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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Grocery prices in Västerås: milk 12 kr, bread 26 kr, eggs 32 kr/12. Compare grocery basket costs across Västmanland cities.
Grocery prices in Västerås: milk 12 kr, bread 26 kr, eggs 32 kr/12. Compare grocery basket costs across Västmanland cities.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Västerås | 99 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 2 | Linköping | 102 | 8 700 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 3 | Norrköping | 96 | 8 100 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 4 | Jönköping | 96 | 7 900 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 5 | Örebro | 97 | 8 000 kr | 362 000 kr |
| 6 | Falun | 93 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 7 | Gävle | 93 | 7 500 kr | 352 000 kr |
| 8 | Kalmar | 90 | 7 200 kr | 347 000 kr |
| 9 | Växjö | 95 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 10 | Karlskrona | 90 | 6 900 kr | 341 000 kr |
| 11 | Eskilstuna | 96 | 7 700 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 12 | Karlstad | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 13 | Malmö | 108 | 9 500 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 14 | Lund | 112 | 9 700 kr | 400 000 kr |
| 15 | Helsingborg | 103 | 9 000 kr | 368 000 kr |
| 16 | Halmstad | 104 | 8 700 kr | 383 000 kr |
| 17 | Umeå | 101 | 8 300 kr | 373 000 kr |
| 18 | Sundsvall | 93 | 7 400 kr | 357 000 kr |
| 19 | Luleå | 96 | 7 600 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 20 | Östersund | 94 | 7 500 kr | 357 000 kr |
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.
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. 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%. That's a strong position by any measure.
That said, looking at Västmanland as a whole, the spread across all 24 cities is 1 points on the cost index. Visby sits at the other end with index 100 and rent of 8 200 kr/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Västerås scores a composite score of 68/100 — reflecting its safety (68), healthcare (74), and walkability (72) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Sweden is a good example of that tension.
Västerås — cost index 99, rent 8 000 kr/mo, income 362 000 kr, QoL 68/100.
Linköping — cost index 102, rent 8 700 kr/mo, income 378 000 kr, QoL 71/100.
Norrköping — cost index 96, rent 8 100 kr/mo, income 357 000 kr, QoL 68/100.
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.
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. Linköping: cost index 102, rent 8 700 kr/mo, income 378 000 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.