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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Stockholm quality of life score: 66/100 (Sweden avg: 69/100). Combines safety (72), healthcare (82), walkability (88), air quality (AQI 12) and green space (40%). Compared to Stockholm peers in 2026.
Stockholm quality of life score: 66/100 (Sweden avg: 69/100). Combines safety (72), healthcare (82), walkability (88), air quality (AQI 12) and green space (40%). Compared to Stockholm peers in 2026.
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.
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: 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%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. looking at Stockholm as a whole, the spread across all 24 cities is 33 points on the cost index. Helsingborg sits at the other end with index 103 and rent of 9 000 kr/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Stockholm scores a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (82), and walkability (88) metrics. But here's the flip side: 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 | Stockholm | 136 | 13 200 kr | 440 000 kr |
| 2 | Kalmar | 90 | 7 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 3 | Linköping | 102 | 8 700 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 4 | Jönköping | 96 | 7 900 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 5 | Umeå | 101 | 8 300 kr | 373 000 kr |
| 6 | Karlskrona | 90 | 6 900 kr | 341 000 kr |
| 7 | Karlstad | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 8 | Östersund | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 9 | Lund | 112 | 9 700 kr | 400 000 kr |
| 10 | Falun | 93 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 11 | Luleå | 96 | 7 600 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 12 | Visby | 100 | 8 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 13 | Uppsala | 114 | 10 400 kr | 405 000 kr |
| 14 | Örebro | 97 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 15 | Gävle | 93 | 7 500 kr | 352 000 kr |
| 16 | Sundsvall | 93 | 7 400 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 17 | Växjö | 95 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 18 | Gothenburg | 112 | 10 100 kr | 395 000 kr |
| 19 | Norrköping | 96 | 8 100 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 20 | Halmstad | 104 | 8 700 kr | 383 000 kr |
Stockholm — cost index 136, rent 13 200 kr/mo, income 440 000 kr, QoL 66/100.
Kalmar — cost index 90, rent 7 200 kr/mo, income 347 000 kr, QoL 72/100.
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.
Umeå — cost index 101, rent 8 300 kr/mo, income 373 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Stockholm has a composite quality of life score of 66/100, covering safety (72), healthcare (82), walkability (88), air quality, and green space. Sweden average QoL: 69/100.
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. 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.