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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Sweden for 2026. Visby leads with a cost index of 96 and rent of 7 800 kr/month.
Ranking of cities in Sweden for 2026. Visby leads with a cost index of 96 and rent of 7 800 kr/month.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | Sunshine hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visby | 96 | 7 800 kr | 330 000 kr | 1950 |
| 2 | Karlskrona | 86 | 6 500 kr | 325 000 kr | 1900 |
| 3 | Kalmar | 87 | 6 800 kr | 330 000 kr | 1850 |
| 4 | Stockholm | 132 | 12 500 kr | 420 000 kr | 1821 |
| 5 | Halmstad | 101 | 8 200 kr | 365 000 kr | 1800 |
| 6 | Uppsala | 110 | 9 800 kr | 385 000 kr | 1780 |
| 7 | Malmö | 105 | 9 000 kr | 360 000 kr | 1753 |
| 8 | Lund | 108 | 9 200 kr | 380 000 kr | 1753 |
| 9 | Helsingborg | 100 | 8 500 kr | 350 000 kr | 1720 |
| 10 | Västerås | 95 | 7 500 kr | 345 000 kr | 1680 |
| 11 | Gothenburg | 108 | 9 500 kr | 375 000 kr | 1662 |
| 12 | Linköping | 98 | 8 200 kr | 360 000 kr | 1650 |
| 13 | Norrköping | 92 | 7 600 kr | 340 000 kr | 1650 |
| 14 | Eskilstuna | 92 | 7 200 kr | 340 000 kr | 1650 |
| 15 | Karlstad | 90 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr | 1650 |
| 16 | Örebro | 93 | 7 500 kr | 345 000 kr | 1600 |
| 17 | Växjö | 91 | 7 100 kr | 340 000 kr | 1600 |
| 18 | Gävle | 90 | 7 100 kr | 335 000 kr | 1580 |
| 19 | Jönköping | 92 | 7 400 kr | 345 000 kr | 1550 |
| 20 | Falun | 89 | 7 000 kr | 340 000 kr | 1550 |
Visby ranks #1 with a cost index of 96 and rent of 7 800 kr/month.
The median city is Norrköping — cost index 92, rent 7 600 kr/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 97 (0 vs national average of 97).
Average quality of life: 70/100. Top: Visby at 71/100.
Safest city: Visby (88/100 safety score).
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Visby stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 96 and median income of 330 000 kr, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Sweden. That's a strong position by any measure.
That said, the spread across all 24 cities is 6 points on the cost index. Östersund sits at the other end with index 90 and rent of 7 000 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. And there's one more thing: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Sweden is a good example of that tension.
Visby — cost index 96, rent 7 800 kr/mo, income 330 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
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.
Stockholm — cost index 132, rent 12 500 kr/mo, income 420 000 kr, QoL 67/100.
Halmstad — cost index 101, rent 8 200 kr/mo, income 365 000 kr, QoL 69/100.
The country average QoL score is 70/100. Visby leads with 71/100, 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.
Visby (ranked #1) has a cost index of 96 and rent of 7 800 kr/mo. Östersund (#24) has index 90 and rent 7 000 kr/mo — a 6-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.