5 Things That Are Shockingly Cheap In Sweden

Well I did a video about the most expensive things in Sweden so this one is only fair to make as well! Here it is, the 5 cheapest things in Sweden from an American's perspective.

[@QueenMegaera]

My takeaway is: in the US it's cheaper to HAVE stuff, in Sweden it's cheaper to DO stuff. ^^

[@StefanThyron]

That is 'kort o gott' pretty accurate

[@Jonsson474]

American society is built on consumption and buying things. Consumption is supposed to make you happy. In Sweden quality of life is considered a bit different, even though consumption is a big thing as well.

[@jayamilapersson4030]

Not exactly true if you dont HAVE stuff in the US I feel like its hard to GET stuff and hard to DO stuff over there. With cis men( and Karens) saying ppl should not get payed enough to live if they work in already low paying jobs.

[@linusfotograf]

@@jayamilapersson4030 How the F has men born men identifying as men anything to do with any sort of economics?

[@johannespettersson821]

@@Jonsson474 Vi har bra sjukvård och skola och den biten men samtidigt är folk jävligt ensamma

[@h0llish]

Our baby was 6 weeks early. We were at the neonatal hospital for almost three weeks. Cost? $13 for the delivery. Coffee included.

[@Miadigitalart]

Always a benefit to have a "gravid forsakring" in Sweden. I paid around 250kr for mine and I did it because I was pregnant with twins and I knew they were going to be premature. Insurance paid me 600kr a day for the neonatal stay and we were admitted for 5 weeks, so I got a HUGE lump of money once we got home. They also give you extra money for having a c-section and also extra money for the scar. I was also hospitalized before giving birth and I was paid 200kr a day for that.

[@TwitchCronos100]

True, but you and that baby also have a lifetime of insanely high taxes to look forward to, regardless if you use government services or not.

[@Miadigitalart]

@@TwitchCronos100 Seppos pay more for their health insurance and benefits than we pay monthly in taxes for our universal Healthcare. And they still have to pay between $4000-$8000 out of pocket to utilize it depending how good it is. I'm 33 years old and I've paid roughly $200k in taxes through my entire life. What did I get for that? Free schooling, free school lunches, a college degree, 2 major surgeries, medicine I have to eat my entire life, a twins birth, 5 weeks stay at the hospital, countless of trips to the ER.. you name it. With the US prices for all of this, I would have had to pay roughly $5-$7 million dollars out of pocket. This would have drowned me in dept if I lived in the states.

[@mercurious5053]

@@TwitchCronos100 you come across as a bit cheep and selfish, but I guess it's just that each man for his own american mindset 🙂 it seems very hard for you to fathom the concept of taking care of each other. Also, who cares if the taxes are high if you still have plenty after all necessities are paid for?

[@Lauren_P_]

@@mercurious5053 as Americans, it’s drilled into us (a lot of the time) to be self sufficient and take care of ourselves. It becomes toxic and makes us not want to help other people because we don’t think we will get help when we need it, so we have to save resources. Also we are taught misinformation about what happens when countries do help each other, like Sweden does. I think that the past 4 years should have taught us Americans some realities about the world, but sadly, it didn’t.

[@idabl5113]

The thing you said about the whole ironic thing about you paying for your education in America before moving and paying taxes in Sweden is the most American thing I have heard ever.

Yep, "me me me" ;) What about your future kids and their friends. You pay taxes so that they are able to study for free..

[@mercurious5053]

Yea, it's not primarily about paying for something I or my family will, necessarily, directly benifit from (but we can if we want to) more like pay to ensure everyone the best possibilities in life, and building a strong nation 🙂 Indiectly, we all benefit from the latter

[@Elitemusicman1]

When you become a parent you will benefit from the free university tuition too! You won´t have to pay your kids way through college :D

[@kahve7105]

wow🙄😨

[@debd6451]

The high taxes pay for the tuition-nothing Is truly free.

[@DaintyMacroHobbit]

@@debd6451 no shit, Sherlock. But it's a very beneficial system.

[@MyLittleMagneton]

You instead have to pay the tuition for everyone's kids :D

[@DaintyMacroHobbit]

@@MyLittleMagneton Yes, how cool is that? I get to contribute to the improvement of future generations for the entire country.

The classical when you do not want to talk to someone "I am going into a tunnel, I will lose the signal", and then hangs up; do that in sweden and you will get a "Yeah, for sure. Call when you want to talk again".

[@GoogelyeyesSaysHej]

The only time you can use cell reception is when you’re about to use an elevator

[@topaz3838]

Haha

[@rogerdanblad]

Shops with "korrugerat plåttak"... The killer of all reception

[@chinesefantasy]

It's probably different state by state and city from city. But in Sweden you can basically have a part time job, working 4 hours a day, and have a decent income to afford a flat, good food, and go out and have fun once or twice a week, or if you have kids, not worry about supporting them because you get like +150$ a month per kid to support them from the state.... Meanwhile I've heard of US single moms having to work 2-3 jobs just to barely make ends meet.

[@johnnyrosenberg9522]

It's expensive to buy that flat, though.

[@Ulfscher]

@@johnnyrosenberg9522 - not if you live in Filipstad or somewhere else out in the country. Around 1300 kr/sqm for an apartment. In the swankier parts of Stockholm, this would easily be 130 000 though...

[@johnnyrosenberg9522]

@@Ulfscher Yes, I know. My wife and her brother recently sold her late mother's house in Överkalix for 70000 kr… (a house in a very bad shape, though).

[@johnrorvall9531]

@@johnnyrosenberg9522 To be able to get a rental apartment in Stockholm you have to wait in the city apartment queue for over 10 years.

[@jonasfermefors]

The cost for internet at home is about half in Sweden compared to that in the US and the bandwidth here is usually much better even at that price. The survey I looked at cited the Swedish average cost for broadband (60Mpbs or better) at 34$ and the average in the US at 66$

[@schoolingdiana9086]

I’m paying $150 and I could be in Bill Gates’ driveway in less than 2 hours. It’s ridiculous.

[@therealronswanson]

@Josh Yates i have 500gb/s up and down, and pay SEK 299 a month which is about 35 USD also, Sweden have had fiber connection since mid/late 1990s while big parts of US still didnt have internet at all. Today esentially all of Sweden is covered by fiber, not the most remote parts in the far north perhaps but on the countryside most ppl have dug in fiber today, or atleast had the option to do so.

[@larrybxl5406]

@@schoolingdiana9086 $150/m?? for broadband?? insanely costly. In Spain its about €40/m for 100 Mbps fibre

[@schnilos5481]

I mean I have 900mbps upload and download and my plan isn’t anything special just ur average Verizon plan in the U.S.

