We know why you are looking for the best places to retire in Sweden. The country outranks most of other nations in all important parameters like the quality of life, human development, civil rights, prosperity, health and more.
According to the World Happiness Report from 2017, Sweden was ranked in the top 10 of the happiest country in the world, although that is still a decrease from a few years ago when the country was ranked 5th. For example, the United States are ranked on 14th place. Also, the country has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world and hasn’t been involved in any war conflicts for two centuries. If this still isn’t enough for you to fall in love with Sweden, and living in its neighbor Norway sounds even more promising, then check out our list of 10 Best Places to Retire in Norway.
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Healthcare in Sweden is, as expected, excellent. It is free for all citizens and residents and funded through taxes. The country takes care of up to 97% of medical costs. Although there are companies offering private health insurance, the majority of the population avoids them. According to OECD, Sweden spent 11% of GDP on health in 2015, compared to the OECD countries average of 8.9%. You’ll be also happy to hear that country spends 3.6% of GDP on elderly care, compared to an average of 1.7%. The country doesn’t have a large number of hospitals, but they are big, technologically advanced and feature a large number of physicians and hospital beds. The only downside is a long waiting period if the health issue isn’t an emergency.
Let’s now shift our attention to crime and safety situation in Sweden. According to the World Economic Forum report, Sweden is ranked 16th in the world in terms of safety and security. The United States Overseas Security Advisory Council Crime and Safety report for Sweden from 2017 tell us that the country is considerably safer than the United States and has smaller crime rates. Although it is widely considered that the foreign visitors are rarely targeted in the country, this isn’t completely true since small crimes are common. The crimes include petty thefts, pickpocketing, and burglaries, all happening more often during the summer period. The cyber-crimes are on the rise and you should be especially careful around ATM’s since they can have modifications and skimming hardware on them. The rest is pretty much fine.
Now, we should tell you how we managed to come up with our list of best places to retire in Sweden. First, we took recommendations from Expat and Reddit for the best places to live in Sweden while supplementing them with some other high profile cities in the country. Surprisingly, there are not many recommendations for places to retire in the country. Some recommendations did not make the final cut since we couldn’t obtain enough information about those destinations. Then, each place received points based on the cost of living index taken from Numbeo, hospital to population ratio (Google Maps) and weather averages through the year (World Weather Online). Cost of living index can be compared to cost of living in New York which has a 100.00 index. The hospital to population ratio should tell us (in theory) how many people from the city’s population is assigned to one hospital. Finally, the weather average data we provided represent the lowest and highest monthly averages for temperature, rainy and sunny days in the last year. We are sure you are eager to check out the list of best places to retire in Sweden, so let’s get started with it.
10. Stockholm
IM Score: 12
Cost of Living Index: 86.99
Hospital to Population Ratio: 37,316
Temperature: 24/69°F
Rainy Days: 6/25
Sunny Days: 4/21
If you can handle the big cost of living and being in the Nordic’s most populous city, then welcome to Stockholm. It is a global city and Sweden’s administrative and cultural center. The weather is rather pleasant, and there is always something happening. You can spend your days in museums, art galleries, amusement parks or just engage in a peaceful walk in the park. If you want to live in a quiet neighborhood, you will have to settle being a bit more far away from city’s center.
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9. Lulea
IM Score: 16
Cost of Living Index: 86.50
Hospital to Population Ratio: 12,653
Temperature: 9/64°F
Rainy Days: 3/24
Sunny Days: 5/17
If you don’t mind the long winters with lots of snow, there is no reason not to consider Lulea. When the summer comes, everything becomes much brighter. The city hosts numerous theater and music festivals through the year while having multiple other attractions. Also, if you like winter sports, you’ll feel like home.
8. Helsingborg
IM Score: 19
Cost of Living Index: 63.79
Hospital to Population Ratio: 66,005
Temperature: 32/65°F
Rainy Days: 10/28
Sunny Days: 1/19
If you want to be able to hop to Denmark from time to time, then settle in Helsingborg. Get an apartment on the coast, and you will even see the Danish city Helsingor from your window. In the summer times, you can enjoy in the city’s beaches, gardens and open-air cafés. In the winter, there are numerous architectural, artistic and cultural attractions to fulfill your day.
