Canada vs Sweden: Which is the best country to live in?
Comparing Sweden and Canada helps to identify the notable amount of similarities and differences found in both countries.
Their differences are enormous since they are both located in different continents of the world. Sweden is located in the Northern part of Europe, while Canada situates in North America. Their differences are of high value compared to their similarities though they are both countries of the north part of the world.
Canada vs Sweden: Which is the best country to live in?
Both countries are good. From my experience, I cannot really say one is better than the other, it all depends on what you want for yourself and your preferences. However, I’ll give you few tips that can help you make a choice.
- If you are looking for a country with the best childcare benefits and parental leave, Sweden is a better choice.
- If you are looking for a country where you can blend in easily especially interms of culture and its people, Canada would be my top choice. Btw, Canadians are so friendly.
- In terms of mobility, it is very important to have a car in Canada. You can live in Sweden without a car for years but that is near impossible in Canada.
- In terms of food and varieties. You will find a lot of varieties in Canada because people from all walks of life live in Canada. The diversity in Canada is top notch so you can be sure to find whatever kind of food you love to eat here. Note that these food items may be pricey but the good thing is that they are readily available.
- If you are looking for an almost cashless country, then this will definitely be Sweden. Furthermore, Sweden is an high – tech country and you don’t need to go through a lot of paper work to get things done. You learn to do things on your own and things are readily available. If you are a tech-savvy person that hates paperwork, Sweden it is. Lots of paper work is required in Canada even for the mundane.
- By the way, if you love free coffee. Sweden it is. Lots of work places and government agencies offer free coffee. The Fika (coffee break) culture beats the coffee culture in Canada.
- Canada is very big and naturally diverse with many more big cities than Sweden. You can be a tourist in Canada for years. If you love a big country and love to explore the outdoor, Canada it is. Though Sweden boasts of beautiful landscape, lakes and forests with very outdoorsy citizens but Canada is in a league of its own when it comes to nature.
- In terms of job opportunities, well personally I would take Canada over Sweden. Both countries have their challenges but from my experience, I think Canada has more opportunities and things are a bit easier in terms of job hunting in Canada than in Sweden. The language is an additional requirement for job-seekers in Sweden beside local experience and education.
- In terms of lifestyle that is also a bit tricky and it depends on what you want/like. But if you like a “lagom” (swedish word that simply means perfect-simple or just-enough) lifestyle where everyone is reserved (no pressures) then Sweden it is. Canada is also similar however things are not as “lagom” as in Sweden if you know what I mean.
- And finally, if you want a native English-speaking country, Canada it is of course. Even though French is spoken as a first language in some parts of Canada but in comparison to Sweden, everything is built around the Swedish (Svenska) language and it might be difficult to blend in with the language barrier. Of course most Swedes speak fluent English but only as a second language.
Overall, your choices will generally be informed by what you love, the kind of person you are and, of course, your background. Both are beautiful countries. These are few out of the many comparisons. Be sure to do your research and make the right choice for you. All the best!
Is it worth leaving Sweden for Canada? I moved to Sweden recently, am in the struggling phase yet?
Depends on your background.
I would highly recommend Canada as a destination over any Scandinavian country if you are not Scandinavian, my advice is based on having lived or worked in the three Scandinavian countries.
The sentiment in Scandinavia tends to lean more towards people having hangups towards immigrants or refugees then Canada. Canadian sentiment tends to view outsiders in a relative positive light and the immigration policy in Canada works out so the average immigrant benefits the society. If you want to play a leadership role in the society as an outsider good luck in Scandinavia, in Canada its within reach but it will take more time than say the epicenters of change in the US.
Overall, feel there is too much discrimination in Scandinavia towards outsiders. Canada has a lot more to offer and it’s much easier to build a social network there and land employment. Canada has the competitive advantage of having two key Lingua francas.
My kids grew up in the US, Sweden and Norway. For obvious reasons for anyone who has lived in a place that takes at least decent care of it’s citizens if they fall on hard times (Sweden and Norway) the US is out of the question. Neither one of them really wanted to stay in Norway or Sweden though for various reasons.
Canada, New Zealand and Australia are three places their lives are either unfolding or are likely to unfold. Of course, it would be nice if Canada and Australia could focus on sustainable energy policies, but no place is perfect.