[@jonasfermefors]

@@schnilos5481 And you live in a city? There are lots of personal anecdotes, but I was trying to looking at averages. I just checked one of the biggest providers in Stockholm and they charge 25$/month for 500mbps to most Stockholm locations as the default connection.

[@lobaxx]

Sports is cheap in Sweden because the pro teams are the same organizations that run the youth teams. The youth development isn’t something they make money out of directly, but rather it’s seen as an investment for the pro team. Additionally, every time a club pays a transfer for a player between jurisdictions (e.g. Swedish player sold to Serie A), 5% have to go as ”solidarity” to their youth club(s). So producing a player that is later a professional as an adult can bring in large amounts of money to the youth development team during their entire career.

[@originalnackster3743]

The tradition of people doing volunteer work for the sports clubs and the tax funded "föreningsbidrag" and "aktivitetsstöd" also help in keeping the prices down.

[@johannas.l.brushane2518]

@@originalnackster3743 Yes the institution of "allmännyttiga idéella föreningar" where they are somewhat favourably treated in tax at state level. Moreover the municipals typically subzide in cheaper rents for sportsfacilities and also for activities where people under 18 participate (the clubs get some amount to cover for cost of the youth activity).

[@lobaxx]

@@originalnackster3743 Yes, but that’s mostly for smaller kids and for those that play for fun. When you get into youth development at a more serious level, like where you would have to pay massive cash in the US, then you don’t have parents and older kids volunteering and coaching for free. At that point, typically age 12 and above,you have real salaried coaches that know what they are doing and real investment into the youth programs that cost massive amounts of money. This is the kind of stuff BP and Häcken have excelled at doing, and for a talented kid they basically coach them for free.

[@xoidgaming]

or you just gotta sell triss lotter for a year to fund the older teams

[@lobaxx]

@@xoidgaming As a kid we would do that to pay for travel and accommodations to tournaments (like Gothia cup)

[@martinhenricsson394]

I really like how much thought that has been done watching your videos. Bra jobbat!

[@StefanThyron]

I appreciate that!

[@majhild]

Hello Stefan, I have followed you for a long time and I really enjoy your videos. I am a Swede living in CA so of course I always hear the fear of socialism from Americans. And I think part of the problem is how you and others present the high tax in Sweden, maybe you need to add that we don’t have to pay extra insurance or college fees so in reality we have more money left in our pockets than Americans. My daughter have to pay her own insurance and that cost her a lot more then some extra procent in tax in Sweden that cover everything. If you want to compare you have to present the figures, tax in Sweden isn’t higher if you include the benefits.

[@familyupgrade]

Also, most people in Sweden pays 33-34%, and thats just like most of US.

[@ChuffedLemon]

This is true, as a Californian living in Denmark :) Our taxes are much higher here than in Sweden, but I explain to Americans all of the time that the benefits are seen and felt all of the time. Also, Scandi governments (esp. Denmark, which is consistently #1) are some of the least corrupt in the world, so you know where your taxes are going, unlike in the US.

[@MeatMeAnita]

@@json9353 you have to have home and car insurance wherever you live, so that isn't countable even that both are EXTREMLY expensive in CA. Health insurance is optional if you want to have it, in Sweden you are covered even without, which is not the fact in US, here you have to have it or you will loose everything you have if you end up with a hospital bill, which a lot of people do because they cant afford the health insurance. And look at the hours people work here compared to Sweden, overtime is not payed for, you just have to do it for free, vacation a couple of weeks, take care of your newborn child is 6 weeks in US. No, people who haven't tried both worlds should educate themselves before having an opinion. Sweden is such a great country to live in because of a few procent more in tax! It's worth it, believe me.

[@MeatMeAnita]

@@json9353 My daughter is a dental assistent and she pay $500/month for her insurance that covers almost NOTHING but it is all she can afford. 3 years ago she got breast cancer, this was in September, she paid $8000 in deductible, got her treatment and by the time she had to replace her boob it was January and the insurance deductible started from scratch again every January 1 so she had to pay another $8000 before she could have any treatments. The rest you are saying I don't agree at all, you need to check your sources, Sweden isn't even on the top 25 list for crimes, but Malmö is number 17. www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/us-news-unveils-best-countries-rankings Here you can see that Sweden is ranked 9 for healthcare in the world!! I must say that Swedish people are spoiled rotten if they think they don't get anything for their 50% tax money. Of course there are things that could be better and the Government should work on, but overall you live in a country with a very thick safety net and you should appreciate it. Both my parents died of cancer and I have nothing more then true admire for the hospital, doctors and nurses that took care of them and gave them outstanding care without the personal bankruptcy that happens here.

[@RobertClaeson]

What people doing comparisons about taxes also don't (generally) realise is that 18.5% of the gross salary is contributed to pensions through the taxes. On top of that, most people also have direct employer contributions, bringing the total to about 23% (or more) of gross salary as pensions contributions. Where I live right now in the UK, there's state pension but it is about comparable to the Swedish guarantee pension. Anything beyond that has to be made through personal and employer contributions (employers contribute 3% by law). Even though my income is quite a bit higher than in Sweden, it is actually about the same as what I would make in Sweden if I were to make personal pension contributions to bring the total to Swedish levels (and I do). I'm certain the situation is similar with the US.

[@l3chevalier]

Hey Stefan, I'm about to move to Sweden an I am so F... nervous and anxious about that. Your videos made me feel so much better, understanding more about Sweden in general. Thank you very much. The video in general is awesome, about editing, sound and video quality. Congrats!!

[@magnusemilsson7205]

I think I have read some numbers that US government spent more in health care per capita than the Swedish does. Almost 100% what you are paying in health care taxes in Sweden goes to your treatment, and in an organisation that do not need to think about profits. If you look at numbers of companies that should by paid and make profit in the US system, you will find a lot. All from ambulance service company, to hospitals, insurance companies…….. and then the doctors and hospitals need insurance as well (no hospitals/doctors have insurance for handling misstreatment, it is a state insurance for all Swedish citizens). But to compare health care system is exceedingly difficult when it is a huge differences and numbers of operators involved. And it is almost impossible to just look at one single subset.

[@galmendoza9109]

Paying taxes is not just to benefit from healthcare and free school. It's much more complex than so, therefore if you feel a bit irritated to why you should pay so much in taxes, please look up everything it includes! : ) Taxes is not just benefitting one person, but the whole society. And that is also a difference in Sweden compare to America, we want a high functioning society because everyone benefits from that. Not only the people in the top but the vast majority gets benefitted from a society that is at least aiming for equality and trying to make sure everyone has access to their basic needs; such as healthcare, school, dental care, good roads, communications, infrastructure and other public goods ,overall a high quality life.

