In short, yes. We went from paying $1,200-$1,300 per month for 3 children in full time preschool in Tampa to 750 SEK (~$75) per month for 20 hours per week. In the USA, this did not include the additional costs of diapers, wipes, formula, meals or snacks. In Sweden, it does.
For many Americans with children and for many young generations of Americans deciding to not have children, the cost of childcare and general child welfare is something that many in our country struggle with today.
That is of course exacerbated by, unfortunately, the mass shootings in schools as well as the nationwide teacher shortage. We have found that moving to Sweden is a vast improvement in all areas in our lives, but primarily safety, accessibility and affordability.
These are our family’s personal experiences as immigrants to Sweden from the United States. We feel very fortunate we were able to make this move, and that our children will grow up in a safe environment that focuses on family-first.
If you are an American expatriate with a different experience with the costs of preschool in Sweden compared to the United States, please leave a comment. I would love to hear your input.
Table of Contents
- How much do you pay for preschool in Sweden compared to the United States?
- How do you apply for preschool in Sweden?
- Is there a waiting list to get into preschool in Sweden?
- How do you pay for preschool fees in Sweden?
- Is preschool free in Sweden?
- How do I get childcare in Sweden if I work non-traditional hours?
- What ages attend preschool in Sweden?
- What is preschool like in Sweden?
- Are Swedish preschools safe?
- School shootings don’t happen in Sweden
- Conclusion
How much do you pay for preschool in Sweden compared to the United States?
Before moving to Sweden in 2021 from Tampa, Florida, USA, we had three children in preschool full-time. We paid about $1,200-$1,300 per month, and that did not include diapers, wipes, formula, meals or snacks.
In Tyresö, Sweden (2022), we paid 750 SEK (~$75) per month for 20 hours of preschool a week.
Included in that preschool fee were diapers, wipes, and all meals and snacks. A chef worked on site and made traditional Swedish meals for the children and staff. My kids fell in love with Swedish meatballs (of course), fish, and especially pancakes.
The right to this fantastic service is available for all citizens and residents regardless of income, employment status, etc, and it doesn’t matter if the school is public or private. Your child’s tuition and available hours may be subsidized based on factors like employment, studying, parental leave and unemployment.
How do you apply for preschool in Sweden?
In most cases, it is an extremely easy process to apply for preschool in Sweden. The cities or municipality (kommun) allow you to apply for several schools (usually 4 to 5) on their website. There are no fees to apply.
You simply enter:
- your and your child’s information
- parent(s) status
- desired start date
- amount of care hours
- ranking of usually 4 to 5 preschools you would like placement in (public or private)
The municipality or city will ask you (the parent) if you are working, unemployed, studying or on parental leave with the sibling(s) to determine how much to assess your preschool fee and time your child can be at school based on those factors. For us, neither my husband or I have Swedish income currently and we hadn’t yet been approved for barnbidrag and föräldrarpenning for our youngest child, so they considered us unemployed and on parental leave. We paid roughly $75/mo for three children in childcare, up to 20 hours a week.
I’ve applied for preschool in Tyresö and Västerås, and I found their process to apply for preschool to be basically identical to what I listed above. Tyresö allowed up to four preschools on their application whereas Västerås allowed up to five preschools. I believe the waitlist at the time (spring 2022) in Tyresö was up to three months for placement and Västerås (summer 2022) is up to four months.
My understanding is that every child over the age of one is entitled to 20 or 25 hours of childcare a week, regardless of employment status. That means that if you just need to get your little one exploring but may still be a stay at home parent, then your child can still go to school at a heavily discounted cost compared to the United States (like the equivalent of $75/month), including food, diapers and wipes.
I would note that if you do not yet have a personnummer (Swedish social security number) from Skatteverket (Swedish tax authority), then you may not be able to apply online; however, your municipality (kommun) will take the application by paper. They will even provide you with the application on paper if you can’t print it. Both parents should be listed on the application as well.
Is there a waiting list to get into preschool in Sweden?
There can be a waiting period to get placement for preschool in Sweden, regardless of whether it is a public or private school. The waiting period varies from city to city, but it is usually within 4 months (sooner if you request due to circumstances like employment).
In our experience, we were told in January 2022 that we had a three month wait for our children to enter preschool in Tyresö. We asked the principal (rektor) at the school for an earlier start date and she was able to move us up to mid-February 2022.
