NO flag
Oslo

Norway

vs
SE flag
Stockholm

Sweden

Climate

Oslo logs 138 frost days a year to Stockholm's 107 — Stockholm wins by 31. Stockholm also leads on sunny days by 13.

OsloStockholm
Sunny days
135148
Hot days
00
Frost days
138107
Rain days
105107
Snow days
3620
Outdoor dinner months
3/123/12
Avg wind
2.5 m/s3.8 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,7051,843
Darkest month sun
14 hrs/mo10 hrs/mo
UV peak month
4.14.5

Oslo

Feels-like °C

-10
-8
-1
5
12
20
19
17
12
3
-3
-10

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Stockholm

Feels-like °C

-14
-12
-7
1
9
18
18
17
11
2
-6
-13

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Stockholm is $1563/mo cheaper

Oslo runs about $4,254/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Stockholm's $2,691/mo — Stockholm comes in $1,563 cheaper each month, roughly 58% less.

Oslo

$4,254

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $3,196Comfort $6,522
Top 96%in Among 217 Europe cities

Stockholm

$2,691

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,089Comfort $4,251
Top 87%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

Oslo and Stockholm score neck-and-neck on mobility (3.6 vs 3.8, 0–5 scale).

3.6/5
vs
3.8/5
OsloStockholm
WalkabilityTransitCyclingFlightsAirport
WalkabilityTransitCyclingFlightsAirport
Stockholm leads

Culture

Stockholm's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Oslo's 3.9, with the biggest gap on theatre & performing arts.

3.9/5
vs
4.2/5
OsloStockholm
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Stockholm leads

Nature & Outdoors

Oslo and Stockholm score neck-and-neck on nature & outdoors (4.8 vs 4.7, 0–5 scale).

4.8/5
vs
4.7/5
OsloStockholm
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachDivingSkiingClimbing
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingClimbing
Oslo leads

Safety

Oslo's safety score of 4.6 sits well above Stockholm's 4.3, with the biggest gap on road safety.

4.6/5
vs
4.3/5
Oslo leads

Career

Stockholm's career score of 4.2 sits well above Oslo's 4.0.

4.0/5
vs
4.2/5
OsloStockholm
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Stockholm leads

Social & Community

Oslo and Stockholm score neck-and-neck on social & community (3.0 vs 3.0, 0–5 scale).

3.0/5
vs
3.0/5
OsloStockholm
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixUrban EnergyGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixUrban EnergyGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Stockholm scores 4.0 vs Oslo's 3.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability.

3.4/5
vs
4.0/5
OsloStockholm
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Stockholm leads

Family

On family, Stockholm scores 4.0 vs Oslo's 3.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities.

3.7/5
vs
4.0/5
OsloStockholm
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa
Stockholm leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Oslo scores 3.7 vs Stockholm's 3.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on public healthcare quality.

3.7/5
vs
3.0/5
OsloStockholm
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare
Oslo leads

Air Quality

Oslo averages 6.5 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Stockholm's 5.5 µg/m³ (good) — Stockholm breathes ~16% cleaner air (1.0 µg/m³ lower).

Oslo

Stockholm

6.5µg/m³
5.5µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Oslo (890K) and Stockholm (1.5M) are 1.7x in population — Stockholm is the larger metro, Oslo the smaller; on land area Stockholm spans roughly 1.4x more ground.

1.6x

Stockholm is roughly 1.6x the scale of Oslo

Combined population & area comparison

SE flagStockholm
1.6x
NO flagOslo
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.SE flagStockholm1.5M1.7x
2.NO flagOslo890K1x
Area
1.SE flagStockholm339 km²1.4x
2.NO flagOslo244 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
30 km24 km

NO flagOslo

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
30 km28 km

SE flagStockholm

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Oslo vs Stockholm

Which is cheaper, Oslo or Stockholm?
Stockholm is approximately $1,563 per month cheaper. Oslo averages $4,254/mo while Stockholm averages $2,691/mo.
How does the climate compare between Oslo and Stockholm?
Sunny days: 135 vs 148 d — Stockholm higher Annual sunshine: 1,705 vs 1,843 hrs — Stockholm higher Winter sunshine: 14 vs 10 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 138 vs 107 d — Stockholm lower Rainy days: 105 vs 107 d — Similar Snowy days: 36 vs 20 d — Stockholm lower
Is Oslo or Stockholm safer?
Both cities have similar safety profiles, scoring around 4.6/5 on our aggregate safety index covering street safety, property crime, and natural hazards.
Should I move to Oslo or Stockholm?
Oslo and Stockholm are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Stockholm is generally more affordable, while Oslo may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Oslo and Stockholm stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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