[@jayamilapersson4030]

Exactly in Sweden we try to get a high-quality life for everyone not a select few. Still the system is not perfect sometimes even here there are some ppl who live on the streets but I belive they are fewer and that the time they are homeless is usually shorter here then in the US.

[@simonbern]

Well we also support ISIS so I guess you like them aswell :)

[@andblom88]

I'm extremely happy for our tax system. Been treated for cancer for 4 months now and all I have to pay during treatment is 100 sek/day for staying at hospital. That includes EVERYTHING. Food, medicines, room etc.

[@Mirvra]

@@andblom88 Täcker inte högkostnad's skyddet det efter du betalat 1,200kr eller vad det nu är? Har inte riktigt kol på vad det täcker.

[@andblom88]

@@Mirvra inte när man är inlagd. Det gäller bara vid "vanliga" besök.

[@jensclarberg6419]

Scandinavia is very modern. Everything feels so subpar when going to different countries.

[@okorochukwunonso2563]

So true!

[@jsvensson8234]

I feel that way just going to Denmark, or Norway... I have lived and worked extensively in all Scandi countries (currently working in Denmark, on my 6th yr now) and the funniest thing is, the Danes think they are living in the most modern country ever 😆 (they also think Skype is a Danish company ... 🤦‍♀️). The Norwegians know Sweden is way ahead in a lot of ways, but they all have Teslas, fart cash and are on a constant sugar rush from all that candy and kviklunsj they replace food with during the work day so they're to happy to give a shit. For realz though, I love all of Scandinavia, but the Danes are just to funny with how they view themselves in the world 😂 Oh, and that's probably what the Finns think of us cos Finland is hands down the most modern country in these here parts, and us Swedes think the Finns just run around drunk in the woods chasing bears with knives or something like that... 🤷‍♀️

[@martinwinther6013]

@@jsvensson8234 Being the squaredealer here. Your post is full of energy and its lighthearted reading. shoulda kept the tone. but im the dry dust- my strength and weakness. But. Youre Not all wrong. Also not fully correct. Havnt met anyone who thinks dk is THE most modern country, but everybody _knows_ skype is danish(and swedish. but thats never mentioned. danes do like to be worldstars on the few fields where its actually possible to compare it with the big world). In the head of many(most?) danes; skype is a danish thing. Its true dk is roughly 4-5 years behind the US when it comes to many of the trends in in society, and roughly 2-3 years behind sweden. dk is always at least 1 year behind when it comes to the latest fashion. One thing you got 100% correct. danes and the worldsituation is a funny one.

[@jsvensson8234]

@@martinwinther6013 I meet Danes all the time who think Denmark is the most modern Scandinavian country, and I meet them a lot since I'm on my 7th year working in CPH. But maybe that's just me, and they love love love to tell a Swede how great DK is (kind of like we do but in reverse 😉). Ok, let's get down to bznz then, shall we 😋Skype has never ever been a Danish company. Ever. It doesn't even have a local office in Denmark. One of the founders was Danish, one out of four, but it was founded in Sweden and it's not even a Swedish company, it's Luxembourgian. I know that one hurts a Danish heart, but self-deception will only do harm long term, thus I must save you from your illusion 😄 Other then Maersk, Denmarks claim to fame is in food & beverage, wind mills and pharmaceuticals. You're not a nation of big tech. Not yet anyways. Live with it! Also, Denmark actually shines in fashion and design. Maybe not on the street among every day Danes but that isn't because Danes don't know fashion, it's because they are individualistic enough not to feel the need to slavishly follow trends (unlike most Swedes who, lets be honest, are true sheep in that department 🤦‍♀️). But Danish fashion and design is highly respected and admired within those industries. Much more so than any other country in Scandinavia, and most of the world actually. I should know, I used to work in those industries (in Milan).

[@martinwinther6013]

@@jsvensson8234 oh. ownership? who care about that? it was sold off years ago when they realized they probably never would be able to solve the technical issues with white noise and periodic cuts in the transmissions. And so far they where right. Skype is kinda dated with platforms like discord or even good old teamspeak that have a much clearer voicetransmission. but. its a dane who invented it.(and a swede, but thats a part that seems to have been forgotten. sweden is afterall almost danish. so its all the same eh) - its danish. if its 50% danish then it all dansih around here - and yes, there are some good danish fashion designers. but its not something that permiates the society.- but you can see see it clear if you read the various fashion magazines. The trend you see in the dansih magazines is what the stores sold last year in sweden. Youre right about denmark not being a tech nation. We grow pigs and apples, green tech and pressure vents, furnitures and knowhow about getting rid of it again. Were a farmernation who doesnt have room for landfills. thats why stoobid myths like the one about skype have a place to grow. because it is just that.. and its danish . ;P

[@JimmiG84]

Regarding education, it gets better. You actually get paid about $400/month by the government for studying at university or college (both are free). If you're under 29, you can also apply for a housing allowance which pays part of your rent. Also, the interest rate on student loans is about 0.15% (0.05% temporarily this year due to covid)

[@JohnDoesSports]

Yeah, the interest rates are ridiculously low in Sweden. I have friends who took out the loan just to invest it in different funds or put them in bank accounts with interest rates higher than the interest on the loan itself.

[@JimmiG84]

@@JohnDoesSports Yeah that's why I'm paying back my debt as slowly as possible. I'd actually lose money by paying it back faster since the money would come from funds and savings accounts that currently have a much higher return than the interest on the student loan.

[@MacMuskelAttack]

You are so godamn positive. It's really refreshing in contrast to a lot of idiots on the internet. You go you!

[@johangrahn9946]

According to statistics, the price of Chicken fillets in the US is 3.30 USD/Pound= 66 kr/kg. Excluding Sales Tax. In Sweden, the cost is about 90 kr/kg INCLUDING a 25 % sales tax. The cost differance excl. tax is about 10 %, which is less than I expected considering that Sweden does not use antibiotics in the growing farms.

[@StefanThyron]

My data showed chicken to be cheaper in the US, perhaps we were looking at different sources

[@johangrahn9946]

@@StefanThyron That's certainly possible. My source is: www.statista.com/statistics/236836/retail-price-of-chicken-breast-in-the-united-states/ But that is the average price across all states. Perhaps it is cheaper in some places, but that would of course mean it was more expensive in other places. I used to live in the US for 4-5 years and I remember it was easy to forget the extra sales tax cost as it is not itemized on the receipt. In Sweden, its even easier to forget the Moms as prices always include it.

