Clean Air & Cold Comfort for Expats in Sweden in 2026

➡️You’re welcome to use these 2026 Expat Insider results. Please remember to credit InterNations as the source, and where possible, include a link to www.internations.org.

In this article:

In Brief
The Cleanest Air Anywhere
Balance, If Not Opportunity
Lonely Social Lives
Tough Banking vs. Easy Admin
A Costly Living
The Typical Expat in Sweden
Further Reading

In Brief

Sweden ranks 26th out of 31 destinations in the Expat Insider 2026 survey. Its strongest results are the Expat Essentials (13th) and Quality of Life (15th) Indices, followed by a mid-table Working Abroad Index (17th).

The Personal Finance Index (22nd) is weaker, and the Ease of Settling In Index (30th) is the clear problem. Overall, Sweden ranks second-to-last for happiness, with not even three in five expats (56%) happy with life there, well below the 70% global average.

The Cleanest Air Anywhere

Sweden ranks 2nd in the Environment & Climate Subcategory, the highlight of its 15th-place in the Quality of Life Index. It’s 1st for air quality — where over nine in ten expats (91%) are satisfied (vs. 65% globally) — 1st for green goods and services, and 1st for the urban environment.

The country also ranks 5th for the affordability of healthcare, with over four in five respondents (82%) satisfied (vs. 61% globally). Its availability and quality, on the other hand, could be better. Expats rank Sweden 25th and 24th, respectively, for these factors.

Further weak notes can be found in the Leisure Options Subcategory (28th), where dining (27th) and culture and nightlife (29th) both rank near the bottom. Only recreational sports are a bright spot here, with 84% appreciating the available options (vs. 76% globally).

The Swedish climate doesn’t delight at all, though: not even two in five respondents (39%) rate it favorably (vs. 58%).

Balance, If Not Opportunity

Sweden ranks 17th in the Working Abroad Index, mainly carried by its great results for the working environment. The average full-time week is a short 40.4 hours against the 42.2-hour global norm, and around seven in ten respondents are satisfied with both their working hours (70% vs. 60% globally) and work-life balance (71% vs. 62%).

Opinion

What I like best about life in Sweden is the balance and appreciation for simple, meaningful moments. People truly value work-life balance and quality time with family and friends. I especially love the tradition of fika — taking a pause to enjoy coffee and something sweet while having genuine conversations. (Philippine expat in Stockholm)

Opinion

Plus, three-quarters (75%) agree that the Sweden business culture supports flexibility (e.g., in the form of remote work or flexible working hours). Among all respondents, only a share of 56% feel the same.

However, while the economy ranks 12th, the drawbacks in the index are all career-related: The local job market is rated negatively by 45% of respondents (vs. 34% globally) — bad news for the close to one in five (18%) currently looking for work (vs. 9%). And around a third (32%) also disagree that moving to Sweden improved their career prospects, 10 percentage points more than the global average of 22%.

Overall job satisfaction ranks 23rd, a reminder that lifestyle and personal reasons, not advancement, are typically the draw. In fact, about one in five expats (22%) moved to Sweden for love, double the global share of 11%.

Sweden’s defining weakness is settling in, with the country ranking second-to-last in the Ease of Settling In Index (30th). Just 16% of expats find it easy to make local friends (vs. 39% globally), and just a quarter (25%) are happy with their social life (vs. 54%).

Opinion

I find it very difficult to make Swedish friends. Even everyday interactions are difficult as people at shops, caffes, supermarkets, etc. are very distant. Sometimes I feel invisible. (Colombian expat in Stockholm)

Opinion

Only around two in five expats (45%) experience the local population as friendly in general (vs. 63% globally) and towards foreign residents in particular (41% vs. 61%). It seems hardly surprising then that they don’t feel at home (29th) in Sweden and struggle to get used to the local culture (27th).

Tough Banking vs. Easy Admin

Interestingly, it’s not the language that’s putting up a barrier between locals and expats: three in five respondents (60%) find you can get by well without speaking Swedish (vs. 48% globally), ranking the country 8th for this factor.

Practical life in general is mostly smooth — Sweden ranks 13th in the Expat Essentials Index, including a 12th place for dealing with bureaucracy and 8th for online admin services — but opening a local bank account (30th) presents a notable snag. From unrestricted (9th), high-speed (7th) internet access to cashless payment options (10th), and more, Sweden stands out for its Digital Life (5th), though.

Housing, meanwhile, presents a mixed picture: contrary to many other countries, affording (10th) a place to live is not the problem; finding it is (25th).

A Costly Living

Sweden ranks 22nd in the Personal Finance Index. Fewer than half the expats (46%) are content with their financial situation (vs. 55% globally), and a third (33%) don’t consider their disposable household income enough to lead a comfortable life.

In fact, the high cost of living — along with the language barrier — were named as leading concerns expats had before even making the move to Sweden (30% each).