EDIT: Would like to add that previously was on the board of Expats in Denmark. They wanted to improve the attractiveness for expats to come and work in the country and a key complaint of expats was the difficulty of integrating into the society. In Scandinavia, it’s probably par for the course to end up living in a bubble such as the ex-pat universe, maybe some work colleagues as friends, but not many native friends.
In Canada, while they do promote their attractiveness for knowledge workers those workers should not have such a hard time finding a social life. While both Canada and Scandinavia have cold climates, the people in Canada are generally warm.
My main experience with Canada is going there dozens of times as a kid from the age of 8 to 21. In my late teens and early 20’s going to Canada to party meant we would probably meet people and they would invite us back to their place to stay over. From experience that is much less likely to happen in Scandinavia.
If you want to live in Scandinavia calculate you will have to make about twice the effort to receive half as much in terms of social currency. On the other hand, if you like to lead a life of relative solitude then Scandinavia may be the perfect place for you. For me Scandinavia is a good place to think and a bad place to feel if that makes any sense.
Which European country can be a better alternative for Sweden?
Having lived in ten countries, and travelled to thirty more, I think I can answer this at least from a personal perspective.
My immediate thought when I saw the question was, “there is nothing in Europe that can compete with Sweden when you take the big picture.”
Personally, I go by how big an impact a place has on me emotionally, and in that regard, I have to say only Canada and New Zealand could possibly fill me with the same airy, colourful, and wild energy as Sweden does.
I do sometimes tell people if Sweden didn’t exist, I’d be in Wales, or the Netherlands, or maybe France again. Edit, since it was pointed out to me that I have forgotten the obvious: Norway, of course. Sorry, folks. It was probably too obvious, and I am spending so much time in Norway already that I probably considered it the same realm as Sweden.
But then, the question was “which European country,” and Norway is Scandinavian, which seemed a bit of a point of difference to me when I read it.
And while those European and British ones are lovely places, they do not exude the same energy on me as Sweden (and Norway). I mean, just look at this; you don’t find other places in Europe like that – you can be a palace princess and Alaska Joe on the same day here.
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Similarities between Sweden and Canada
Well, there are not many similarities between Sweden and Canada. The differences go beyond culture, language, taxes, food, etc. However, there are some similarities in both countries. Let’s analyze them below.
Flora fauna
As both countries have almost similar climatic conditions, they both share the same flora and fauna. Both nations are blessed with vast forest lands with magnificent canopy covered trees. Forests can be easily spotted throughout the country.
Leisure and relaxation activities
Both Sweden and Canada are known for their huge recreational centers. Both countries offer great leisure activities to relax their people. So if you’re in the mood to dance along with a polar bear or watch a penguin dive into the ocean, both countries can accommodate both.
Houses
The houses in both countries are not built with bricks; instead, they are made without material to prevent the cold from penetrating. But this does not mean that they are of poor quality; instead, they are built with high-quality material to keep the house temperature moderate.
The air is as fresh as a margarita.
Citizens of both countries enjoy the cool breeze in the air. The cool atmosphere is the result of huge forests across the country. The Pacific and Atlantic oceans on the borders of Canada and the flow of the Baltic Sea and Norway through Sweden also contribute to the fresh air.
Conclusion
The comparison of Canada vs. Sweden is a vague task. From the location of both countries, it is challenging to locate many similarities. The differences between both countries are enormous and sponsors different experiences. Someone living in Sweden is having a different daily experience from a person living in Canada.
Similarities:
- Both have indigenuous people still living there. Inuits in Canada and Samer in Sweden.
- Large living space per capita, but a big part of the population is living in/near a few large cities.
- Both countries are situated in the northen part of the northen hemisphere.
- Logging industry
- Share the love of the outdoors, skiing and ice hockey
- Secular western societies, nobody cares if you are an atheist
- Affordable healthcare
- Clean and well kept public areas
- Focus on environmental care
- We drive on the right side of the street
- We are polite and open, but a bit cautious
Differences
- The most obvious is that we have different languages
- Sweden is an old monarchy
- Sweden is a well known producer of cars, Volvo
- Sweden is a well known producer of planes, SAAB
- Sweden is a well known producer of affordable furniture, IKEA
- The music industry in Sweden is well known with artists, producers and song writers
- Sweden is governed by a prime minister – not a president
- The Swedish Vikings have left their mark in the world (maybe not too much to boast about)
- Sweden gets a significant part of the energy production from renewable energy sources
- Sweden has a good focus on new technologies, Skype, Spotify
- In all humbleness, compared to the neighbour countries, Sweden is the biggest country
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