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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cost of living in Västerås, Sweden (2026): cost index 99 (-2 vs national avg), rent 8 000 kr/mo, median income 362 000 kr/yr. Rent takes 27% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Västmanland peers below.
Cost of living in Västerås, Sweden (2026): cost index 99 (-2 vs national avg), rent 8 000 kr/mo, median income 362 000 kr/yr. Rent takes 27% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Västmanland peers below.
Västerås: cost index 99 (-2 vs national avg 101), rent 8 000 kr/month.
Västmanland region average cost index: 101. Västerås is -2 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 68/100 — safety 68, healthcare 74, walkability 72.
Safety score: 68/100 (crime rate 58.2/1k). National average: 73/100.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. Västerås has a cost index of 99 — 2 points below the Sweden national average of 101. Median income is 362 000 kr with rent at 8 000 kr/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 27%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. looking at Västmanland as a whole, the spread across all 24 cities is 37 points on the cost index. Stockholm sits at the other end with index 136 and rent of 13 200 kr/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Västerås scores a composite score of 68/100 — reflecting its safety (68), healthcare (74), and walkability (72) metrics. That said, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Sweden is a good example of that tension.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Västerås | 99 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 2 | Kalmar | 90 | 7 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 3 | Karlskrona | 90 | 6 900 kr | 341 000 kr |
| 4 | Falun | 93 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 5 | Gävle | 93 | 7 500 kr | 352 000 kr |
| 6 | Sundsvall | 93 | 7 400 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 7 | Karlstad | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 8 | Östersund | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 9 | Växjö | 95 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 10 | Norrköping | 96 | 8 100 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 11 | Jönköping | 96 | 7 900 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 12 | Luleå | 96 | 7 600 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 13 | Eskilstuna | 96 | 7 700 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 14 | Örebro | 97 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 15 | Visby | 100 | 8 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 16 | Umeå | 101 | 8 300 kr | 373 000 kr |
| 17 | Linköping | 102 | 8 700 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 18 | Helsingborg | 103 | 9 000 kr | 368 000 kr |
| 19 | Halmstad | 104 | 8 700 kr | 383 000 kr |
| 20 | Malmö | 108 | 9 500 kr | 378 000 kr |
Västerås — cost index 99, rent 8 000 kr/mo, income 362 000 kr, QoL 68/100.
Kalmar — cost index 90, rent 7 200 kr/mo, income 347 000 kr, QoL 72/100.
Karlskrona — cost index 90, rent 6 900 kr/mo, income 341 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Falun — cost index 93, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr, QoL 70/100.
Gävle — cost index 93, rent 7 500 kr/mo, income 352 000 kr, QoL 69/100.
Västerås has a cost index of 99 (national avg: 101), rent 8 000 kr/mo, median income 362 000 kr/yr, and a quality of life score of 68/100.
The Västmanland region of average QoL score is 69/100. Västerås leads with 68/100, 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.
Västerås: cost index 99, rent 8 000 kr/mo, income 362 000 kr/yr, QoL 68/100. Kalmar: cost index 90, rent 7 200 kr/mo, income 347 000 kr/yr, QoL 72/100.
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.