The Real Cost of Living
These are real numbers, not official estimates. Costs vary by city, and the difference is significant enough to affect how comfortable your two years are.
Stockholm
Most expensiveBottom 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 comfortableMore room to save a little each month, or simply live without watching every krona. A noticeably more comfortable experience on the same stipend.
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 stipend — but university housing waitlists can still be long even in smaller cities
The Housing Reality
This is where scholars get surprised most. The stipend is livable — the housing market is genuinely difficult, and no one warns you clearly enough in advance.
Sweden's housing market is tight — especially Stockholm
University housing waitlists in major cities are often 1–3 years long for the general public. Some universities have special arrangements for international students — these are limited spots and fill fast. Do not assume you'll get one.
Priority for international students varies by university
SI scholars may qualify for priority at some institutions — but this isn't universal and isn't guaranteed. Contact your specific university's housing office immediately after receiving your selection notification. Not in August. Immediately.
Private market requires a deposit — which the scholarship doesn't cover
If you end up renting through the private market, landlords typically require a deposit of one to three months' rent. That's SEK 5,000–22,500 upfront that you'll need to have before your first stipend payment arrives. Plan for this from the travel grant (SEK 15,000).
Start looking before you arrive
This is not something to leave until the last moment. 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. Other incoming scholars often coordinate to find shared housing.
What the SEK 12,000 Actually Covers
It helps to understand the mechanics of how money flows — the stipend, the travel grant, and the insurance all work differently.
Monthly stipend: SEK 12,000
Transferred directly to your Swedish bank account each month. This is your money for rent, food, transport, and everything else in daily life.
Tuition: paid directly to university
SI pays your university directly. You never handle this money. It doesn't come through your account — it goes straight from SI to the institution.
Travel grant: SEK 15,000 on arrival
One-time payment when you arrive. Intended for flights, but practically this is also your buffer for the housing deposit and first month's expenses before the stipend rhythm kicks in.
Kammarkollegiet insurance: emergencies only
Covers emergency medical, emergency dental, and property (theft/damage). It does not cover routine doctor visits or prescriptions. For routine health care, check with your university's student health service.
Opening a Swedish Bank Account
You'll need a Swedish personal identity number (personnummer) to open most bank accounts. The personnummer is assigned by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) after you register your address 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 directly how the travel grant will be paid in your first weeks, since your stipend account may not be set up yet.
Register your address as soon as you arrive
The personnummer clock starts from your address registration at Skatteverket. The sooner you register, the sooner you can open a full bank account and get the stipend flowing without workarounds.
Language
All SI-eligible master's programs are taught entirely 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. You will not be practically stranded without Swedish.
That said, learning Swedish opens things up. Deeper social connections with locals, access to part-time work that doesn't require professional English-native environments, and a richer day-to-day experience. Many scholars who went in planning to skip Swedish end up picking it up anyway.
Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) is free
SFI is a government-funded language program available to all registered residents. It's free, structured at multiple levels, and offered in most cities. Many scholars use it — it's one of the easiest ways to start building Swedish while you're studying full-time.
What Life Is Actually Like
Based on what scholars who've been there describe publicly — not a brochure version, the actual experience.
Quiet, organized, safe
The public transport works reliably. Queues are orderly. Things close early — if you come from a city that's alive at midnight, this will take adjustment. The tradeoff is a low-stress baseline that many scholars come to appreciate.
Swedes are friendly but reserved initially
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 at first. Give it time.
The winter darkness is real
Stockholm gets about 6 hours of daylight in December. For scholars from equatorial countries, this is a genuine physical and psychological adjustment — not a minor inconvenience. Plan for it: daylight lamps, staying active, building social routines in the dark months.
Budget for proper winter clothing
Swedish winters are cold. Bringing adequate clothing from home is cheaper than buying it there — a good winter coat in Sweden can easily cost SEK 2,000–4,000. If you're arriving in autumn, factor this into your travel grant budget.
The university environment is collaborative
Swedish higher education is relatively non-hierarchical compared to many countries. Professors are accessible, group work is common, and students are expected to challenge ideas — not just absorb them. Many scholars find this refreshing after more formal educational environments.
The scholar community is its own network
You'll meet professionals from across all 34 eligible countries who've been selected for the same reasons you were. This community is active, international, and often lasts beyond the scholarship period. Many scholars say these connections are as valuable as the formal education.
The NFGP During Your Studies
You're not just a student in Sweden — you're an SI scholar, and that comes with active membership in the Network for Global Professionals (NFGP). This isn't a nominal listing in a database. It involves workshops, seminars, and study visits that SI organizes and funds.
Some activities are in Stockholm, some are at your university location, and some are online. The network is genuinely active — alumni consistently mention it as underrated value from the scholarship. The connections you build through NFGP often last longer and prove more useful professionally than you'd expect.
The kick-off and diploma ceremonies are in Stockholm
Regardless of which city you study in, SI brings scholars to Stockholm for the kick-off at the beginning and the diploma ceremony at the end. These are organized events with other scholars from across the 34 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 SEK 12,000 stipend is intended to cover your living costs so that you can focus on your program. Part-time work is possible, but it shouldn't be necessary if you budget your stipend — and working too much can jeopardize 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.
The Swedish Migration Agency requires demonstrated funds for dependents
Approximately SEK 3,622.50 per month per spouse and SEK 2,173.50 per month per child (2022 figures — verify current amounts at migrationsverket.se). This must come from savings or other income — not from the scholarship stipend itself.
Family members apply as dependents
Spouses and children can apply for residence permits as dependents on your student permit. The application goes through the Swedish Migration Agency. Processing times vary — start the process early.
Plan carefully before deciding
Bringing a spouse and one child to Stockholm effectively doubles or triples your monthly costs on a stipend that was designed for one person. This significantly increases financial pressure. It's possible — many scholars do it — but it requires savings from before arrival and careful budgeting throughout.
After Graduation
The scholarship covers your master's program only. Once you graduate, the stipend 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. This gives you time to pursue opportunities without having to leave immediately.
SI alumni network is yours for life
The SI Alumni Network has over 15,000 members across 140+ countries. You remain a member after graduation. This is an active professional network, not just a LinkedIn group — alumni engage with each other through SI-organized events and initiatives.
SI's philosophy is that scholars return home — there's no legal obligation
SI's entire model is built around scholars returning to their home countries and contributing to development there. Many scholars do return. Others pursue work in Sweden or elsewhere after graduating. There is no legal enforcement mechanism requiring you to return — but the scholarship is awarded on the basis of a development commitment, and the selection process takes that seriously.
Ready to prepare your application?
Review the eligibility requirements and application process before the next cycle opens.