[ENG-SUB] CONS of living in Sweden || స్వీడన్‌లో నివసించడం వల్ల ప్రతికూలతలు || Indians in Sweden

Summary

This video explores the cons of living in Sweden, including high taxes, high cost of living, housing shortages, language barriers, job hunting challenges, strict driving license requirements, expensive parking, harsh winters, and social interaction difficulties. Despite these drawbacks, the video provides insights into navigating life in Sweden.

Takeaways

• 💼 Taxes in Sweden are notably high, and can vary depending on your proximity to the city center and vehicle ownership, including emission and congestion taxes.
• 🏠 The cost of living in Sweden is high, with a tight housing market that can result in long waiting times for government housing or paying above-average rent for second-hand contracts.
• 🗣️ Language can be a barrier in Sweden, especially for non-IT jobs, where Swedish is often a requirement, and even for students, learning Swedish is beneficial for long-term living.
• 🔍 Job hunting in Sweden can be challenging due to language barriers and the absence of campus placements; job seekers are responsible for their own employment.
• 🚗 Obtaining a Swedish driving license is a strict and potentially expensive process, with high standards during the driving test and significant costs involved.
• 🅿️ Parking in central Stockholm is not only limited but also can be very expensive if not checked properly for rates and restrictions.
• ❄️ Sweden's climate has its drawbacks, particularly during the winter months from November to February, where darkness and cold can be demotivating.
• 🧣 The winter preparation for going outside involves dressing in multiple layers, which can be time-consuming and tiring, especially with the addition of winter accessories.
• 🚶‍♂️ The social aspect of living in Sweden can be challenging due to the reserved nature of Swedes, who may not engage in small talk or approachability in public spaces.
• 🤝 Making friends in Sweden may require attending meetups or using apps designed for socializing, as Swedes are not typically outgoing in public settings.
• 🏥 While healthcare in Sweden is free, it is also slow, with long waiting times for appointments, which can be frustrating for those needing timely medical attention.

Q & A

What is the first con mentioned about living in Sweden?

The first con mentioned about living in Sweden is the high taxes, which may also depend on the proximity to the city where one lives.

Why might someone pay more taxes living closer to Stockholm compared to living further away?

The amount of tax one pays may be higher living closer to Stockholm due to local tax rates that can vary based on the area, resulting in a 2% more tax for those living closer to the city.

What additional taxes might car owners face in Sweden?

Car owners in Sweden might face additional taxes such as emission tax (Carbon Tax) for fossil fuel vehicles and congestion tax for driving into the city during peak traffic hours.

What is the general situation regarding the cost of living in Scandinavia?

The cost of living in Scandinavia, including Sweden, is quite high, as mentioned in the script referring to a specific video about the cost of living in Stockholm.

How long might one have to wait for housing in Sweden?

The housing situation in Sweden is tight, with some people potentially waiting up to 4 years on government housing queues.

What challenges do people face when looking for housing in Sweden, aside from waiting times?

People may end up paying more than the average rent on second-hand contracts if they cannot wait for long periods in housing queues.

What is the language barrier situation like in Sweden, especially for job seekers?

While most Swedes are fluent in English, knowing Swedish is often a requirement for jobs outside the IT sector, especially those involving customer interaction.

What resources are available for learning Swedish for non-native speakers?

Resources like free Swedish courses offered by universities for students, and SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) for anyone residing in Sweden, are available to learn the language.

What is the job hunting process like in Sweden, especially for those without previous work experience?

Job hunting in Sweden can be difficult, especially for those without previous work experience. It may take time, and one should not expect to land a job immediately upon arrival.

What is the process like for obtaining a Swedish driving license after having an Indian license?

After an Indian license's validity of one year, obtaining a Swedish license is strict, expensive, and requires adherence to detailed driving rules during the test.

What are some of the difficulties and costs associated with parking in central Stockholm?

Parking in central Stockholm can be expensive, with high fees for short durations, and limited spaces. It also requires careful checking of parking rules to avoid fines.

How does the climate in Sweden affect the daily life and mood of residents?

