Cost of Living: New York vs Sweden (Stockholm)
How expensive is Sweden compared with New York City? The national price level of everyday spending versus the New York metro area, and the salary — in US dollars and SEK — that buys the same standard of living.
Salary converter
Before taxes. Income tax, sales tax and benefits differ a lot between places and aren’t included.
The numbers
- Cities
- Stockholm
- Price level vs US average
- 90.5 (New York metro: 112.6)
- Exchange rate (2025 avg.)
- 1 USD = 9.821 SEK
- Purchasing-power parity
- 1 USD of US-average spending ≈ 8.889 SEK
- Source
- World Bank, PPP conversion factor for private consumption ÷ exchange rate (2025); New York: BEA 2024
⚠️ This is Sweden’s national average. Major cities — especially Stockholm — are usually more expensive, mostly because of rent, so treat this as a lower bound for big-city living.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sweden cheaper than New York?
Yes. Sweden is 20% cheaper than the New York metro area overall (index 80, New York = 100).
What salary in Sweden equals $100,000 in New York?
About $80,411 a year (about SEK 789,692 at purchasing-power parity) buys the same standard of living in Sweden as $100,000 in the New York metro area, before taxes.
Is Stockholm more expensive than Sweden’s national average?
Usually, yes. The comparison here uses Sweden’s national average price level; large cities such as Stockholm typically cost more than the national figure, especially for rent.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank price levels of household consumption for 2025 (purchasing power parity conversion factor divided by the market exchange rate), compared with BEA’s 2024 figure for the New York metro area.