EUROCOSTSCOUNTRY COMPARISON · UPDATED 2026-07-15
Spain vs Sweden: taxes, salary and cost of living
A move between Spain and Sweden is not simply a choice between a cheap and an expensive country; income, rent and taxation pull the result in different directions.
Spain vs Sweden at a glance
| Indicator | Spain | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| Standard VAT | 21% | 25% |
| Income tax | 19-47% | 29-55% |
| Social contributions | 36.25% | 38.42% |
| Tax burden | 39.5% | 42.6% |
| Average monthly salary | €2,642 | €3,750 |
| Studio rent | €950 | €900 |
| Monthly food estimate | €320 | €360 |
| Gasoline | 1.57 €/L | 1.55 €/L |
| Electricity | 0.24 €/kWh | 0.22 €/kWh |
Income comparison in context
Sweden records the higher listed monthly salary. The gap is €1,108, approximately 29.5% relative to the lower figure. Within the numeric EuroCosts sample, Spain ranks 13 of 27 for salary and Sweden ranks 11 of 27. The nominal advantage should be tested against local housing before it is treated as additional purchasing power.
Rent, food and the monthly budget
Sweden has the lower listed studio rent by €50, a 5.6% difference relative to the higher rent. Spain sits 28 of 37 and Sweden 27 of 37 in the available low-to-high rent ranking. Spain also has the lower food estimate, so the housing result is partly offset by groceries.
After subtracting only the listed rent and food estimates, the simplified remainder is €1,372 in Spain and €2,490 in Sweden. This leaves €1,118 more in Sweden, before utilities, transport, healthcare, childcare or personal taxes not already reflected in salary.
Headline taxation: what differs
Spain has the lower listed tax burden by 3.1 percentage points. Standard VAT is 21% in Spain versus 25% in Sweden. Effective taxation depends on income level and household circumstances.
A practical transport check
Sweden has the lower listed gasoline price by €0.02 per litre. For a driver buying 50 litres a month, that headline difference is about €1 monthly, before insurance, parking and road charges.
Who may prefer each country?
For a remote worker paid from abroad, housing and daily costs may matter more than the local salary ranking; on that narrow view, Sweden deserves closer attention. A locally employed professional should instead begin with salary and payroll definitions.
The most useful conclusion
Sweden produces the stronger simplified monthly remainder in this dataset, while Sweden leads on listed rent. The trade-off is more informative than a blanket cheapest-country label.
Sources and data references
- PwC standard VAT rates
- PwC personal income tax rates
- PwC corporate income tax rates
- EuroCosts data scope and generation process
Explore Spain comparisons · Explore Sweden comparisons