this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2025
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OK let's see. I pay no medical insurance. If I have to see a doctor I pay ~20€ for the visit. If I have to go to the emergency room, I pay nothing. Getting an ambulance is free. The ceiling for my pharmaceuticals bill is ~400€ per year, anything above that is free. Ads for pharmaceuticals are banned.
School and school lunch is free. University is free. Vocational training is free. I get a small stipend (~300€) every month that I study to help with expenses, for up to 5 years. If I live away from my parents it's not enough, but I can get a student loan with 2% interest to cover the rest.
Dental isn't covered from age 19 and up, so that sucks. A visit to the dentist costs ~130€.
I pay 12% VAT on food, and 24% on alcohol. This is flat across the country and included in every quoted price. When I pay income tax, it's already been precalculated for me so I electronically sign the bill unless I have a specific reason to contend it.
The cost of daycare is scaled to household income, but it works out to ~110€ per month for a dual income household. I also get ~130€ per child per month as a stipend regardless of household income.
There are walkways, bicycle paths and public transit. I do not need a car, but I have one.
Sweden. Median worker takes home ~€2800 per month after taxes. This is still significantly lower than most Americans make, but if it wasn't for the housing prices that have risen dramatically in the past decade, it has worked out pretty well overall.