Townleap

Cost of Living: Split vs Stockholm (2026)

Croatia vs Sweden — relocation comparison

Your passport:
Split
Stockholm
$1,077/mo
Rent

1BR centre

$1,816/mo
−$9k/yr
Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

−$3k/yr
PR path
5 yr
Freelance setup
Obrt
  • VAT-free under €40k
  • 37% social
  • €450/yr accountant
WiseStripe
Enskild firma
  • VAT-free under €7k
  • 29% social
  • €1000/yr accountant
WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRSplit is 41% cheaper on rent ($1,077/mo vs $1,816/mo). Stockholm scores 9.4 vs 6.5 on democracy. You can get by in English in both — your Duolingo streak can wait.
Stockholm edges ahead 77 to 70. Split isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.
Household
Split
Metric
Stockholm
$670/mo
🛒
Living costs (no rent)
lower is better
$908/mo
$5,244
🧳
Cost to land
lower is better
$3,990
78 / 100
🛡️
Settler safety
higher is better
85 / 100
0.8 / 100k
🔒
Homicides
lower is better
1.1 / 100k
8.1 / 100k
🚗
Road deaths
lower is better
2.1 / 100k
70 / 100
🚨
Safety Index
higher is better
54 / 100
86°F
☀️
Summer high
personal taste
68°F
39°F
❄️
Winter low
personal taste
25°F
Internet speed
higher is better
190 Mbps
8.9 μg/m³
🌬️
Air quality (PM2.5)
lower is better
4.7 μg/m³
77 / 100
🏥
Healthcare
higher is better
83 / 100
6.5 / 10
🗳️
Democracy
higher is better
9.4 / 10
1.8 / 9
🤝
Migrant acceptance
higher is better
7.9 / 9
50 / 100
🏳️‍🌈
Rainbow Index
higher is better
64 / 100
74/100
🗣️
Street English
higher is better
71/100
$50k
💼
GDP per capita (PPP)
higher is better
$72k
3.0% · Boringly steady
📈
Inflation
lower is better
2.8% · Boringly steady
Grid reliability
higher is better
93/100 — Reliable
🗽
Freedom House
higher is better
99/100
A median Software Engineer in Split takes home $2,122/mo under Standard employee. In Stockholm: $3,882/mo under Standard employee.
$1,760/mo more in Stockholm
Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.
$38k
💰
Gross income
$83k
−$5k
🏛️
Income tax
Standard employee
−$31k
−$8k
🛡️
Social contributions
−$6k
$25k/yr
$2k/mo
💵
Take-home pay
$47k/yr
$4k/mo
−$34k
🏠
Cost of living
−$50k
−$9k/yr
🐖
Annual savings
−$3k/yr
Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰
Cost of Living
Split
$740/mo cheaper on rent alone
🔒
Safety
Split
0.8 homicides per 100k
🗳️
Democracy
Stockholm
9.4/10 EIU index
☀️
Weather
86°F vs 68°F summers
🗣️
English
Split
higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

59% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
Sky clear
avg daytime
40% clear
Win
Spr
Sum
Fall
8.9h
Shortest day
Dec
6.1h
15.4h
Longest day
Jun
18.6h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable
Democracy trend
stable
improving
Inflation trend
improving
Industries
fintechgamingictlife-sciences
Startup ecosystem
hub
🇺🇸 Your visa
Moderate
EU visa
Easy
RU visa
Complex
UA visa
Moderate
Spouse works
Partner can work immediately
Conditional (3+ yr)
izvanbračna zajednica / životno partnerstvo (same-sex)
Partner pathway
Recognized
sambo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request
Abortion access
On request
10 wk
Gestational limit
18 wk

On request up to 10 weeks. Access limited in practice due to widespread conscientious objection.

On request up to 18 weeks. Between 18-22 weeks requires board approval.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Civil union
Marriage
Legal
Step-child only
Adoption
Joint adoption
Yes
Job protection
Yes
Yes
Hate crime law
Yes

Split vs Stockholm — Common Questions

Is Split cheaper than Stockholm?

Split is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1077/month there vs $1816/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Split or Stockholm?

Split is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Split has a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 and Stockholm has 1.10 per 100,000.

Should I move to Split or Stockholm?

Stockholm edges ahead 77 to 70. Split isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Split or Stockholm?

Split: no specific remote work visa. Stockholm: Sweden Self-Employment Permit (complex process, 2 years (renewable)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Split or Stockholm?

Split is warmer in summer (86°F vs 68°F). Stockholm has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

What's the cost of rent in Split vs Stockholm?

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1077/month in Split, $1816/month in Stockholm (Numbeo). That's 41% cheaper rent in Split.

Is Split or Stockholm better for democracy and rule of law?

Stockholm scores 9.4/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 6.5/10 for Split. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.

Is healthcare better in Split or Stockholm?

Stockholm scores higher on our composite healthcare index (83/100 vs 77/100 for Split). That score combines clinical outcomes (IHME), universal coverage (WHO), and resident perception (Numbeo) — not just whether hospitals exist but whether the system actually works for settlers.

Plot twist: other matchups exist

Maybe the real city was the comparisons we made along the way.

Let the algorithm judge you

2 min quiz — surprisingly accurate

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