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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Västerås vs Sundsvall in 2026: cost index 95 vs 90, rent 7 500 kr vs 7 000 kr, income 345 000 kr vs 340 000 kr, QoL 69 vs 70.
Västerås vs Sundsvall in 2026: cost index 95 vs 90, rent 7 500 kr vs 7 000 kr, income 345 000 kr vs 340 000 kr, QoL 69 vs 70.
Västerås ranks #1 with a cost index of 95 and rent of 7 500 kr/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 93 (-4 vs national average of 97).
Average quality of life: 70/100. Top: Västerås at 69/100.
Safest city: Sundsvall (72/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Västerås stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 95 and median income of 345 000 kr, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Sweden. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Sundsvall leads with a composite score of 70/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (72), and walkability (64) 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. Västerås leads with 69/100, 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.
Västerås (ranked #1) has a cost index of 95 and rent of 7 500 kr/mo. Sundsvall (#2) has index 90 and rent 7 000 kr/mo — a 5-point gap.