380 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Gothenburg — cost index 108, rent 9 500 kr/mo, income 375 000 kr, QoL 69/100.
Halmstad — cost index 101, rent 8 200 kr/mo, income 365 000 kr, QoL 69/100.
The country average QoL score is 70/100. Stockholm leads with 67/100, reflecting its safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include SCB, Lantmäteriet, Skatteverket.
Stockholm (ranked #1) has a cost index of 132 and rent of 12 500 kr/mo. Karlskrona (#24) has index 86 and rent 6 500 kr/mo — a 46-point gap.
This analysis uses data from SCB, Lantmäteriet, Skatteverket to rank cities in Sweden. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.