About

  • About Tech Cities Index
  • Methodology
  • FAQ

Tools

  • Salary Converter
  • LinkedIn Network

Built with ❤️ by Mohamed Oun

Tech Cities Index LogoTech Cities Index
Salary ConverterLinkedIn NetworkAbout
Stockholm
#102 of 124
Europe

Stockholm

Sweden

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Stockholm compare to San Francisco?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Stockholm is 62% worse off vs in San Francisco

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Stockholm compared to San Francisco, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$71,360
-$201K (-74%) vs San Francisco
Based on 298 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$43,030
-$129K (-75%) vs San Francisco
Tax Rate: 40%

Community Insights

New

Stockholm offers a distinct trade-off: you trade the high-end earning potential of the US or Zurich for a stress-free, stable, and family-oriented lifestyle. While the tech scene is robust (home to Spotify, Klarna, King), the financial upside is capped by high taxes and salary compression. The quality of life is exceptional if you value time over money, but the notorious housing shortage and the difficulty of breaking into Swedish social circles are significant hurdles for newcomers. It is a city that functions beautifully for those who are 'in the system' but can feel cold and inaccessible to those on the outside.

Resident Sentiment

Sentiment is deeply divided. Long-term residents often cite the 'golden handcuffs' of the quality of life—once you have kids, it's hard to leave. However, recent transplants frequently express frustration with the housing market, describing it as stressful and exclusionary. A common theme on Reddit is the '2-year wall': many software engineers move for the adventure but leave after two years due to the inability to make close Swedish friends and the depressing winters.

The Good

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to San Francisco.

Rankings

Pollution Score

Top 2%

#3

of 124 cities

18/100

Current value (lower is better)

Community Events

Top 23%

#28

of 124 cities

11 events on luma

Current value

Safety Index

Middle of the pack

#67

of 124 cities

53.5/100

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Stockholm compared to San Francisco?

Avg. Property Price
$9,173 / m²
9% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Stockholm to maintain the same standard of living.

$

Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
34% cheaper than San Francisco
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Stockholm

Spotify logo
Spotify
Klarna logo
Klarna
Ericsson logo
Ericsson
Unmatched Work-Life Balance: The 40-hour work week is strictly respected, with flexible hours and a culture that prioritizes personal time over presenteeism.
  • Generous Parental Leave: Parents share 480 days of paid leave per child, making it one of the most family-friendly tech hubs in the world.
  • Flat Hierarchy & Workplace Culture: Swedish office culture is non-hierarchical; decisions are made by consensus, and you can talk openly with C-level executives.
  • English is Ubiquitous: You can live and work entirely in English for years without issue, as proficiency among locals is near-native.
  • Access to Nature: Even from the city center, you are minutes away from clean water, forests, and the stunning Stockholm Archipelago.

    • The Bad

    • The Housing Nightmare: The rental market is notoriously broken; gaining a 'first-hand' contract takes decades of queuing, forcing expats into expensive and unstable second-hand sublets.
    • Social Isolation: The 'Swedish Shell' is real; locals are polite but reserved, making it notoriously difficult to form deep friendships outside of organized activities.
    • Salary Compression: While junior salaries are decent, senior wages hit a ceiling quickly compared to the US or Switzerland, and high taxes reduce disposable income significantly.
    • Seasonal Darkness: The winter months (November to February) involve extremely short days (dark by 2:30 PM), which causes widespread Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) among transplants.
    • High Cost of Services: Dining out, alcohol, and service-based activities are very expensive compared to the rest of Europe, often reducing social outings to home gatherings.

    The Verdict

    You'll love it if...

    Families and aspiring parents are the primary winners here; the subsidized childcare and parental leave are world-class. Nature lovers who enjoy hiking, sailing, and clean air will also thrive. Additionally, developers facing burnout in high-pressure markets will find the slower, consensus-driven work pace healing.

    Skip it if...

    Ambitious career-climbers focused on maximizing net worth or FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) will be frustrated by the high taxes and lower salary ceiling. Social butterflies who rely on spontaneous connections and warm interactions will struggle with the reserved culture. Those prone to depression due to lack of sunlight should seriously consider the impact of the long, dark winters.

    Updated 11/29/2025

    Weather3.1/10-64% vs San Francisco
    Safety54+36%
    Pollution18-63%
    Events11-76%
    3.1/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

    0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

    Weather snapshot

    Average High
    10°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)
    Average Low
    3°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)
    Sunshine Hours
    1,803h/yr-1259h/yr(-41%)
    Hottest Month High
    22°C(same as San Francisco)
    Coldest Month Low
    -5°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)
    Rainy Days
    73/yr+24/yr(+50%)

    Community & Quality

    Stockholm community pulse

    Stockholm has 11 Luma events listed.

    76% fewer events than San Francisco.

    Net Income

    Middle of the pack

    #77

    of 124 cities

    $43,030/yr

    Current value

    Cost of Living

    Bottom 32%

    #85

    of 124 cities

    59/100

    Current value (lower is better)

    Comfortable Weather

    Bottom 22%

    #98

    of 124 cities

    31/100 weather score

    Current value

    Purchasing Power

    Bottom 19%

    #102

    of 124 cities

    Home Affordability

    Bottom 13%

    #109

    of 124 cities

    ≈17.1 yrs to buy 80m²

    Current value

    Tax Rate

    Bottom 13%

    #109

    of 124 cities

    40%

    Current value (lower is better)

    SWE Affordability
    17.1 years
    12.4 years longer than San Francisco
    Muggy Days
    1/yr(same as San Francisco)
    Cloud Cover
    60%(vs 34% in San Francisco)