[@krokodilen31]

Yeah plus in the US at least some of the chicken is dipped in chlorine ....so u get what u pay for kinda. In other hand im sure in the us u can find the finest chicken too that grown up in a good invironment and perfect conditions...but the price will be terrible....by the way they grew up terrible here too really....and the price i bought a "stinas kyckling "this week ita about a kilo spiced sorted parts that u put in the oven on a tray.....it was 19.90 SEK...... Thats like US 2.50

[@johangrahn9946]

@Josh Yates Yepp, frozen chicken is usually much cheaper than fresh. This is because frozen meat serve as a regulator for differences between supply and demand. If you do not have customers for your fresh meat, freeze it and store it indefinitely. The price goes down, but its better than throwing the meat away. And "no hormones" mean that no estrogen/steroids/testosteron was added to the feed. This is (I think) forbidden by US law. Antibiotics may still have been used as there is a separate label for that. "No chemicals" usually mean that no preservatives have been added in the meat. The chicken may still have been chlorinated. And of course, the chlorine is not the problem! The fact that chlorine is necessary is, as this indicates the chickens were not raised in a healthy environment.

[@janpersson9818]

@@krokodilen31 A 1kg "Stinas kyckling" is 59 SEK at my store.

[@satanihelvetet]

I agree on that. The reason that sports is cheap in Sweden is that low level clubs are training at the cources and halls at the schools, wich is mostly owned by the comunitys. The community has a low level of fee for using their infra structure and material resources. The community also give a small economical support to the clubs. The whole philosofy around sports and physical exercise is that it's good for everybody's health and then it should be affordable for every one.

[@nathantanesie4837]

In France, an annuel club fee for soccer is between 60 up to 150€ a year, I was shocked to hear that it’s this much expensive in the us

[@Ce0ammer]

USA is very much like a Developing country. The elite few lives in abundance and the poor majority gets exploited more and more. Due to the very disfunctional political system where politicians have to beg for money from the rich elite, it has often been referred to as an oligarchy.

[@youareconfused]

Jag är så tacksam över Sveriges system! Det gör att vi alla har samma chans här i livet, att kunna utbilda sig till det man drömmer om. Fattigdom går inte i arv på samma sätt som det tyvärr kan göra i USA.

[@Enterialise]

This! Alla har en chans att förändra sitt liv ✌ Oberoende av om du är förmögen eller inte.

[@joakimfritzon4584]

Sweden did something in the subway that just wasnt suppose to work, but it does. Swedish subways has cables running thru them thats just sliced open. For some reason this provides service.

[@fredskronk]

Not supposed to work? It’s specifically designed to work :) London is (at long last) rolling out the same thing on the tube. How it works? Like a big freaking antenna. (Sorta’)

[@NichoandAdri]

As someone who spends most of their time in the U.S. and Sweden I definitely agree with everything you said. Also feel your pain at 5:00 hahah

[@Asa...S]

Childcare is also very cheap compared to the US. It´s based on your income, so households with lower salaries pay less. But no one (no matter how high income they have) say more than 1 510 SEK (178 USD) per child and month for kindergarten/preschool. I also think it´s cheaper in Sweden to learn how to play a instrument, Kulturskolan, formerly known as kommunala musikskolan give a lot of kids the opportunity to play instruments. Some attributes Swedens success in the music industry to this.

[@moonlily1]

I have not spent very much time in Sweden, but I had vacationed there recently and heard so much about how expensive it was, but yet, that was not my experience. We went grocery shopping at Lidl's and many items were half what we would pay for them in the US. Restaurants were about the same, hotels were about the same, taxis were pretty much about the same, so I'm a little confused to hear that Sweden is expensive. The only things that stood out to me as notably more expensive are cocktails, soda and candy, but none of those things are very important so I'm not inclined to complain. Where it comes to items like cars, meat and alcohol, you can defend it in that there is a benefit to encouraging people to consume less of those. According to my reseach Sweden along with most other European countries has a lower cost of living in the US (but not Norway).

[@tuungan]

"I think it's just best not to think about that" laughed out loud when I got to that part... feel your pain bro :)

[@kermoots9261]

I'm currently studying at a high school/college in Sweden and I pay around 4700 SEK (~500 USD)/month for rent, breakfast, lunch and dinner 5 days a week, access to gym, water, electricity, heat, wifi, borrowing an iPad and I have access to the school's spaces 24/7.

[@TwistedGamersHQ]

bruh dedär är bara min hyra ;_;

[@tuungan]

Folkhögskola?

[@kermoots9261]

@@tuungan Ja och nej, skriven på folkhögskola men har alla lektioner på högskola precis bredvid

[@tuungan]

@@kermoots9261 Misstänkte det iom hyra/mat :) Gött upplägg!

[@petern9384]

Well, one thing that is surprisingly cheap is Dagens lunch (today's menu) at lunch time. Most restaurants charge something like 85-99 kronors (albeit a wee bit more expensive in Sthlm). That includes the main course, a non-alcohol beverage, salad from a buffet, bread and coffee. Evening meals from a menu are expensive but the Dagens lunch can be a money saver for visitors!

[@PearlPaisley]

85 spänn! Där jag kommer ifrån kan du få en falafel för 35 spänn dygnet runt! 😆

[@petern9384]

@@PearlPaisley möjligt även där jag kommer ifrån, men det är ju inte en komplett meny...!,😉

[@YzzSC]

@@PearlPaisley Stor skillnaden på en falafel ifrån något hak till ett få en ordentligt lagad lunch osv. Oftast på ett ställe där du dessutom kan välja mellan 2-3 olika rätter plus något veg utöver en salladsbar.

[@PearlPaisley]

@@YzzSC Fattar det. Därav 😆

[@faiway8941]

Hi @StefanThyron, would it possible for you to make a video on Grocery tour?...pleaseee..

[@eric4719]

Enjoy your channel and looking forward to traveling to Sweden after Covid. Just an example of the insanity of US medical care expenses: I am self-employed and live in Central California, and my family health/dental insurance per month is believe it or not $2,500.00, and I still have to pay $25 to $40 for my doctor visits.

[@Wanderlust.428]

Happy Monday Stefan!

[@StefanThyron]

Happy Monday! :)

[@AlexNicholls.]

4:53, very American way to think. It benefits you greatly if other people around you get an education, it benefits everyone whether they go to university or not, thats why it's funded through tax.

[@Griexxt]

Exactly. That is the point that most people who complain about high taxes miss. I wouldn't want to live in a country where a lot of people around me can't afford education and healthcare.

[@vilmanord30]

In terms of healthcare I would say that even if you add up what we sewdes pay in taxes for health care and add it to the fee we pay its still cheaper than a US health insurance. Obviously this varries hugely based on income. A low income earner in sweden is going to come out way below the US prices while a verry high earner might pay similair levels. But the average I think is lower here in Sweden.

[@livkarlsson5638]

Btw love your vids ❤ really funny

[@StefanThyron]

Thanks, that's great to hear :)

[@mikaelkarlsson635]

Grattis på namnsdagen!

