Take-home pay: Sweden vs Germany (2026)
These currencies are too far apart for the same nominal number to mean anything, so this page converts at the European Central Bank reference rate of 2026-11-04: 10.9718 krona to the euro. The tax rules themselves are applied in local currency and never touch that rate, but it does decide which local salary each row lands on, so the percentages below would shift if the rate did. The local currency table further down shows exactly what was computed.
Comparison at five salary levels
| Gross (EUR equivalent) | Sweden net | rate | Germany net | rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €30,000 | €24,430 | 18.6% | €21,227 | 29.2% |
| €45,000 | €35,634 | 20.8% | €29,643 | 34.1% |
| €60,000 | €45,738 | 23.8% | €37,561 | 37.4% |
| €80,000 | €55,250 | 30.9% | €48,049 | 39.9% |
| €120,000 | €74,192 | 38.2% | €68,544 | 42.9% |
What was actually computed, in local currency
| Gross (EUR) | Sweden gross | Sweden net |
|---|---|---|
| €30,000 | SEK 329,154 | SEK 268,045 |
| €45,000 | SEK 493,731 | SEK 390,974 |
| €60,000 | SEK 658,308 | SEK 501,825 |
| €80,000 | SEK 877,744 | SEK 606,189 |
| €120,000 | SEK 1,316,616 | SEK 814,025 |
What the rates don't tell you
Sweden: under 66, municipal tax at the national average, no church fee (2026). Germany: single (tax class I), statutory health insurance, no church tax (2026). Deduction rates buy different things (public healthcare, pension promises, insurance), and converting currency compares what the same money yields, not what the same job pays: salary levels and living costs differ far more than the tax gap. For your own inputs use the Sweden and Germany calculators, or the multi-country comparison tool.
Sweden without an exchange rate
This page needed a conversion because the two currencies are nowhere near the same size. Where they are, we compare at equal nominal amounts instead and the exchange rate drops out of the answer completely. Sweden can be read that way here:
One salary at a time
Each of these breaks a single salary right down: every deduction line on both sides, monthly figures, the marginal rate at that point, and the gross you would need on the other side to be no worse off.
Frequently asked questions
Is it financially better to work in Sweden?
Not on this evidence alone. This compares deduction rates only. Gross pay for the same role, living costs, healthcare and pension value differ far more between Sweden and Germany than the tax gap shown here, and converting a salary does not make the two places equivalent to live in.
What exchange rate is used?
The European Central Bank euro reference rate of 2026-11-04, which is 10.9718 krona to the euro. It is pinned rather than live, so it is reproducible, but it does drift away from the market as time passes.
Does the exchange rate change the deduction rates?
Yes, indirectly, and it is worth knowing how. The tax rules are applied in local currency and never touch the exchange rate. But the rate decides which local salary each row lands on, and both systems are progressive, so a weaker krona would push those rows further up the scale and raise the percentage shown. The conversion is not a cosmetic layer over a fixed answer.
Computed 2026-11-05 by the same engines as the national calculators (see the comparison methodology). Exchange rates: European Central Bank euro reference rates, 2026-11-04.