I spent roughly 2 years in Sweden, where half of the time I was studying and having fun and the other half was spent working there after graduation. During those 2 years, I changed my visa and the town I lived in so I know a thing or 2 about all the hurdles and joys of living in Sweden.
I first lived in Gothenburg and then in Uppsala. They each had their little charms and, in general, the country as a whole was just lovely.
Sweden is a Nordic country known for its progressive politics, stunning natural beauty, and high standard of living. Although the Swedish language is complicated, English is widely spoken. Compared to other countries I have lived in, I absolutely loved my time living in Sweden.
Now though, if you really want to acclimate to Swedish life and settle into living in Sweden with as few headaches as possible, there are a few things you should know when preparing your move.
From my own experiences, these are the top 6 things to know when moving to Sweden.
Short on time? Here's the cheat sheet:
💭Living in Sweden opens a lot of unique doors that you likely won't find in other countries but it's important you come prepared.
🛂Many foreigners move here on a work visa or a working holiday visa.
🏠Most expats choose to live in Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg, and Uppsala.
💰The cost of living will vary based on your lifestyle and which city you choose to live in but in general, the salaries here are high enough to afford you a high quality of living. Earn travel rewards on all expenses with a Capital One Venture Card.
☂️You'll have to get through (or escape) a long, dark, and cold winter...
☀️But the high standard of living and unique nature has made the pros outweigh the cons.
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1. Decide Which City to Move to
Most people moving to Sweden choose to live in:
- Stockholm
- Malmö
- Gothenburg
- Uppsala
While there are plenty of other places to live in Sweden, these 4 are some of the big cities in the country so they tend to offer the most job opportunities or universities to study in. Likely your job or school will determine your decision but if you have some freedom in where you go, here's my experience in a few of these top cities.
Stockholm is the most expensive city in the country and while I can understand that some people prefer the big city life, it's not for me. Instead, I decided to get to know other destinations that aren't quite as well known.
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is a lively city by the sea. Being the second largest city in Sweden, there is always something to do.
I was a student and lived in Studiegången, a quiet neighborhood east of the city center. The area is surrounded by woods and a few lakes. It takes less than 20 minutes to go to the city center but is far enough away that I got to enjoy the quieter, more family-focused side of the city.
If you're looking to be in the heart of the action, this neighborhood is likely too far and instead I would suggest living right in the center, just know that the cost of living typically gets higher the more central your apartment.
Uppsala
Uppsala, on the other hand, is an inland city just half an hour away from the thriving capital Stockholm. I lived in Flogsta, which is west of the city. Everything is much smaller in scale in Uppsala, so even the city center is not very lit up. Flogsta is a very rural area, which I loved. You can really feel that you are away from everything, even your stress.
Since I don't really enjoy living in bigger cities, living in Uppsala or even more so, Flogsta, was ideal for me. I had everything at my fingertips and just a quick commuter train away but was able to enjoy the Swedish countryside more.
Malmö
Although I never tried living in Malmö, I have heard good things about living here. It's the 3rd largest city in Sweden and is one of the most diverse. Here you'll be able to eat food from around the world, enjoy a lot of different cultures mixing, and given that it's a university city, it's really quite lively.
2. Find an Apartment
Now that you know where in the country you'll live, it's time to go apartment hunting. I know this seems like an obvious thing to keep in mind but finding an apartment to rent in Sweden isn't always the easiest task so it's best if you come well prepared.
Facebook marketplace is an excellent place for apartment hunting. I didn’t have a good experience with a rental agency so eventually I just listed myself on the marketplace and quickly, plenty of people contacted me. Local Facebook groups are also a wonderful place as you will be able to find a lot of landlords posting there.
Just know that if you go this route and try to find your own apartment, without the help of a rental agency, you need to be extra careful. Getting in touch directly with the landlord has its merits and dangers. Depending on the contract they provide, you might not be legally protected and without knowing Swedish or Swedish laws, it can be hard to know how to protect yourself.
On the positive side, you don’t have to go through the hideous process of dealing with agencies and getting charged service fees that didn’t add up in the end. But to be fair, I only dealt with one agency and even though it was a bad experience, I can't speak for all agencies around.
Just to note, there is normally no rule against renting a place on a tourist visa, as long as your visa is valid for the duration of your rent period.
3. Apply for Your Work Permit
If you're moving to Sweden to work, you need to apply for a work permit before you actually start working there. You also need to register yourself with the tax bureau. If you're moving to Sweden with a job already in place, the company will help you through this process.
Sweden does offer Working Holiday Visas for several countries and with these visas, you don't need to have a job upon arrival in the country. You're able to apply for jobs in-person without needing another type of visa or permit.
Currently, to get a working holiday visa in Sweden, you must be a citizen of:
- Australia
- Hong Kong
- Canada
- Japan
- New Zealand
- South Korea
For more information about getting a working holiday visa in Sweden, check out the government page for requirements and how to apply.
Personally, I already had a job offer before I moved but, if you're a student in Sweden, I would recommend checking the bulletin board at your university. Schools always have connections with companies and offer amazing opportunities for internships and job placements.
