Brussels vs Stockholm
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Stockholm edges it, 71 to 70, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Brussels is stronger on nothing outright; Stockholm on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Brussels | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 23 ✓ | 20 |
| Safety | 74 | 82 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 87 | 88 ✓ |
| Internet | 70 | 78 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 |
| Getting there & around | 65 ✓ | 59 |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 25 |
| Air quality | 94 | 100 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 95 | 97 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Brussels | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,761 ✓ | $2,955 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,269 ✓ | $1,608 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Brussels | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.2 | 1.1 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68 | 76.2 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 ✓ | 85 |
| Life expectancy | 81.5 yrs | 82.7 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Brussels | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 52.3 Mbps | 69.8 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 12.9 Mbps | 25.6 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Brussels | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Brussels | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 248 ✓ | 167 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Brussels | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.6 µg/m³ | 4.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Brussels or Stockholm?
- Brussels is cheaper: about $2,761 per month versus $2,955 for one person.
- Is Brussels or Stockholm safer?
- Stockholm scores higher on safety (82 vs 74), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Brussels or Stockholm?
- Stockholm: a measured median of 69.8 Mbps versus 52.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Brussels vs Antwerp
- Brussels vs Düsseldorf
- Stockholm vs Copenhagen
- Stockholm vs Helsinki
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.