The climate in Sweden, with long periods of darkness and snow during winter, can be depressing and demotivating, affecting the mood and willingness to go outside.

What are some social aspects of Swedish people that might be different from other cultures?

Swedish people may not be as outgoing or inclined to engage in small talk, making it less common to initiate conversations in public transport or other settings.

What is the downside of the healthcare system in Sweden as mentioned in the script?

Despite being free, the healthcare system in Sweden is described as slow, with long waiting times for appointments and treatments.

How can newcomers make friends in Sweden, given the cultural differences in socializing?

Newcomers can make friends in Sweden by attending events through meetups, a website or mobile app that lists local happenings, or by using social apps like Bumble or Tinder that have friend-making features.

Outlines

00:00

💼 Taxes and Cost of Living in Sweden

The first paragraph discusses the high taxes in Sweden and other European countries, emphasizing that tax rates can vary based on proximity to the city. The speaker shares personal experiences of moving from a rural area to Stockholm and the resulting increase in tax payments. Additionally, the paragraph highlights the emission tax on fossil fuel cars and congestion tax during peak hours. The cost of living is also mentioned as being generally high in Scandinavia, with a reference to a video about living costs in Stockholm. Housing is noted as a significant issue, with long waiting times for government housing and higher costs for second-hand rental contracts. The language barrier is another challenge, particularly in non-IT jobs, and the importance of learning Swedish for long-term residents is emphasized.

05:01

🚗 Driving and Parking Challenges in Sweden

The second paragraph focuses on the difficulties of obtaining a Swedish driving license, which is both expensive and strict, with detailed requirements during the driving test. The high cost of parking in central Stockholm is highlighted through personal anecdotes, such as the exorbitant fee for two hours of parking and the inconvenience of finding a parking space that closes early. The paragraph also touches on the challenges of parking in a busy city and the heavy fines for violations. The climate is another topic, contrasting the beauty of summer with the darkness and cold of winter, which can be demotivating and require extensive preparation for outdoor activities. The paragraph concludes with a mention of the social aspect, noting that while people in Sweden are open-minded, they may not be as forthcoming with help or social interaction.

10:08

❄️ Swedish Climate and Social Dynamics

The third paragraph delves into the challenges of the Swedish climate, particularly the long, dark winters that can be depressing and require extensive clothing for outdoor activities. The preparation for winter outings is described as exhausting, and the use of gravel on roads to prevent slipping is noted as an annoyance. The social dynamics in Sweden are also discussed, with the observation that Swedes are not typically outgoing and may not engage in small talk, even during long commutes. The paragraph suggests using meetups or apps like Bumble and Tinder to make friends. Lastly, the healthcare system is mentioned, with the downside being its slowness, leading to long wait times for appointments, even for non-emergency situations.

Keywords

💡Taxes

Taxes refer to the mandatory financial charges or 'levies' imposed by a governmental body to fund public expenditures. In the context of the video, the high taxes in Sweden are a significant con of living there, affecting expatriates and locals alike. The script mentions that the amount of tax one pays can vary depending on factors such as proximity to the city and car ownership, which may incur additional taxes like emission and congestion taxes.

💡Cost of Living

Cost of Living denotes the amount of money needed to sustain a certain standard of living in a particular area. The video script highlights that Scandinavia, including Sweden, is known for its high cost of living. This concept is central to understanding the financial challenges one might face when residing in Sweden, as it encompasses expenses on housing, food, transportation, and other necessities.

💡Housing Situation

The term 'Housing Situation' encapsulates the availability, affordability, and conditions of residential properties in a region. The script points out that in Sweden, there is a tight housing market, with long waiting lists for government housing, sometimes up to four years. This keyword is crucial for grasping the difficulties of finding accommodation in Sweden, especially for newcomers.

💡Language Barrier

A 'Language Barrier' is the difficulty in communication when two or more people do not share a common language. The video discusses the language barrier as a significant con in Sweden, particularly for job seekers outside the IT sector. While English is widely spoken, knowledge of Swedish is often required for certain jobs, emphasizing the importance of language proficiency for social and professional integration.

