Considering relocating from Germany to Stockholm vs Utrecht/Amsterdam — looking for honest perspectives
Hi everyone,
Sorry if this is not the best place to ask this, but I would really appreciate some local perspective, especially from people who may have made a similar move.
I’m 29, married, no children, and currently living in Germany. There is a possibility that I could relocate to Stockholm through my current company, so legally/work-wise it would be a relatively straightforward move. My spouse and I are trying to understand whether Stockholm would make sense for us, or whether moving to the Netherlands (more specifically the Amsterdam/Utrecht region) would be the more practical choice.
The Netherlands would probably be the easier and cheaper move for us. It is closer to Germany (we currently live in Cologne), more familiar, and the job market feels a bit more liquid. But Stockholm has become very interesting to me. 🥹
I like the idea of a structured capital city, access to nature and water, public services, safety/social structure, and even the climate appeals to me more than I expected.
My main concerns about Stockholm are:
Cost of living, especially compared with salaries in tech/product/marketing roles.
Housing, since it seems very difficult to find a good apartment, especially as a newcomer and with a dog.
Safety. I have read quite a few negative things about gang violence and shootings in Sweden/Stockholm, and I’m trying to understand how much of that affects normal daily life in good residential areas.
Integration and everyday life as an international couple. We would be moving without children, and we would need to build a social life from scratch, but not so much, since we have a couple of friends living there.
For context, we are not looking for nightlife or a super busy lifestyle. We care more about quality of life, nature, good public transport, a safe and pleasant neighborhood, places to walk our dog, and a city that feels livable long-term.
Has anyone here moved from Germany or the Netherlands to Stockholm? Or had to choose between Stockholm and the Amsterdam/Utrecht area?
Would you say Stockholm is worth the extra complexity, or would you recommend choosing the Netherlands if the move is easier and more practical?
Any honest perspective would be really helpful, positive or negative. Thanks in advance. 💐
Edit: we’re both Brazilians living in Germany for 3 years now, and we would keep our current jobs in a remote format :)