Whereas, in Tampa, many of my friends put their unborn child on waitlists that could still take up to a year!
How do you pay for preschool fees in Sweden?
Sweden makes it incredibly easy to pay for services with the country-wide program called Swish or through your Swedish bank. Swish is like PayPal but with no transaction fees and tied to everyone’s banks in the country through an app. Paying for invoices like for preschool is a breeze because you just scan the OCR code, price, and account number with your phone or enter these manually. Then the vendor name is populated for you to pay, matched against the invoice. Payment is received immediately and is free, unlike same-day payments in the USA.
In comparison, I had to write checks weekly for preschool in Tampa (and that means the hassle of finding my checkbook weekly and remembering to pay).
Is preschool free in Sweden?
Kind of. The municipalities offer free open preschool (öppna förskolan) during the weekdays, usually around 9a to 2p. It is free of charge to attend. Some days may be for young children, but others may be for all ages. This can be a great way to socialize your little ones before going into paid preschool (förskola).
You simply show up to open preschool. There is no need to register, though you will need to stay with your kids while they are there.
In our kommun, one day is for really small children, and the rest is for all ages. My kids immediately go to play and leave me to relax for a few hours while they do. If you need actual childcare then you will need to enroll them in “real” preschool.
How do I get childcare in Sweden if I work non-traditional hours?
If you work outside the traditional work hours of say 9a to 5p, when schools and preschools are normally open, then you can work with your Swedish municipality on government subsidized child care for after hours. Visit your municipality website to learn more.
What ages attend preschool in Sweden?
Swedish preschools are for children between the ages of 1 to 5 years old. After the 5th year, the child moves into compulsory school.
What is preschool like in Sweden?
Preschools in Sweden really emphasize playing in the development of children, as well as being in nature. Rain or shine, hot or cold, you will always see Swedish preschoolers playing on the playgrounds and going on nature hikes with their classmates and teachers. It is also common to see an entire preschool class take the bus to the library, if it is too far to walk.
Additionally, different aged children are grouped together in a classroom. For example, children between ages of 3-5 will be in the same class. This is great because the younger children learn from the older ones, and older children learn to care for and play with the younger children.
Are Swedish preschools safe?
Swedish preschools (and schools in general) are known to be safe, and that is largely due to well-trained teachers and staff and the support from the Swedish government and people. Sweden as a country is known to be very safe and a wonderful place to live and raise a family. Childcare is accessible and affordable.
This is in addition to the paid parental leave, up to one year, for both parents. This is the stuff of American dreams.
Check out this article from TheLocal.Se from 2009, where they ask a panel of people what they feel on this topic. In a 2016 UNICEF report, Sweden ranked as the best place to raise a family.
School shootings don’t happen in Sweden
The emotional cost to enroll your kids in a safe school is more important than ever, especially for many Americans. As many people that do not live within the USA know, mass shootings are a uniquely American experience unfortunately. The problem of them is that they continue to increase and are highly unpredictable on where they will occur next, including schools. Another sad and recent example is in May 2022 when a shooter killed 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas in an elementary school.
Every week, there are more tragedies. Over 200 days into 2022, there has been an average of 13 mass shootings a week, according to an NBC analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive. The GVA defines a mass shooting as an event where a minimum of four victims are shot, either injured or killed, not including the shooter.
NBC Philidelphia
This sad American phenomenon is a non-issue in Sweden (and most European countries, to be honest). I really tried to find information on mass shootings in Sweden, but there was no recent accessible history available. In this 1998 article on mass shootings over the years in Sweden, the author found that:
In the 36 years between 1960 and 1995, fourteen such occasions were recorded, during which 32 people were killed and 57 were wounded.
“Violent mass shootings in Sweden from 1960 to 1995: profiles, patterns, and motives” by O Lindquist 1, L Lidberg
Conclusion
The obvious winner in childcare affordability and quality of care falls to Sweden over the United States. Unfortunately, the USA has a lot to do to make preschool affordable and accessible to millions of working parents. The Swedish model for preschool affordability is wonderful.
What city should I visit in Sweden?
Interested in coming to Sweden? Check out some of our travel guides and book your trip:
Thanks for following our journey. – The HildeFam
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