💡Job Hunting

Job Hunting is the process of searching for employment opportunities. The script describes the challenges of job hunting in Sweden, especially for those not in the IT sector or without prior work experience. It mentions the absence of campus placements and the need for individuals to actively seek and apply for jobs, often requiring significant effort and time.

💡Driving License

A 'Driving License' is a formal authorization allowing the holder to operate a motor vehicle on public roads. The video script explains the difficulties of obtaining a Swedish driving license, which is not only expensive but also requires strict adherence to driving rules during the test. This keyword is important for understanding the logistical and financial challenges of driving in Sweden.

💡Parking

Parking refers to the act of stopping a vehicle and leaving it temporarily unoccupied, usually in a designated area. The script uses parking as an example of the high costs and logistical issues in central Stockholm, where parking fees can be exorbitant, and spaces are limited, leading to potential fines and inconveniences.

💡Climate

Climate encompasses the average weather conditions in a region over a long period. The video discusses the contrasting climates of Sweden, with beautiful summers and challenging winters characterized by darkness and cold. This keyword is essential for understanding the impact of weather conditions on daily life and mood in Sweden.

💡People

In the context of the video, 'People' refers to the cultural and social characteristics of the Swedish population. The script notes that while Swedes are open-minded, they may not be as forthcoming with social interactions, such as small talk on public transport. This keyword helps to understand the social dynamics and the need for alternative methods of socializing, like meetups or friend-making apps.

💡Health Care System

The 'Health Care System' pertains to the organization of services delivering healthcare to individuals. The video points out that while the Swedish health care system is free, it is also slow, with long waiting times for appointments. This keyword is important for understanding the trade-offs between cost and convenience in accessing healthcare in Sweden.

Highlights

Taxes in Sweden are high, and can vary depending on proximity to the city and car ownership.

Living closer to Stockholm results in paying 2% more in taxes compared to living in the countryside.

Emission tax and congestion tax are additional costs for car owners in Sweden.

The cost of living in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden, is notably high.

Housing in Sweden is scarce, with some applicants waiting up to 4 years for government housing.

Language barrier is a significant challenge, especially for non-IT job seekers.

Swedish language courses are offered for free at some universities and through SFI for long-term residents.

Job hunting in Sweden requires effort and patience, with no campus placements available.

Swedish driving license is difficult and expensive to obtain, with strict testing procedures.

Parking in central Stockholm is both expensive and space-limited, with heavy fines for violations.

Sweden's climate can be depressing in winter due to long periods of darkness and snow.

Preparation for going out in winter requires multiple layers of clothing and careful consideration of weather conditions.

Gravel on the roads during winter can be annoying when it mixes with snow and gets into shoes.

Swedish people are open-minded but may not be as outgoing in social situations.

Making friends in Sweden often requires attending meetups or using social apps.

Healthcare in Sweden, while free, is slow, with long wait times for appointments.

Sweden offers a job searching visa for 6 months post-studies to help graduates find employment.

The video creator had to return to India and find an internship to come back to Sweden for job opportunities.

Transcripts

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the other part  of the video which is the CONS of living in Sweden  

but if this is your first video, then we recommend  you watching the PROS video first, and then  

watch this video. So we'll leave the link  for the PROS video in the description so  

check it out, and yeah without any further delay  let's dive into the CONS of living in Sweden

The first thing is Taxes.

In general, not just Sweden, but if you take our neighbours like Norway, Denmark, Finland etc Taxes are quite high in most European countries. One interesting thing is that the amount of tax you end up paying may also depend on how close to the city you live/ the area where you live.

For example, pre-covid we used to live far from Stockholm, a bit more on the country side, and now we moved closer to Stockholm.

If we compare then and now, we pay 2% more taxes now, than there.

So, the taxes may differ like that in some cases. So the closer to the city you are  

the more you may end up paying in some  cases and also if you have a car

Then also you may need to pay taxes

For example, there is a tax called emission tax (Carbon Tax).

