In Scandinavia, there are a lot of countries and all of them are good for Expat. Still, the question remains. Which one is truly the best? That is exactly what we will be trying to find out today. We will be comparing Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Island to see which of them are the best for Expats.
Disclaimer
First, we need to say something. We know that these are not all the countries in Scandinavia but they were all we could fit in this article. There might be more coming in the future but for now, this is what we got. Now let’s get started!
Sweden
We start off with the country in the middle of Scandinavia, Sweden. For many years, Sweden has ranked as one of the top countries in the world when it comes to welfare and economics. On top of this, healthcare and school is completely free of charge. Sweden truly is a great nation for expats but what are the drawbacks?
One of the main drawbacks with Sweden is the taxes. You pay a lot of taxes here and many people are unhappy with this. These taxes will affect all who plan on working here for longer than 12 months.
Norway
Now let’s move one with the neighbour of Sweden, Norway. You could basically say that Norway is the same country as Sweden. The language is very similar, and the economics are fairly similar. Were the countries split is salary. Norwegians generally have a higher salary then Swedes but the prices in Norway are also higher. This has led to a lot of supermarkets popping up close to the border where Norwegians will go shopping since it’s cheaper in Sweden.
Despite all of this, Norway also has its drawbacks. You will pay more for healthcare in Norway than you would in Sweden. The second bigger drawback is finding work. Here, most companies hire employees they believe will stay with them for life. This is because it’s very hard to fire someone. As an expat, you might have a hard time finding work here.
Denmark
Time to talk about the smaller country down south. South meaning below the rest of Scandinavia, not actually south since it’s very much up north. Denmark is a beautiful country, filled with bikes. You won’t need a car to get around here, bike lanes span every city and busses take you on longer journeys. You can even take the train over to Sweden if you get bored by the Danes.
However, this does not mean that Denmark doesn’t have any drawbacks. It’s a very flat country. If you like alpine skiing, your out of luck. Danish is also a language that takes time to learn. Compared to Swedish or Norwegian, it’s incomprehensible.
Iceland
Time for the island in the middle of the Atlantic. If you are a fan of hot springs and volcanoes, this is the place for you. Iceland also has a great quality of life with a nice climate. It’s also a great place to view the northern lights, something many people dream of experiencing.
Sadly, this island paradise is not as perfect as it may seem. If you go here, you are stuck. From most of Scandinavia, you can reach all of Europe in a couple of hours. With Iceland, this is not possible. You also have to pay for an expensive flight ticket whenever you want to travel. Technically you can take the boat but only if you have plenty of time to spare.
As you can clearly see, none of the countries are perfect. They all have their advantages and drawbacks. You simply have to pick the one you think will suit you best, we can’t make the decision for you.