Otherwise, I really recommend Glassdoor. Many Swedish companies put up their job postings there. It’s typically easier to get in touch with start-ups and smaller companies if you enjoy working in that environment like I do.
4. Prepare Yourself for the Cost of Living
The cost of living in Sweden was hard to wrap my mind around at first. I’m from a place (Hong Kong) where just the cost of rent is already higher than all costs combined in Sweden so at least to me, the total cost is very bearable.
Keep in mind that the cost of living in Sweden varies depending on the city, with Stockholm being the most expensive. Rent prices in major cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö are relatively high, but salaries are also higher to compensate. The cost of living in smaller cities and rural areas is generally lower but job opportunities may be limited.
Even the cheapest meal tends to come at a high price. Where I'm used to being able to get super affordable street food or easily find an inexpensive restaurant, that's not much the norm in Sweden. Public transportation is also much more expensive than I expected.
In my home country, for the same amount of rent, I would only get a room without windows. For the same price in Sweden, I can get myself an entire apartment with a nice view. The value for money is really good and I was really happy with the accommodations I got and how many options I had with my budget.
Rent prices aside, Sweden is a really expensive country. To me, it was a real paradise but of course, that's all relative based on what you're accustomed to paying.
In general, living in Sweden means a high quality of life. Everything is up to standard and possibly beyond.
Swedish Healthcare System
The only surprising thing for me was the sometimes high medical fees compared to other European countries and what I was used to. You can easily avoid this by ensuring you're covered by the public health system but if you're not, the costs can accrue.
The public healthcare system isn't completely free but the costs are low and well worth the services.
Once a friend of ours went to the hospital for a twisted ankle on a student visa and not part of the public system, he ended up paying 2,000kr to get an X-ray done telling him he was fine.
Taxes
In addition to the high cost of living, most expats are surprised by the high taxes. It's important to calculate your tax bracket when job hunting because you won't bring home nearly what the contract said when all is said and done.
While the high taxes tend to scare off people at first, it's nice that here you can see them working for you. For example, in Sweden university is free, there is no property tax if you choose to buy a home instead of rent, and the healthcare system tends to be great.
While you might spend more than you're used to living in Sweden, often your living standards will go right up, too.
5. Have Some Coping Methods for the Long, Cold Winters
In hindsight, I wish I knew how to deal with the dark winters that the Nordic countries are famous for although there really aren't many solutions to that. The darkness can really consume you when you wake up to it and by the time you are off work, it’s dark again. You feel the lack of joy without the sun for so long.
Believe it or not, Vitamin D pills actually help.
Another coping method I relied heavily on were my friends. Personally, it wasn't too difficult to build friendships with other expats. Swedish people are notoriously shy but I have a tip below on how to befriend them as well. Sharing your experience and exploring the country with others can be so fun.
Lastly, I recommend finding the joy in the snow and the crisp fresh air. While the cities might feel grim, the Swedish countryside can feel like a winter wonderland under a fresh blanket of snow. Although winters can be long and gloomy, the snow really is lovely.
6. Find Out What Makes Sweden Special
Swedish Nature
Depending on where you choose to live, this answer will be different. Life in Sweden will likely be unlike anything you've experienced before but instead of fighting the differences, I urge you to embrace them.
In southern Sweden, you have the cities of Gothenburg and Malmö. From Gothenburg, you can take island trips on the weekend. Islands in Sweden? Really, it's true! There are so many islands, some listed as UNESCO sites.
In northern Sweden, you can visit one of the most beautiful places in the world, Lapland. This town sits on the border with Finland and is one of the best natural spots in the entire country. People that work a winter season in Lapland tend to come back and do it year after year.
Here you can view the Northern Lights, go sledding, and enjoy nature that most never get to witness.
Swedish Culture
And if nature really isn't your thing, "afterwork" is really popular. Afterwork is a term coined by Swedes referring to 'colleagues who spend time together outside of their work schedules.'
Almost everyday there’s an afterwork where people just gather around and have a drink. It’s a lovely chance to get to know your colleagues as Swedes are known for being shy. Having a drink or two in the system does help. Also the official language is Swedish, most Swedes speak perfect English so you don't have to worry about too much of a language barrier.
As a note: In Sweden, you can only get alcohol from a designated shop called Systembolaget and they don’t open on Sundays. Even from Monday to Friday, they close after 7-8pm, depending on the location. The point of this is to stop excessive drinking, although I have yet to see actual results because I only see a lot of people stocking up and still drink whenever they want.
For those that don't drink, you can rely on "Swedish fika" or coffee breaks for socializing. Most Swedes prioritize the work-life balance so breaks throughout the day are commonplace at most offices.
You will surely find something that you like.
Get Ready to Move to Sweden
Overall, living in Sweden is an experience that is one-of-a-kind. Being the gateway to the Arctic, there are lots of great times and fun discoveries to unveil. Living in Sweden was definitely memorable and I can’t only recommend this experience enough to those who are looking into it!
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