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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Linköping vs Luleå in 2026: cost index 98 vs 93, rent 8 200 kr vs 7 200 kr, income 360 000 kr vs 360 000 kr, QoL 72 vs 71.
Linköping vs Luleå in 2026: cost index 98 vs 93, rent 8 200 kr vs 7 200 kr, income 360 000 kr vs 360 000 kr, QoL 72 vs 71.
Linköping ranks #1 with a cost index of 98 and rent of 8 200 kr/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 96 (-1 vs national average of 97).
Average quality of life: 72/100. Top: Linköping at 72/100.
Safest city: Luleå (82/100 safety score).
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Linköping stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 98 and median income of 360 000 kr, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Linköping leads with a composite score of 72/100 — reflecting its safety (75), healthcare (80), and walkability (78) metrics. Here's where it gets complicated: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Sweden is a good example of that tension.
The country average QoL score is 70/100. Linköping 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.
Linköping (ranked #1) has a cost index of 98 and rent of 8 200 kr/mo. Luleå (#2) has index 93 and rent 7 200 kr/mo — a 5-point gap.