Life in Sweden on an SI Scholarship
The scholarship covers your tuition and gives you SEK 12,000 a month to live on. Here's what that actually means — the housing reality, the cost of living, and what scholars say about life there.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
7 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The Real Cost of Living
These are realistic estimates, not official figures. Costs vary by city, and the difference is significant enough to affect how comfortable your one or two years are.
Stockholm — most expensive
| Item | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Rent (student room) | SEK 4,900–7,500 |
| Food (cooking at home) | SEK 2,500–3,000 |
| Public transport (SL pass) | SEK 875 |
| Phone | SEK 100–300 |
| Miscellaneous (laundry, toiletries, household) | SEK 500–800 |
| Total (no entertainment or savings) | SEK 9,000–12,500 |
Bottom line: SEK 12,000 works in Stockholm, but you're living carefully, not comfortably. University housing brings the rent end of that range down significantly — but it's hard to get.
Gothenburg & Malmö — more comfortable
| Item | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Rent | SEK 3,500–5,500 |
| Food (similar to Stockholm) | SEK 2,500–3,000 |
| Public transport | SEK 400–700 |
| Total range (incl. phone and other costs) | SEK 7,500–10,500 |
More room to save a little each month, or simply live without watching every krona. A noticeably more comfortable experience on the same allowance.
Uppsala, Lund, Linköping — student cities
- University housing, if you get a spot, often runs SEK 2,500–4,500 — meaningfully cheaper
- Smaller cities mean lower transport costs and more walkable campuses
- Overall a more comfortable experience on the allowance — but university housing waitlists can still be long even in smaller cities
The Housing Reality
This is where scholars get surprised most. The allowance is livable — the housing market is genuinely difficult, and no one warns you clearly enough in advance.
University housing waitlists in major cities are often 1–3 years long for the general public. Some universities have special arrangements for international students — limited spots that fill fast. Do not assume you'll get one.
SI scholars may qualify for priority at some institutions — but this isn't universal or guaranteed. Contact your university's housing office immediately after your selection notification. Not in August. Immediately.
Landlords typically require a deposit of one to three months' rent — SEK 5,000–22,500 upfront before your first allowance payment arrives. Plan for this from the travel grant (SEK 15,000).
Connect with the SI scholar community, Facebook groups for your university's incoming international students, and platforms like Blocket and Qasa as early as possible. Incoming scholars often coordinate to find shared housing.
How the Money Flows
It helps to understand the mechanics — the allowance, the tuition and the travel grant all work differently, and insurance is no longer part of the package.
- Monthly allowance: SEK 12,000. Paid to you each month for rent, food, transport, and everything else in daily life.
- Tuition: paid directly to the university. SI pays your university each semester. You never handle this money.
- Travel grant: SEK 15,000 (SEK 10,000 for the six Eastern European countries). One-time payment. Intended for flights, but practically also your buffer for the housing deposit and first month's expenses before the allowance rhythm kicks in.
- Insurance: not included. SI's FAQ says its scholarships do not include insurance coverage. Ask your university what it provides for international students — many arrange emergency-focused cover through the state insurer Kammarkollegiet — and use the student health service for routine care (SI FAQ).
Opening a Swedish Bank Account
You'll need a Swedish personal identity number (personnummer) to open most bank accounts. If you will stay a year or longer, the personnummer is assigned by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) after you register in Sweden — this typically takes a few weeks after arrival.
Until your personnummer comes through, your options are limited. Swedbank and some fintech services can work without one initially — worth researching before you arrive. In the meantime, confirm with SI how the travel grant and first payments will reach you in your first weeks.
The personnummer clock starts from your registration at Skatteverket. The sooner you register, the sooner you can open a full bank account and get the allowance flowing without workarounds.
Language
All SI-eligible master's programmes are taught in English. You don't need Swedish for your studies, and daily life in Sweden — supermarkets, banks, transport, service counters — functions at a very high level in English.
That said, learning Swedish opens things up: deeper social connections, access to more part-time work, and a richer day-to-day experience. Many scholars who planned to skip Swedish end up picking it up anyway. Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) is a free, government-funded programme for registered residents, offered at multiple levels in most cities — one of the easiest ways to start while studying full-time.
What Life Is Actually Like
What to expect day to day — not a brochure version.
Public transport works reliably. Queues are orderly. Things close early — if you come from a city that's alive at midnight, this takes adjustment. The trade-off is a low-stress baseline many scholars come to appreciate.
Building deep social connections takes time. The warmth is there, but it doesn't surface immediately. Scholars from more socially expressive cultures sometimes find this jarring. Give it time.
Stockholm gets about 6 hours of daylight in December. For scholars from equatorial countries this is a genuine physical and psychological adjustment. Plan for it: daylight lamps, staying active, social routines.
Bringing adequate clothing from home is cheaper — a good winter coat in Sweden can easily cost SEK 2,000–4,000. Arriving in autumn? Factor this into your travel grant budget.
Swedish higher education is relatively non-hierarchical. Professors are accessible, group work is common, and students are expected to challenge ideas — not just absorb them.
You'll meet professionals from across the eligible countries selected for the same reasons you were. For many scholars, these connections are a big part of the experience.
The NFGP During Your Studies
You're not just a student in Sweden — you're an SI scholar, with membership in the SI Network for Global Professionals (NFGP). It involves a self-leadership programme offered two to three times per semester, online career sessions several times a semester, and events such as the kick-off and diploma ceremony (SI). It is easy to underrate, so use it.
Regardless of which city you study in, SI brings scholars together for a kick-off in early autumn and a diploma ceremony in late spring; check each invitation for the venue. These are organised events with scholars from across the eligible countries — worth attending fully.
Can You Work While Studying?
As a non-EU student with a Swedish residence permit for studies, you can work in Sweden without a separate work permit. There's no strict hourly limit set by the permit itself — the limit is effectively your capacity and your academic commitments.
But the scholarship is designed to fund full-time studies. The allowance is intended to cover your living costs so that you can focus on your programme. Part-time work is possible, but it shouldn't be necessary if you budget carefully — and working too much can jeopardise your academic standing, which can have consequences for your scholarship conditions.
Bringing Family
You can bring family to Sweden, but the scholarship does not cover them. This is a significant financial reality that requires careful planning before you decide.
For applications made in 2026: an additional SEK 4,440 per month for a spouse or cohabiting partner and SEK 2,664 per month for each child, on top of your own SEK 10,656 (Migrationsverket). This must come from savings or other income.
Spouses and children can apply for residence permits linked to your student permit through the Swedish Migration Agency, each with their own comprehensive health insurance if staying under a year. Processing times vary — start early.
Bringing a spouse and one child to Stockholm effectively doubles or triples your monthly costs on an allowance designed for one person. Many scholars do it, but it requires savings from before arrival and careful budgeting throughout.
The amounts for 2027 applications are not yet published; check Migrationsverket before you apply.
After Graduation
The scholarship covers your awarded master's programme only — SI does not extend the scholarship period. Once you graduate, the allowance ends. At that point you have several paths.
- Swedish job-seeker permit. You can apply for a permit that allows you to stay in Sweden and look for work after graduation.
- The alumni network is yours for life. The diploma ceremony marks the start of lifelong membership in the alumni network — today the Sweden Alumni Network, with local alumni networks worldwide and the Sweden Alumni Academy.
- SI's philosophy is that scholars return home — there's no legal obligation. SI's model is built around scholars contributing to development in their home countries. Many do return; others pursue work in Sweden or elsewhere. There is no legal enforcement mechanism, but the scholarship is awarded on the basis of a development commitment, and selection takes that seriously.