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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Stockholm for digital nomads: DN score 70/100, internet 145 Mbps, walk score 88/100, rent 13 200 kr/mo. Compared to 23 other Stockholm cities below.
Stockholm for digital nomads: DN score 70/100, internet 145 Mbps, walk score 88/100, rent 13 200 kr/mo. Compared to 23 other Stockholm cities below.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stockholm | 136 | 13 200 kr | 440 000 kr |
| 2 | Lund | 112 | 9 700 kr | 400 000 kr |
| 3 | Linköping | 102 | 8 700 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 4 | Jönköping | 96 | 7 900 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 5 | Örebro | 97 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 6 | Umeå | 101 | 8 300 kr | 373 000 kr |
| 7 | Kalmar | 90 | 7 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 8 | Karlstad | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 9 | Gothenburg | 112 | 10 100 kr | 395 000 kr |
| 10 | Malmö | 108 | 9 500 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 11 | Uppsala | 114 | 10 400 kr | 405 000 kr |
| 12 | Östersund | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 13 | Helsingborg | 103 | 9 000 kr | 368 000 kr |
| 14 | Norrköping | 96 | 8 100 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 15 | Halmstad | 104 | 8 700 kr | 383 000 kr |
| 16 | Luleå | 96 | 7 600 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 17 | Gävle | 93 | 7 500 kr | 352 000 kr |
| 18 | Sundsvall | 93 | 7 400 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 19 | Växjö | 95 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 20 | Karlskrona | 90 | 6 900 kr | 341 000 kr |
Stockholm: cost index 136 (+35 vs national avg 101), rent 13 200 kr/month.
Stockholm region average cost index: 101. Stockholm is +35 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 66/100 — safety 72, healthcare 82, walkability 88.
Safety score: 72/100 (crime rate 58.3/1k). National average: 73/100.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Stockholm has a cost index of 136 — 35 points above the Sweden national average of 101. Median income is 440 000 kr with rent at 13 200 kr/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 36%. That's a strong position by any measure.
Here's where it gets complicated: looking at Stockholm as a whole, the spread across all 24 cities is 40 points on the cost index. Eskilstuna sits at the other end with index 96 and rent of 7 700 kr/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Stockholm scores a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (82), and walkability (88) 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.
For digital nomads specifically, Stockholm earns a DN score of 70/100, powered by 145 Mbps internet, walkability of 88/100, and a nightlife score of 90/100. That ratio is hard to beat anywhere else.
Stockholm — cost index 136, rent 13 200 kr/mo, income 440 000 kr, QoL 66/100.
Lund — cost index 112, rent 9 700 kr/mo, income 400 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Linköping — cost index 102, rent 8 700 kr/mo, income 378 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Jönköping — cost index 96, rent 7 900 kr/mo, income 362 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Örebro — cost index 97, rent 8 000 kr/mo, income 362 000 kr, QoL 69/100.
Stockholm scores 66/100 on the relevant index for digital nomads — with rent of 13 200 kr/month and cost index 136 (35 points above the national average of 101).
The Stockholm region of average QoL score is 69/100. Stockholm leads with 66/100, reflecting 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: cost index 136, rent 13 200 kr/mo, income 440 000 kr/yr, QoL 66/100. Lund: cost index 112, rent 9 700 kr/mo, income 400 000 kr/yr, QoL 70/100.
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.