7. Uppsala
IM Score: 20
Cost of Living Index: 72.85
Hospital to Population Ratio: 24,871
Temperature: 20/68°F
Rainy Days: 5/26
Sunny Days: 4/22
Besides being one of the biggest educational centers in the country, Uppsala is a beautiful city offering a unique experience. Besides the cultural attractions, the city is perfect for those who enjoy outdoor activities. Uppsala has one of the lowest cost of living indexes on our list of best places to retire in Sweden and is close to the capital Stockholm if you decide to pay a visit.
6. Malmo
IM Score: 20
Cost of Living Index: 74.34
Hospital to Population Ratio: 15,566
Temperature: 31/66°F
Rainy Days: 11/26
Sunny Days: 4/17
We again turn to the coastal region of the country. Malmo, the number 6 on our list of best places to retire in Sweden is its third largest city being also close to Denmark. The city has a pleasant weather for those who don’t enjoy the snow. Winters are not that long and you won’t experience much snowfall. Malmo is known to be multicultural city offering something for everyone. You’ll find astonishing architectural pieces, beautiful parks, and delicious cuisine.
5. Vasteras
IM Score: 21
Cost of Living Index: 79.82
Hospital to Population Ratio: 10,079
Temperature: 21/68°F
Rainy Days: 5/24
Sunny Days: 5/19
Located on the Mälaren Lake, Vasteras, the number 5 on our list of best places to retire in Sweden was known as the industrial city in the past but works hard to become attractive to tourist. The city has seen many investments in the last couple of years, so infrastructure is top notch. Some of the city’s proud attractions include interesting architecture, castles, museums and amusement parks. Living by the lake will also improve your fishing game, so that’s a bonus.
4. Lund
IM Score: 21
Cost of Living Index: 76.48
Hospital to Population Ratio: 6,771
Temperature: 31/67°F
Rainy Days: 11/26
Sunny Days: 1/17
If you are looking for a smaller city on our list of best places to retire in Sweden, but you want to be close to the sea, you should strongly consider Lund. The climate is mild, without plenty of snowfall, but it does get rainy often. Lund has a rich history being among the Sweden’s oldest cities. The inner city is always buzzing with life but offers countryside neighborhoods for those who wish to enjoy the peace and quiet.
3. Linkoping
IM Score: 22
Cost of Living Index: 73.40
Hospital to Population Ratio: 20,846
Temperature: 24/67°F
Rainy Days: 7/22
Sunny Days: 5/20
If we are to believe the city’s official guide, there are lots of leisure activities in Linkoping for both residents and visitors. Plenty of green landscapes to enjoy as well as art galleries, sports events, and shopping centers. The city is turned to modern technology and is constantly developing. Also, the cost of life is rather reasonable.
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2. Falun
IM Score: 25
Cost of Living Index: 70.52
Hospital to Population Ratio: 6,215
Temperature: 17/66°F
Rainy Days: 2/26
Sunny Days: 3/16
You enjoy in winter sports, but a tight budget? Well, Falun, the city with the lowest cost of living index on the list of best places to retire in Sweden, has to be your top choice. Swedish Ski Games are annually hosted by the city and you’ll be able to attend one of the world’s most famous snowboard competitions titled The Battle. During the winter you can ice skate on Lake Runn, but when the temperature rises, the lake becomes a perfect place for sailing and fishing.
1. Kristianstad
IM Score: 27
Cost of Living Index: 71.12
Hospital to Population Ratio: 4,014
Temperature: 30/66°F
Rainy Days: 11/25
Sunny Days: 4/16
The final entry on our list of best places to retire in Sweden is your classic postcard city. Beautiful architecture, amazing nature, and charming vibe. It isn’t strange that Kristianstad is a place to visit for tourists from Germany, Denmark, and Netherlands. The summers are unusually long for Sweden and you won’t even feel the winter that much. Besides the cultural attractions, city’s main selling point is outdoor activities. You can engage in fishing, hiking, biking, water sports, or even play golf. Did we mention that it has the best hospital to population ratio and 3rd lowest cost of living index on the list? Kristianstad is just one of those places you can’t say no to.