[@livkarlsson5638]

@@mikaelkarlsson635 tackar 😂

[@calleX]

Good list. Sports may be cheap but the clubs "force" us parents to "volunteer" as ticket salesman, parking attendants and so on for games. We also have to drive our kids to a lot of stuff on our own instead of the club having buses for example.

[@erikmf]

Since we have fixed volume tax on wine, cheap wine is generally comparatively expensively while expensive wine is comparatively cheap :)

[@StefanThyron]

True, there really is no 'cheap' wine at systemet compared to the cheap stuff you can get in the states, but the quality is good.

[@erikmf]

@@StefanThyron For sure. But if you look at wine 250:- and upwards, you will generally find them quite cheap in Sweden compared to other EU countries and the States. For example, a bottle of Barolo Albe 2017 is 269:- in Sweden and usually around €35-40 in EU and $45-50 in the states :)

[@erikmf]

@@StefanThyron Also! Great vids! Always fun to watch when there is a new one out!

[@Jonsson474]

A french quality wine is usually less expensive in Sweden than in France.

[@annelinilsson6414]

@@StefanThyron LL LL of

[@possaah]

The costs of playing sports here are around 300-1500 kr a year i fee for being a member of the club i would say. This varies alot and then u sometimes pay extra for a certain event.

[@p0plyna]

Regarding cellphone plans, example of a cheap provider would be Hallon with monthly flat rates: * 4GB / $11.50 * 8GB / $17.50 * 25GB / $29.00 * 50GB / $35.00 Unused data carries over to next month and accumulates up to 100GB. Unlimited calls and texts of course and no binding period. Another cheap alternative would be Halebop. EDIT: Of course they have first-time special prices where the first N months are cheaper, but that's irrelevant for provider comparisons.

[@hansscholl1122]

Those are actually quite expensive compared to prices in Finland. For example Moi.fi offers 4G 100 Mbit/s with unlimited data for 18 € for month.

[@p0plyna]

@@hansscholl1122 Very nice! A quick search reveals that unlimited data here would be around €50 and upwards. :(

[@hansscholl1122]

@demigod With 50 € (about 500kr) you'll get the "top of the line" offer from Telia here in Finland. That includes 5G, unlimited data in Finland & Nordic countries and 27 gigs inside EU per month. You get basically the same deal for 30 € per month with 4G. I wonder how come it is like that. I think the taxes etc. are pretty much similar in Sweden and Finland, so why are the companies able to provide the same service so much cheaper here? Or is it just much more tougher competition in the market here? Or maybe some government subsidies I'm unaware of?

[@oLawlieto]

@@hansscholl1122 More people means more towers which means more maintenance which means higher prices. Sad but true :/

[@hansscholl1122]

@@oLawlieto Are you being ironic or something? Sorry but I didn't get the joke. I mean what you said makes absolutely no sense. Shouldn't it be the opposite? More people = more customers = lower the price. That's why even 3G connection in Lapland can be quite bad, 'cos so few people live there.

[@viktoriabackeus7610]

House plants are really cheaper in Europe than in US. I can buy a plant for $7 here that would be $20-50 or more in US.

[@Chisszaru]

The thing i like is that you don't need to pay to get educated. I graduated 2 years ago, and i and most others got money only so we would actually attend school and college. It's extremely cheap to det education in Sweden, which i love, cause i always want to learn new things all the time. Currently, i'm thinking about learning German, Russian and Spanish. I mostly want to learn Spanish, only because of the football player Lionel Messi and i don't know why i want to learn German or Russian. It's something i personally doesn't understand

[@barbarasanchez2398]

mucho ánimo para aprender español :)

Healthcare: the price of various medicare treatments can be checked quite easily as the full price is available on Google. In most cases, the cost of treatment, like expensive medical treatment for MS, Kidney transplant, Insulin or whatever, is in most cases at a double price in the US compared to Sweden (meaning the cost to fix the problem, by the hospital), but as said the payment upfront is only some 25 USD. In some cases, you end up in a situation you could not plan for, like one I know who got TBC on a trip. After a pretty heavy treatment, he asked what the full cost of that was, covered by our universal healthcare; about 25.000 USD.

[@hurmur9528]

Health care is not just the cost for you as a person when you visit the doctor. But it is a loooot cheaper then US per capita. And that means the cost no matter who pays for it state, person or insurance company it is a lot more expensive in US for nearly all treatments in overall cost per capita. Sweden have around half the cost. Quality wise it is about the same. So your system lead to a huge overall cost. Insurance and hospitals over charging is part of that.

[@jamesb118]

Doctors are also paid around 1/3 as much in Sweden

[@hurmur9528]

@@jamesb118 Yes they are paid less (as it should be since that is still a good wage) but there are so many reasons for why US is so much higher in cost than any country in the world per capita. The cost for just about everything are way higher. I seen absurd bills for small things like just injecting a needle (done by a nurse) and so on. Nearly every test are more expensive and not by a little either. I know the cost for many of those tests and they could be four up to even ten times as expensive for exactly the same test. The administration cost are more than three times the cost than Sweden. Weirdly enough medicare cost a lot since US have a rule that Medicare can not negotiate drug prices (so they are very high). But I think the main cost is just the lack of oversight. and when you have a single payer you get a control of the cost.

[@AUniqueHandleName444]

@@hurmur9528 It really is not a good wage. The average doctor in Sweden makes about $80k a year, that's not even really upper middle class. Given how much they work, how much training they require, and how important their jobs are, that's really not a decent wage at all. There are countries that pay doctors much better than Sweden but don't have the problems of the US. Like pretty much every other north western european country or Australia.

[@hurmur9528]

​ They earn a good wage. Here is the difference. I do not care about wages over a certain level. Drive for being a doctor should not be rich. I know a couple of doctors they have between 70 k to 80 k a month (that is about 100-110 k dollars a year). They live very well. If you are interested in more money than that you should work with finance or something else that can satisfy your need for money. In Sweden they have a six years education payed for by the state and have money for students during that time. So please cry me a river elsewhere.

[@Iglokun]

I was pretty surprised by the sports thing. But when I stop and think about it I think it makes sense considering smaller sports organisations can apply for... uh... "bidrag", here in Sweden. And I would assume they don't get those kind of benefits in the US.

[@jonasfeldgrill7787]

Hey! Thanks for all the interesting videos! If you have time maybe you could compare the swedish and american criminal justice system 😊

[@joonatanpenttinen9940]

Coming from Finland I find cell phone service quite expensive here, especially when it comes to proper plans with reasonable amount of data or unlimited data. In Finland unlimited data is nowadays a norm and unlimited 4G plan costs around 20€ when in Sweden a similar plan costs almost 400kr. Atm I need to have both Finnish and Swedish phone number so I have a proper Finnish unlimited data plan (doesn't cost any extra in Nordic and Baltic countries, and up to 17GB even in other European countries), and a cheap Swedish prepaid.

