City comparison
Oslo vs Stockholm: which is better to live in?
Quick verdict
Stockholm is the cheaper of the two: our estimate for a single person is about €400 a month less than Oslo, mostly because of rent. They’re in different countries, so visa routes, taxes and healthcare differ too: see below.
Choose Oslo for
- Mountains nearby
- Calm, slower pace
Choose Stockholm for
- Affordability
- Public transport
- Beach life
- Culture
- Lower living costs
Oslo vs Stockholm at a glance
| Oslo | Stockholm | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Norway | Sweden |
| Single budget / month | €2,700 | €2,300 |
| Couple budget / month | €3,800 | €3,300 |
| 1-bed rent, center | €1,600 | €1,450 |
| Winter highs (Dec to Feb) | 1°C / 33°F | 2°C / 35°F |
| Summer highs (Jun to Aug) | 21°C / 71°F | 22°C / 72°F |
| Sunshine (hours/yr) | 1,725 | 1,899 |
| City size | Capital / metropolis | Capital / metropolis |
| Coastal | Yes | Yes |
| Direct flights to the US | Yes | Yes |
| Affordability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Sunny, warm climate | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| English-friendliness | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Walkability | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Public transport | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nature & green space | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Beach life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Mountains nearby | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Culture | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Nightlife | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Family life | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Remote-work scene | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Expat community | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Flights home | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Calm, slower pace | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
Cost of living: Oslo or Stockholm?
By our estimates, a comfortable mid-range life costs about €2,700 a month for one person in Oslo and €2,300 in Stockholm, rent included. For a couple it’s €3,800 vs €3,300, and for a family of four €6,200 vs €5,500.
Rent drives most of the gap: a one-bedroom in the center runs about €1,600 in Oslo against €1,450 in Stockholm, while a monthly transit pass costs €90 vs €100. Want to plug in your own lifestyle? Use the cost of living calculator.
Climate and weather
Winters average highs of about 1°C (33°F) in Oslo and 2°C (35°F) in Stockholm. In summer it’s roughly 21°C vs 22°C. Oslo gets about 1,725 hours of sunshine a year and Stockholm about 1,899.
1,725 hours of sunshine a year · 835 mm of rain a year · Source: Norwegian Meteorological Institute (Seklima) 1991-2020 normals for Oslo-Blindern, as tabulated on Wikipedia 'Oslo'; sunshine from the same page
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0°C / 32°F | -5°C / 24°F |
| Feb | 1°C / 34°F | -5°C / 24°F |
| Mar | 5°C / 42°F | -2°C / 28°F |
| Apr | 11°C / 52°F | 2°C / 36°F |
| May | 17°C / 62°F | 7°C / 44°F |
| Jun | 20°C / 69°F | 11°C / 51°F |
| Jul | 23°C / 73°F | 13°C / 56°F |
| Aug | 21°C / 70°F | 13°C / 55°F |
| Sep | 16°C / 62°F | 9°C / 47°F |
| Oct | 10°C / 49°F | 4°C / 39°F |
| Nov | 4°C / 40°F | 0°C / 32°F |
| Dec | 1°C / 34°F | -4°C / 25°F |
1,899 hours of sunshine a year · 546 mm of rain a year · Source: SMHI 1991-2020 normals for Stockholm-Observatorielunden (temperature, precipitation) with sunshine from Weather Atlas, as tabulated on Wikipedia 'Stockholm'
Monthly temperatures in °C and °F
| Month | Avg high | Avg low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1°C / 34°F | -3°C / 27°F |
| Feb | 1°C / 34°F | -3°C / 26°F |
| Mar | 5°C / 40°F | -1°C / 30°F |
| Apr | 11°C / 51°F | 3°C / 37°F |
| May | 17°C / 62°F | 7°C / 45°F |
| Jun | 21°C / 69°F | 12°C / 53°F |
| Jul | 24°C / 74°F | 15°C / 59°F |
| Aug | 22°C / 72°F | 14°C / 58°F |
| Sep | 17°C / 62°F | 10°C / 50°F |
| Oct | 10°C / 50°F | 6°C / 42°F |
| Nov | 5°C / 42°F | 2°C / 35°F |
| Dec | 3°C / 37°F | -1°C / 30°F |
Daily life
Oslo is a capital / metropolis on the coast; Stockholm is a capital / metropolis on the coast. Oslo gives you fjord, forest and ski slopes inside the city limits, high salaries and a calm pace, at some of the highest prices in Europe. About EUR 2,700 a month covers a comfortable single life. It works best if you arrive with a skilled-worker job offer. Stockholm is Sweden's job and startup hub, and a very good city once you have a home and a personnummer. Getting a rental is the hard part, and winters are long and dark. Budget about EUR 2,300 a month for a single person living comfortably.
Living in Oslo: the upsides and downsides
- Forest, fjord and ski slopes accessible by metro
- Very safe and quiet for a capital
- Excellent English
- Downside: Among the most expensive cities in our set
- Downside: Long, dark winters
Living in Stockholm: the upsides and downsides
- Large tech and startup scene
- Islands, lakes and forest within the metro area
- Safe, clean, excellent public transport
- Downside: Rental market is queue-based and very tight
- Downside: Long, dark winters
Visas and residency
Oslo is in Norway and Stockholm is in Sweden. The main routes for each:
- Norway Skilled Worker Residence Permit - Work permit, open
- Sweden Self-Employed Permit - Freelance visa, open, €17,819 investment
- Sweden Work Permit (Employees) - Work permit, changing, €3,071/mo income
Read the full guides: living in Oslo and living in Stockholm.
Related comparisons
Costs are our estimates for a comfortable mid-range lifestyle; scores are editorial, relative to the 40 cities we cover. Methodology.