Obviously if you own a fossil fuel car then  you'll be responsible for these carbon emissions  

whenever you use that car so as a  result you have to pay an emission tax  

and also uh during peak traffic hours, if  you're taking your car into the city you are  

contributing to the congestion in the city  by taking your car as well so you have to pay  

some congestion tax. I was so surprised the first time I heard about these taxes, seriously!

But, yeah, just know that you'll be paying a lot in taxes.

The next thing is Cost of Living

In general, the cost of living is quite high in Scandinavia.

If you want to know more, check out our video about the cost of living in Stockholm

So that should give you an insight as to how much it costs to live here and

The next one is housing

The housing situation is quite tight here in Sweden.

If you apply for a housing in some government sites, you might have to be in the queue for upto 4 years.

Some of the people I know are still in the queue, and

they have been living here for  like eight years or something  

so housing situation is really  bad in sweden as a result

People who don't have the luxury of waiting such long times in the queue, of rent on second hand contracts

And often end up paying a lot more than the average rent, in some cases, so

be mindful and careful about that when  you're looking for a house so that's  

about a housing situation

So the next thing is the Language barrier.

Almost everyone in Sweden is really good at english.

But the Swedish language challenge becomes quite obvious when you are looking for a job.

It's not much of a problem for people in the IT industry.

As long as you know your programming languages like C, C++, Java, Python or whatever tech stack you're working with. That's all you need.

But if you are looking for a job in let's say management side, or marketing, etc.,

um where you have to interact  with a lot of customers  

then swedish is definitely a  requirement and also on that aspect um

When I was doing my Masters degree, my university offered free Swedish courses for those interested.

So I registered and made use of that opportunity to learn some Swedish

so if you have that opportunity and if  you're a student then check with your university  

if they offer any swedish courses and if  you have the opportunity and plans to live long  

term here in sweden that would definitely be an  advantage for you and if you are someone like me

Then you have SFI, where you can register, no matter which region of Sweden you live in

It's also free of  course so make levels you can easily  

learn swedish here yeah job hunting is  another difficulty, because  

language is a barrier especially, if you are not in the IT sector. Then you really have to do the research.

Also you can't expect to get get a job right after you arrive in Sweden, in a short period.

It's gonna take some time

Even in the IT side, if you have previous work expecience, then you might not have to struggle much to find a job here in Sweden.

In my case, I didn't have any previous work experience, as I did my Masters right after my Bachelors

In this aspect, an advantage is that after your studies, Sweden also offers a job searching visa for 6 months, which you can use to find a job here in Sweden.

In my case, I couldn't find a job at that time, so I had to come back to India, and then moved to Bangalore for job hunt, for another 6 months.

Which is when I found a Swedish internship, which allowed me to come back to Sweden and look for a job again, while doing that internship.

Don't think that it's easy to land a job offer in Sweden. Be prepared to put in some effort.

Also, another (probably an important) difference is that, they don't have campus placements in Sweden, even if you are a student

you are responsible for finding a job  for yourself. So you have to look and apply to jobs

attend the interviews, and land a job offer. But no campus placements will be there here.

And the next drawback, especially for those of us who enjoy

road trips and long drives driving  license so usually our Indian license is valid upto an year. But after that

you need a swedish license it's not easy  and it's not cheap to get a swedish license

They are so strict and particular during the driving test that,

For example, when changing lanes on the highway, even if there are no cars behind you, you have to turn your head, check the blind spot, and then make your move.

If you fail to check that and instead say that no one is behind, you'll fail the driving test.

They will notice every little thing, to the point that it can be frustrating sometimes, but that's the way it is here.

and also the process itself is  also not cheap average license procedure can cost any way between  

fifteen to twenty thousand SEK  to get the driving license and next uh thing is Parking

Let me start with 2 examples

Once we wanted to go for ice-skating in central Stockholm, so we parked for 2 hours

I think we ended up paying almost 600 SEK for that 2 hours, because we didn't check properly in the beginning

Just know that parking fees can get quite expensive in Central Stockholm

Another example, is that we rented a car to go and watch Saaho movie, when it was screened here.

