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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Karlstad air quality: AQI 7 — excellent. Green space 48%. Compared to Värmland cities in 2026.
Karlstad air quality: AQI 7 — excellent. Green space 48%. Compared to Värmland cities in 2026.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karlstad | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 2 | Östersund | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 3 | Luleå | 96 | 7 600 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 4 | Visby | 100 | 8 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 5 | Falun | 93 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 6 | Umeå | 101 | 8 300 kr | 373 000 kr |
| 7 | Sundsvall | 93 | 7 400 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 8 | Växjö | 95 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 9 | Jönköping | 96 | 7 900 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 10 | Gävle | 93 | 7 500 kr | 352 000 kr |
| 11 | Kalmar | 90 | 7 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 12 | Karlskrona | 90 | 6 900 kr | 341 000 kr |
| 13 | Örebro | 97 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 14 | Västerås | 99 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 15 | Linköping | 102 | 8 700 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 16 | Uppsala | 114 | 10 400 kr | 405 000 kr |
| 17 | Halmstad | 104 | 8 700 kr | 383 000 kr |
| 18 | Eskilstuna | 96 | 7 700 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 19 | Lund | 112 | 9 700 kr | 400 000 kr |
| 20 | Stockholm | 136 | 13 200 kr | 440 000 kr |
Karlstad: cost index 94 (-7 vs national avg 101), rent 7 500 kr/month.
Värmland region average cost index: 101. Karlstad is -7 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 71/100 — safety 76, healthcare 74, walkability 70.
Safety score: 76/100 (crime rate 44.5/1k). National average: 73/100.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Karlstad has a cost index of 94 — 7 points below the Sweden national average of 101. Median income is 357 000 kr with rent at 7 500 kr/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 25%. Financially, that's significant.
That said, looking at Värmland as a whole, the spread across all 24 cities is 14 points on the cost index. Malmö sits at the other end with index 108 and rent of 9 500 kr/mo. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Karlstad scores a composite score of 71/100 — reflecting its safety (76), healthcare (74), and walkability (70) 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.
Karlstad — cost index 94, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Östersund — cost index 94, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Luleå — cost index 96, rent 7 600 kr/mo, income 378 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Visby — cost index 100, rent 8 200 kr/mo, income 347 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Falun — cost index 93, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Karlstad has a cost index of 94 (national avg: 101), rent 7 500 kr/mo, median income 357 000 kr/yr, and a quality of life score of 71/100.
The Värmland region of average QoL score is 69/100. Karlstad leads with 71/100, 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.
Karlstad: cost index 94, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr/yr, QoL 71/100. Östersund: cost index 94, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr/yr, QoL 71/100.
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.