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A friend of mine has a job offer with a choice of location as either Germany or Sweden but the salary offered in Germany is more. Reason being given is that salaries in Sweden are comparatively less.

Given that both are good economies, I would expect the cost of living in Germany to be higher than Sweden. However, I am getting mixed inputs when I search on the internet.

It seems a bit ironic that the cost of living will be high and salaries will be low in Sweden. If this is the case then people will always prefer Germany.

Any thoughts or inputs on this will be helpful.

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    What is your actual question? Trying to compare two entire countries is meaningless except in the most general terms, IMHO. Where in Germany / Sweden? What level of salary is being offered? Are the jobs exactly the same? Do both come with exactly the same benefits eg healthcare, pension, holidays?
    – Traveller
    Commented Jul 14 at 8:44
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    It’s important to note that cost of living (especially when it comes to buying a renting a flat or house) may vary not only from country to country but also inside a country. In the US for instance, costs in the San Francisco Bay Area are much, much, higher than, say, in Omaha.
    – jcaron
    Commented Jul 14 at 8:46
  • See: Europe: Cost of Living Index by City 2024 Mid-Year - Numbeo. There are also 'Rent Index' and 'Local Purchasing Power Index' option that can be shown.
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Jul 14 at 10:22
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    I have found numbeo comparison to be useful in the past, you can at the very least get a feel of prices in a place: numbeo.com/cost-of-living/…
    – MrVocabulary
    Commented Jul 14 at 16:55
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    This is pointless unless the two cities are stated.
    – Fattie
    Commented Jul 15 at 3:46

2 Answers 2

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However I am getting mixed inputs when I search on internet.

Because it's an ill defined question. Germany and Sweden are "close enough" and any blanket statement will not be helpful.

Your friend needs to research the specific locations using their specific budgetary needs. Example: if you have children the cost and accessibility of day care, school and college would be a primary driver. If you are childless, they don't matter to you.

if this is the case then people will always prefer Germany location.

Even if this were the case, there is more to life than money. Despite being expensive and having very high tax rates, all Scandinavian countries rank very high on global happiness indices (example: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/happiest-countries-in-the-world). Germany certainly isn't bad either, but not in the top 10.

Both countries are excellent choices and instead of over rotating on money, your friend (and family if applicable) should evaluate which is most likely to make them the happiest in the long term.

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  • Also the actual locations may be very different. One may be in the middle of a large city. The other may be on the outskirts of a small town. That changes costs, but probably also the way of life.
    – jcaron
    Commented Jul 16 at 14:24
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    I suppose autocorrect is the culprit, but I'm not sure what you wanted to write instead of "over rotating on money". Focusing?
    – jcaron
    Commented Jul 16 at 14:25
  • @jcaron: sorry. That's slang for "paying too much attention too".
    – Trains and Planes
    Commented Jul 16 at 22:18
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In , it can be extremely difficult to find affordable housing and childcare in some cities. Other regions are more affordable. It depends on demographics and migration trends within Germany. It may be possible to find good housing within commuting distance of your workplace, but these are also getting more expensive.

Also, things like taxes and mandatory social security contributions depend on income and family situation. With the same salary, a single adult will pay more than one with spouse and children. On that note, in Germany a part of your salary would be converted into pension 'points.' What these points are worth will only become clear when you retire. (This system served Germany well through the 20th century, but it is coming under pressure with 21st century demographic trends.)

Finally, the political climate in Germany varies from region to region and even from one part of a city to another. There are areas with strong anti-immigrant parties. Unfortunately, they are strongest in some of the cheapest regions of Germany. I agree with user Trains and Planes: check where you want to live, then worry about the finances.

From your profile, I guess you are in the IT sector. Your salary should be above average for the country you move to, and even average people are able to live reasonably well.

Also, I don't know if you considered how far north Sweden is. Short nights in summer, short days in winter. (I've only gone as far north as Sweden in summer, myself.)

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  • +1 for mentioning latitude. A friend has been living in Stockholm for about 2 decades now, and while Stockholm is fairly South as far as Sweden goes, given the height of the buildings, he can go without seeing the Sun for weeks at a time during Winter. He says it's pretty common for him to amble around the city during lunch break during Winter, just looking at the orange glow in the sky. He adapted well, but also related that some immigrants took it really hard.
    – Matthieu M.
    Commented Jul 15 at 8:35
  • Note that while Stockholm is in the southern third of Sweden or so, there are really no major population centers north of it which makes it pretty much the worst case for urban living. I used take extended trips to Malmo (basically southern tip of Sweden) all the time and the sun situation was bearable (for me) in winter, but I would have struggled in Stockholm
    – Jeremy Richards
    Commented Jul 15 at 16:19

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