When we got back to the parking after the movie we realised that the parking place was closed for the night.

After looking it up we found that it closes a bit earlier at midnight.

So the car rental was wasted for the night. So we again had to take the taxi home, and then again go back in the morning to get the car back.

So that's how the parking difficulties here are. And also the parking spaces are limited especially in Central Stockholm, where it's quite busy as well.

So you have to be extra careful and check everything properly when parking. Because the fines are also quite heavy.

Next on our list is the climate

As beautiful as it is in the Summer, it gets equally frustrating in the Winter

The main reason for this is that it's mostly dark and depressing, for lack of a better word.

Between Nov-Feb, these 4 months darkness is your best friend. And with snow, to make it worse.

Summer is seriously beautiful, like,

it's quite sunny throughout the day. But in winter it's mostly dark. You hardly see sunlight for 3 hours

So during that time, even if you want to go out, it feels kind of moody and demotivating.

Like that Iconic Balayya's dialogue

The more you are outside in the summer, the energetic you will feel

But during winter, the thought of going out itself will make you feel tired.

Primarily, that's because in winter you have to cover yourself up in several layers to be protected from the cold weather

You have to have inners, thermals, shirt, pant, jacket, gloves, head cap, shoes.

And that too not a regular shoe, but something like a woodland shoe that has good grip even on slippery ice.

This preparation ritual itself takes at least 30 minutes, if you want to go out in winter.

And a lot of factors need to be considered, like if it's windy, or snowing, or slushy, like a lot of things to consider what to wear.

So instead of going through this exhausting process, we just give up and stay home instead.

And another thing, when it's snowing, they will sprinkle gravel on the roads so that it doesn't get slippery when walking and driving.

after a while this gravels gets mixed up in the snow, and by bad luck if this snow finds it's way in to your shoes when walking,

Then the gravel gets really annoying when walking. I haven't seen anyone discuss about this when they talk about winter.

But now you know. So apart from the nice instagram posts, also expect this kind of nasty experiences when the snow starts to become slush.

The next thing is People, as we have mentioned in the PROS video that people are really open-minded here, but

no people are perfect, and they too have some flaws  So let's discuss about them uh firstly

As we mentioned in the PROS video to not expect them to voluntarily offer help, it's more or less same when it comes to socialising as well

Don't expect small talks from Swedes

So for example when you are travelling in a bus or train, even if you are travelling for an hour, they won't speak a single word with you.

I have never seen anyone initiate a conversation with me until now

It's a bit different for us in India

so everyone is outgoing and  kind of curious to talk and  

it's easier to make friends  but it's relatively...

Even when we try to approach and make small talk, they'll find it weird

and um

A lot of people have asked us in Instagram

how to make friends here in sweden the  best suggestion i can give is meetups

There is a website/ mobile app called meetups, there,

you can find events that are happening  in your city so just find an event that  

you find interesting or that you feel you  can have some fun. so attend an event and there

you can meet like-minded people and then you  can make friends that way or another option is

I've heard recently that apps such as Bumble, Tinder have also started a feature to make friends it seems. You can try that as well if you want.

We've mentioned the health care system in Sweden in the PROS video. But there is

a con for it as well uh it's very  slow

So if you want to make a doctor appointment, it is not quick, and it will take time

and also uh for example in India, if we need to see the doctor, we'll wait like max may be half day or something like that

But here you won't get a quick appointment unless it's an emergency situation or something.

Some people I know, who need root canal treatments, have dental appointments scheduled after 6 months

So health care system is free, but is very slow.

Even I heard some of my Swedish colleagues joke about this, like,

By the time we can find a doctor appointment in Sweden, whatever sickness we have will be cured, and we'd have already gotten a new one by then.

So , as you can see, these are some of the PROS and CONS of living

in sweden now we hope you like enjoyed the video  and also uh regarding our channel subscribers almost  

70 percent of the viewers are  people who have not subscribed to us  

so it would really mean a lot if you could  subscribe to our channel so please hit the subscribe button

so yeah yeah and we'll see  you back with another one

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