[@Ellary_Rosewood]

I pay $100 USD for my unlimited phone plan. 😭

[@richardnelson3227]

Several years ago did an overnight trip to Tallin, $70 US dollars round trip.. A good night's rest, a few hours in Tallin. Much cheaper than a hotel in Stockholm. Plus probably 8 hours on a boat going through the Stockholm Archapeligo.

[@Argantonis]

As I understand, the American tuition fee covers not only the college admission, but also housing, food, all learning materials such as books, excursions etc. In Sweden and elsewhere where there are no tuition fees, only the admission is free. You have to pay for everything else by yourself.

[@chja00]

Sort of. Through CSN, students are still offered help with their living expenses. You get around 11000 SEK/month, of which ~30% is a grant and the rest is a very favorable loan. You can live off that, although many students supplement that income through work or savings.

[@blazymemes354]

Tuition is just the fee you pay to the university for your classes. It does not include books, housing and food. And as a foreigner, or out of state student, you pay ridiculously high tuitions. As a foreigner with no chance of ever becoming a a resident, i paid close to 2000 dollars a semester at a cllege/university in the 90s. I dont think it has gotten cheaper.

[@Jedia97jeddybear]

The caduceus staff is a symbol of Hermes and trades, not health care. A staff with one snake and no wings are the symbol you were looking for ;)

[@beardygit]

Candy by the kilo at maybe 1$/kg vs in the US it can easily be 2$/pound. This swedish candy culture could be a great movie for you to make.

[@hansandersson2872]

Here’s another surprising fact. Quality wine. Because Sweden has a monopoly on alcohol distribution, the prices on quality wine is lower than in almost any other country. Why? In a unregulated market, quality products typically gets higher markups in every step of the delivery chain. Systembolaget is not allowed to have different markups on different wines, hence, high quality wine is relatively cheaper. In addition the range of products is something you cannot get anywhere else. Systembolaget in a small town has a range not even the most well stocked liquor store in London or New York can match.

[@lenasamanthagraham]

Can you explain the school system? In Norway we have grunnskole from 6-15 -videregående Where you get fagbrev (as an elicrician, carpenter and so on) or studiekompetanse wich you ned to studenter futher in university (mastrrdegree) or universitycollege (bachleordegree)

[@neuron05]

Ericsson is building your radio networks. They are Swedish, tested in Sweden caves of a unusually never usually ending up with a radio connection. Under ground bouncement off the buildings, it is really hard to get this thing right..

[@scaniagul]

Sports fees are also cheap thanks to the taxes. Clubs gets money for each active member. I found fruit and vegetables extremely expensive in the US. Actually not only. I found all “real” food like we eat here in Sweden expensive. The only food I found cheap in the US was processed food like chicken nuggets.

[@TalesOfWar]

On my few visits to London, phone service in the Underground is generally fine though I've only really been on the Northern and Jubilee lines. Another reason it may be so great in Sweden is the lower population density. More people live within 20km of Central London than the entire country of Sweden, same with places like New York, so fewer devices the network has to handle. Plans in Sweden (and pretty much all of Europe) also tend to be cheaper because there's actual competition. There aren't essential monopolies here like the US. This is more so for home phone/internet. At least here in the UK the infrastructure itself is owned and maintained by one company (Openreach) and sold wholesale to service providers at the same price so there's no preferential rates going on.

[@waddsbadds]

While technically not cheap, my wife and I did take a ferry ride a few years ago from Stockholm to Helsinki, about 16 hours, but when you factor in what was included, the price was not bad at all, because we got a beautiful cruise, with spectacular scenery sailing through the Stockholm archipelago, we got a room for the night (we would have to have taken a room in a hotel somewhere if we had stayed in Stockholm), our car went on the ship with us, and there was plenty of entertainment, a very well stocked duty free shop, so good value for money.

[@ophelian4646]

One question: The college tuition, does that include housing? I mean in Sweden you have to pay for a room or any other housing arrangements yourself and that is really expensive.

[@FrockeyBalboa]

Well, if you have to, you can rent a room or a small apartment. It's not so expensive, so you have to study and be able to prove you're studying to be allowed to rent. :)

[@Zlay3rSE]

Playing youth soccer/football cost around 1000 crowns (100 dollars) a year. Some cities are more expensive then others (Stockholm is the most expensive). But between 500-1000 crowns for youth around the country. It gets more expensive the older they get. But not more then 1500-2500 if you are not playing in any of the Academys

[@martennyman6624]

Bra video stefan..👍 Men lite för mycket jag vet inte riktig 🤔 hoppas du har en bra dag 😀

[@carolines8037]

When you get kids you can stay home from work 1-1,5 year, sometimes even longer, and still get money from the state. 😁 And you get about 175 usd per kid up to your kid turns 16.

[@tee8839]

Per month*

[@eur0be4t3r]

Wasn't it 18?

[@tee8839]

@@eur0be4t3r you as a parent get the money until they turn 16 because at 16 the kid get money for studying

[@Bearprobe]

You also don't pay to receive calls on your cell phone in Sweden as you do in the US. No matter if it's long-distance or local.

[@Soundbrigade]

I don't think taxes are that much lower in USA,, but have no clue. But throw in the various insurances to get the same coverage you get "for free" in Sweden and I guess we're pretty close. One think I noticed was very expensive in USA was "lösgodis" (the kind of candy you pick yourself and pay by the pound). You can in major stores get a kg of candy for SEK40.

[@adamw.3409]

2:25 my hometown - Warsaw / Poland is one of those cities.. the reason for this: our underground system is relatively new and modern, and we only have two lines.. and it’s dirt cheap compared to e.g.Stockholm.. several times cheaper than the Swedish capital.. a 75 minute ticket valid on buses, trams, underground and commuter trains will cost you 4,40 LN (equals 1 USD or 10 SEK) and no-limit one month card is mere 110 PLN (25 USD or 250 SEK)... additionally we have excellent city bikes sharing scheme - Veturilo.. first 20 minutes is always free.. 1 hour costs just 1 PLN (22 cents , 2,2 crowns)... I enjoyed these black heavy electric city bikes in Stockholm when I was there 2 weeks ago, the problem was they were available very rarely, there were simply not enough of them..

[@julianamagg3177]

The thing is also that health care is just cheaper overall, running the health care system in cheaper in the Nordics (and many other places) than the US, but the quality level is the same or in some instances better (think maternity care). It is ridiculous how some procedures are priced in the US and I am not even gonna go into the whole insulin thing...

[@cherylcarlson3315]

Is caviar still cheap? Stuff in the tube wasn't great but never got it in US.

