The cost of the trip to Sweden

It would kind of help to know where you are flying from ...? Are we talking from Londonor from Los Angeles ... theres a little bit of a difference in airfare between the two to Stockholm.  All that aside, Sweden is one of the more expensive countries to visit -- Switzerlandand Norway are the most expensive. Even traveling in a spartan fashion will be much more expensive than say Spain or France ... even Germany. Just about everything will cost more, and in some cases quite a bit more. If you want to go the extremely economical route you can expect to pay about 200 SEK ($30) a night for a hostel bunk-bed. Sometimes you can find beds for cheaper, but you're not going to find anything for under 150 SEK a night. Transportation can also get quite expensive ... you can buy 24, 48, and 64 hour passes in most metropolitan areas for the metro (subway and bus) which will save you anywhere from 10-30% of the actual cost, but they're still not cheap. Last I remember the 24 hour metro pass in Stockholm was 80 SEK ($12). Intercity travel by train can also be expensive, however you can negate a large portion of the cost if you 1) have a valid CSN or Swedish student discount card, 2) are under 24, or 3) buy what is called a "Just Nu" 2 Klass ticket. For the third option you would need to buy your ticket from a SJ ticket office or kiosk, and the sooner you can buy a reservation the better. The Just Nu tickets are limited on every train, and they tend to go fast. To give you an idea of the savings ... a regular 2nd class ticket from Linköping to Stockholm (about two hours in length) cost around 600 SEK ($92), whereas a 2nd Class "Just Nu" ticket would cost as little as 250 SEK ($38) sometimes. If you have a valid Swedish student discount card it can get as low as 100 SEK.  Of course, there is also the consideration of food and other incidentals costs related to such a trip. Eating out in Sweden can easily become a very expensive proposition. A typical sit-down restaurant (not even a nice one) will have basic meals starting at about 250 SEK ($40), and the portions aren't very big compared to most English and American standards. Buying your food from a grocery store is a much more economical way to go, but you will probably be limited by an inability to refrigerate products that require it, and it is still more expensive than you might beleive. For example a regular bottle of Coke that costs $1 in the United States will end up costing you $2.75 (18 SEK) in Sweden ... this ratio isn't uniform across the board but exemplifies the general difference in price quite effectively.  All in all I would estimate that if I were making a two week trip to Sweden these would be my estimated budgets: Hostels, no eating out, and limited intrastate travel = $750 Hostels, occasional dining out, moderate intrastate travel = $1,000 Regular hotel, occasional dining out, moderate intrastate travel = $2,300 Regular hotel, frequent dining out, heavy intrastate travel = $3,500 You may notice a difference between the four ... staying at a regular hotel (like a Radisson SAS, Scania, Ibis) will cost around $120 per night at the cheapest. That can add up fast.  Also, note these estimates only reflect costs once you have arrived in Sweden ... they do not include airfare. Depending on where you are coming from that could be anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to over a thousand. A typical round-trip flight from Los Angeles is around $1,200 while a round-trip flight from London or Paris would be around $350. Edit: Of course, if you can find someone to go with you you can split the costs of items such as hotel rooms and food (note ... at hostels you pay by the bed, so an extra person won't make a difference). Splitting the costs of even a couple regular items will save you a significant amount of money in the long run.Source(s):Lived in Sweden for four years (actually up until just a couple months ago

3 good reasons to work in Sweden

3 good reasons to work in Sweden

Sweden is a good place for careers in most professions. And with relaxed labor migration rules in place, it has become easier to move here for work. As an employee in Sweden, you are also offered a range of benefits. Let us give you three good reasons to move to Sweden for work.

Photo: Nicho Södling

1. High standard of living

With one of the highest standards of living in the world, Sweden offers residents a good life — from the cradle to the grave. Take, for example, an average electrician in Sweden. He is likely to have a three-room apartment in the city and may have a small summer cottage in the countryside together with his partner, who also works full time. The couple is able to afford a biofuel car and a yearly vacation abroad, while supporting two children in daycare.

Like all other workers in Sweden, the electrician also enjoys a minimum of five weeks of paid vacation per year, along with paid sick and parental leave. If he and his partner have a child, they are entitled to up to 480 days of paid leave. Since they are working, the couple is also allowed up to a combined 120 days of paid leave per year to care for sick children.

Sweden sees many of these benefits as necessary rights for everyone, regardless of income or social status. They help to make sure that all children are educated and healthy, and that people from all parts of society are offered equal opportunities. Education is free from six years of age to university, and most health care and pension benefits are paid for by employer and income taxes.

2. Family migration

For people with partners and children, moving from one country to another is never a simple task. Swedish law takes this into account, making it possible for family members to receive work and residence permits for the duration of your stay. This opportunity is so far unique to Sweden.

Your immediate family members may be granted a work or residence permit in combination with your permit. Husbands, wives or registered domestic partners who submit a legal document proving the relationship are eligible for a permit, as well as children up to the age of 21.

If your employment lasts for more than six months, any of these family members may be granted a work and residence permit for the same duration as your stay. This means that you can pursue your career accompanied by your family. With the opportunity to live, work and study, your family is also free to fully participate in the Swedish society from the day they arrive.

Read more about work and residence permits on Workinginsweden.se

3. Employment-based benefits

In Sweden, having a job means being offered a range of benefits, from paid parental and sick leave to employment-based pension and optional unemployment insurance, all based on your salary.

Sick leave payment
If you are sick, the Swedish system gives you the time and compensation needed to recover. Sick leave pay in Sweden typically amounts to 80 percent of your salary. Your first sick day is the waiting period (karensdag), which means that you do not receive any payment for this day. Your employer will pay for your sick leave for 13 days, following the waiting period. If you are on sick leave for more than seven days, you must also have a doctor’s note explaining why you are unable to work.

Parental leave
Parental leave is a central part of Swedish family life, making it possible to have children while continuing your career. Parental leave allows parents to stay home with their children while keeping their job. Parents are entitled to 480 days of paid leave per child, with 60 days being reserved for each child. This is mainly to encourage equality and shared responsibility. Fathers are also entitled to 10 extra paid days of leave when the child is born.

Unemployment pay
While working, you need to pay into an unemployment insurance program (arbetslöshetskassa or a-kassa). This will guarantee unemployment benefits, should you lose your job. These insurance programs are administered by the trade unions but require a separate membership initiated by the employee. Your fees and benefits will depend on your field of work and on the insurance program you choose.

Employment-based pension
Throughout their working life, all employees in Sweden earn income pension. In addition, many employers make extra monthly payments to a so-called occupational pension. The Swedish pension system is often pictured as a pyramid, with your basic income pension forming the base of the pyramid, your employer contributions in the middle and any personal pension savings plans you choose at the top. You can also choose when you would like to retire, with some people retiring as early as 55 years of age. But income pension and premium pension can only be drawn from the age of 61.

Read more about employment-based benefits on Workinginsweden.se

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4 steps from job offer to arrival — Article outlining the different steps of moving to Sweden for work

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