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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Sweden for 2026. Karlskrona leads with a cost index of 86 and rent of 6 500 kr/month.
Ranking of cities in Sweden for 2026. Karlskrona leads with a cost index of 86 and rent of 6 500 kr/month.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karlskrona | 86 | 6 500 kr | 325 000 kr |
| 2 | Kalmar | 87 | 6 800 kr | 330 000 kr |
| 3 | Falun | 89 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 4 | Sundsvall | 90 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 5 | Karlstad | 90 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 6 | Östersund | 90 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 7 | Gävle | 90 | 7 100 kr | 335 000 kr |
| 8 | Växjö | 91 | 7 100 kr | 340 000 kr |
| 9 | Luleå | 93 | 7 200 kr | 360 000 kr |
| 10 | Eskilstuna | 92 | 7 200 kr | 340 000 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 | Umeå | 97 | 7 800 kr | 355 000 kr |
| 16 | Visby | 96 | 7 800 kr | 330 000 kr |
| 17 | Linköping | 98 | 8 200 kr | 360 000 kr |
| 18 | Halmstad | 101 | 8 200 kr | 365 000 kr |
| 19 | Helsingborg | 100 | 8 500 kr | 350 000 kr |
| 20 | Malmö | 105 | 9 000 kr | 360 000 kr |
Karlskrona ranks #1 with a cost index of 86 and rent of 6 500 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: Karlskrona at 72/100.
Safest city: Visby (88/100 safety score).
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Karlskrona stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 86 and median income of 325 000 kr, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Sweden. Financially, that's significant.
But here's the flip side: the spread across all 24 cities is 46 points on the cost index. Stockholm sits at the other end with index 132 and rent of 12 500 kr/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Karlskrona leads with a composite score of 72/100 — reflecting its safety (76), healthcare (72), and walkability (66) metrics. But here's the flip side: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Sweden is a good example of that tension.
Karlskrona — cost index 86, rent 6 500 kr/mo, income 325 000 kr, QoL 72/100.
Kalmar — cost index 87, rent 6 800 kr/mo, income 330 000 kr, QoL 72/100.
Falun — cost index 89, rent 7 000 kr/mo, income 340 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Sundsvall — cost index 90, rent 7 000 kr/mo, income 340 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Karlstad — cost index 90, rent 7 000 kr/mo, income 340 000 kr, QoL 72/100.
In Karlskrona, rent would be about 22% of your gross monthly income on 350K kr. Well within the recommended 30% threshold.
The country average QoL score is 70/100. Karlskrona leads with 72/100, 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.
Karlskrona (ranked #1) has a cost index of 86 and rent of 6 500 kr/mo. Stockholm (#24) has index 132 and rent 12 500 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.