[@CriticalRoleHighlights]

Sweden is actually on 6th place in the world of the highest health care cost per capita. We pay roughly about 55% of what Americans pay because we pay the vast majority of it in taxes instead of out-of-pocket. Which is not to say we don't pay out-of-pocket for a lot of our health care. Cancer treatment still costs you about a year's salary, same with a heart attack or anything that warrants an extended hospital stay and medication not covered by universal insurance. We also pay for our health care system regardless if we utilize it or not, which Americans don't.

[@stinaschott4827]

I was really surprised when I heard about the cost of playing soccer in the US. My 12 year old daughter plays soccer several times a week and I think that we pay about 1600 SEK a year... Crazy!

[@johnrorvall9531]

My kids played for free in California AYSO soccer.

[@peterhylten8930]

Most car ferries between islands and over lakes are free in Sweden. They are normally yellow.

[@hoppsan]

Rolig och intressant video, visste inte allt detta! :D

[@camilocalderon4780]

Hi Stefan. This is a nice video as well as the others. I'd like you to talk more about education in Sweden. I know you've talked about schools and some other stuff, but still I think you can talk more about teachers' life there, if there are opportunities besides Stockholm. I'm a Spanish second language teacher and my wife works in childcare. How's that in Sweden? Also, there's another topic... In Norway they have this Barnevenet, how's this topic in Sweden? Thanks a lot for this info.

[@Henrikno2]

There are a huge lack when it comes to teachers and childcare workers, but If you can´t speak Swedish it is much smaller market.

[@Thaerii]

Do you know that ferries that are part of the major road network are free? Well, paid for by taxes, but in the grand scheme of things they're treated like bridges. I'm not sure about the Stockholm area, but on the west coast, there's the ferry between Skår and Finnsbo on the county road 161.

[@kajsablomberg]

Really nice wine is actually cheaper in Sweden thanks to Systembolaget 👍

[@philip_3.000]

In Berlin you don't have cell phone reception on the subway, but that's a minor problem because you're very lucky if the subway even comes.

[@helengolovin7443]

Wow! You actually mentioned Estonia. Greetings from here!

[@holoholopainen1627]

Everybody knows ESTONIA 1994 ! The Biggest Ferry - after 2WW - that hit The bottom of THE BALTIC SEA ! Some 852 LIVES LOST !

[@AnnaKaunitz]

Taxes were high. 20 years ago. That has changed. Also, the Swedish corporate taxes are lower than the US and many other countries. These days Swedes don’t complain about the taxes because the income taxes are very reasonable. The general prices in Sweden used to be higher in the past. Not any more. I get the impression you only look at the numbers and miss out on the big picture. And you have the added burden of having to pay US taxes? Plus, prices in many countries compared to Stockholm are insane. With lower salaries. Higher taxes. Stockholm is not that expensive. If you only compare to the US the narrative will be distorted. Considering how much US people have to pay out of pocket, their lower taxes doesn’t make up for it. There is no such thing as free this or free that. It’s tax financed. Time to stop saying the taxes are so extreme in Sweden. It’s just not true. University students pay off their student loans in Sweden. It’s easy to run a business. There are tons of rich Swedes that didn’t inherit their wealth. People don’t go bankrupt because they have to pay $$$ in medical insurance. The big picture.

[@json9353]

We have the highest taxes in the world

[@AnnaKaunitz]

@@json9353 No we don’t. It’s not difficult to find correct information, my friend.

[@mrSkandalpolisen]

One very important thing to note when it comes to health care costs is that the total cost (payed out of your own pocket, via insurances or via tax) is nearly twice as high in the USA compared with Sweden. In PPP US dollars (purchasing power parity) per capita the health care cost per year in the USA is 10600 dollars compared to 5800 dollars here in Sweden. The same numbers for the UK is 4600 dollars, Norway 6800 dollars, France 5200 dollars. All numbers are from 2018. It seems private health care and health care insurances is a huge rip off. More or less all private business must make profit. Budget plans of 25-30% EBITDA profit (earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation and amortization) are not uncommon. Let's say that the health care owner wants 30% in EBITDA and then the insurance company wants 30% as well. Interest on interest in only two steps (the chain can be even longer within the health care system) means that 69% of the insurance fee's are profit (EBITDA).

[@carriesaundersson]

Luckily here in the UK we don’t have to pay for any type of healthcare at all. Everything is free. Drs visits, medication, hospitals etc. But that won’t stop me moving to Sweden lol

[@annastyles7445]

What cell phone plan companies do you recommend ? Is Telia good?

[@enemixius]

Depends on where you live. If you're going to really rural places or spending a lot of time in the north, Telia usually has the best coverage there. Otherwise, it doesn't matter much, just pick whatever gives you the best deal.

[@holoholopainen1627]

They Are All The Same - They use same standart - & poles !

[@redstarchrille]

Student in sweden can also study free in every EU country + Some others that having agreement with EU. Also Healthcare abroad works also well. the tax is for everything in the society. Clean water and awsome moderna roads (that dont kill the car), and other infrastructure so companies and workers can work better/smarter. If there is a lack of workers in a profession the state also increase the amount of places to get the needed educations, sometimes even housings.

[@vikenemma2953]

I would also like to add internet as well. I have so many American friends who have extremly poor internet. While in Sweden they draw fiber cables to small communitys on islands.

[@tessb7897]

Re: #3 even if you don’t get the benefit of education for yourself and even if you don’t have children there is a benefit to living in a country where education is highly valued and most people have free access to it. And it’s just part of the culture to contribute to society. As a Canadian-Swedish person I personally don’t mind paying high taxes (and I pay them in both :) ) if I know my fellow countryhumans are well cared for. I think this is partly a cultural thing, totally my opinion and not based in fact but 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@ericanoren5212]

A question - what do you as an American now think of taxes when you have moved to sweden? I know a lot of American people that can’t understand why we have that and is almost mad at us for paying so much? I live in England, but born and raised in Sweden and I can actually miss paying higher taxes to get a better life. Luckily my British husband has understood that too so we are planning on moving to Sweden in about 5 years ☺️

[@Burresweden]

Whatt...? The club fees is more than 10 times as high in the US, insane!

[@dangrabko]

Cell phone service is way cheaper here, concur. Same with decent broadband internet service, both consumer and commercial, WAY cheaper here in Sweden compared to the US. Private Car/Home insurance way cheaper here. Childcare and/or after school programs are exponentially cheaper here.

[@TheMuffinBagare]

Fee healthcare is both a boon and a bane. It's dishonest to only espouse it as the greatest thing ever, just as it is wrong to say it has no utility. It is of course a great safety to know that you will always have access to help if needed. It is funded by taxes, so you never really get it for free - and if you're healthy, you're only paying for everyone else. But one negative aspect is with queues. In Sweden we talk about the sometimes very long "vårdkö" (translated to health queue or care queue). At times it can be as long as 6 months or a year. Imagine having a serious illness, and there is no way for you to get treated NOW - you have to wait in line for a FRICKIN' year. This is something that doesn't happen in a place with an open market hospital. You'd just pay and be treated right away. But then again comes the question, what about the people who can't pay to begin with? It's not the perfect system many try to picture it. But it's also not an easy question.

[@familyupgrade]

If you are 15 and play floorball the initial cost is around 2500 SEK a year up north, plus then the shoes, googles and stick. That varies from 1000 SEK to infinity. The initial cost depends in the club though, but judges, halls, licens, and anmälningsavgift is basically the same (1300 SEK or so/player). Then you pay for how famus and elit the club is, from 1000 and up. It costs to run a förening, and you need that to be able to play in the official series. In total at least 3 500 SEK. Football is not much cheaper. You can also do camps, thats another 1000 SEK. And the junior SM, thats 2 500 SEK. However, starting to play at 6-7 is cheap, like 500 for the förening and 500 in shoes, stick and googles. And if you are poor, there can be discounts depending on the förening. Up to like 12 it isnt very much money at all, its when you hit puberty it gets expensive.

[@ludvigsandell7769]

Ice hockey isn’t cheep anywhere but compared with the US it seems like another sport. I think in US people pay about 100 000$ a year Just to play for a team. In Sweden it’s about 1000$ Just to play for a team. Of course it depends on wich team you play for. Plus you need to buy all the equipment’s aswell. Thats absolutely crazy for me

[@94emilyemily]

I’m a Swede in America and my American husband laughed when I told him I the limit of paying for healthcare is like 1000 Sek - anything after that is high cost and is covered by the government. Here it’s thousands of $$. Also the sports it’s insane. I was involved in a gymnastics club and it cost each kid $600/year plus trips, uniforms, volunteering from parents etc. In my Swedish club it cost at the most 1000 sek per semester(termin)

[@liahk1000]

I'm also surprised by the cost of playing soccer in the u.s.!! That's crazy! Who could afford that? Is that a normal price?

[@yousifbabiker1807]

5:00 Don't be sad your kids will benefit 😅

[@StefanThyron]

Hahah hopefully, assuming I have Swedish kids

[@vonfersen]

@@StefanThyron Also you benefit by having people around you well educated, hopefully resulting in a better economy and society in general.

[@yousifbabiker1807]

@@vonfersen 100% right.. but away from the economic factor living around educated people makes life much much easier

[@ellu0002]

@@StefanThyron You yourself already benefit from the Swedish education system. For example - you go to a doctor whose education was paid for by taxpayers. It is not only the individual who receives free education who benefits from the system but also society as a whole. As a citizen, it is good if those who are most qualified are educated, not just those who can afford to pay. It gives us the best workforce with the opportunity for the best possible services.

[@martinko4086]

I play soccer in California / close to SAN FRANCISCO/ inside of building which has 2 soccer fields and i pay $ 10 a week or 25 a month .

[@demottt]

You don't pay taxes to pay for your education, but to pay for the education of those after you. It's about growing as a whole, an entire society. It's not about paying for your own shit.

[@SqueamishNerd]

I've heard that fruits and vegetables are very expensive in the US compared to many other countries. What do you think about the Swedish prices of fruits and vegetables, is it cheap compared to in the US? I guess it depends on which fruits and vegetables, but the ones that are often cheap here in Sweden, compared to other fruits and vegetables, are bananas, apples and root vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots etc). How do the prices of bananas, apples and root vegetables here in Sweden compare to the prices in the US?

[@jennylarsson9050]

I remember my annual fee for playing football when I was 15 years old was only 1000 SEK. That makes out to be about 17 000 USD. That's crazy. 17 times more expensive. I'm absolutely certain I wouldn't have been able to play football in a team if I had grown up in the US. That just adds to my understanding of why the US' population is largely overweight or obese.

[@karenkranz2682]

Think of it as "pre-paying" healthcare. Also, teachers' healthcare isn't indicative of employees in other industries - also, there's a 90 waiting period with most employers before you're covered.

[@keanureeves9954]

@Karen Kranz: Greetings to you my dear from Keanu Charles Reeves

[@keanureeves9954]

@Karen Kranz: it's a pleasure talking to you over here. Where are you from??

[@karenkranz2682]

@@keanureeves9954 ?

[@williamw9135]

Hi can you maby do these but vs the netherlands because i live there my self and i wantto go to sweden to live there bc houses are less expensive and i got friends in sweden so i hope you react to this and hope you do it

[@Hixaren2]

I think my parents paid a club fee around 2500 sek a year for soccer practice. So probably like 1/10 of the US cost

[@juliarust4909]

I payed about 2000 kronor a year for dancing at quite a high level here in sweden, which would cost sooo much more in another country partly because the government funds many sports clubs especially thoose focused on youth programs to keep teens healthy and other stuff to.

[@pandaamo3919]

Alot of the museums you can visit for free :)

[@lindatisue733]

Not if the Moderates get back in power. Love the free museums.

[@carriesaundersson]

Here in the UK, our healthcare (NHS) is completely free. From drs appointments, medication, hospitals, ambulances, basically any type of healthcare needed is free. For that you think we would pay shockingly high taxes but we don’t which is a benefit but if I’m being honest, that isn’t enough to stop me from leaving NI and moving to Sweden lol. Although I do rely on medication a lot so it may be an issue? I’m not sure. If anyone else who has repeat prescription medication, could you let me know if you have to continually pay for them? Very important to know.

[@madamehussein]

I would say housing, since rents are controlled by legislation. In order to get these cheap apartment you may have to stand in a housing queue for a few years (more like 20 in Stockholm) but they "are" still cheap, at least in theory.....

[@rosariotamayo]

We moved to Sweden from Philadelphia about 1.5 years ago. I have 2 boys. Playing football/soccer was USD2500/year and swimming at the YMCA was $2000/year. Now they both play football in Sweden and it costs 2000/year... SEK! Yup... But I have found that the cost of living here is actually lower than in the US considering all the things we do not have to pay for. Oh! Car insurance... way more expensive in the US than here. And free dental care for the kids until they’re 23! And that includes orthodontics! My oldest had braces and that was nearly $4000 for one year. Yes, I’m grateful to have that in addition to healthcare. He was hospitalized in the US and here. I’m not even going to say how much that was. Here? Nothing! I love this place 💖 BTW, I’m not American and have lived in other countries as well. Sweden is my favorite, by far 💗

[@ZapAndersson]

Pray tell, how do we put a comment in the description? :)

[@Heyfrendoo]

Apartment tour? 🐱‍🏍