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freelancer considering Sweden/Finland move

freelancer considering Sweden/Finland move

Old May 10th 2014, 9:27 am
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Default freelancer considering Sweden/Finland move

Hi,
I am a low income free lancer, considering a move to either Sweden or Finland. I am currently living in Germany and am actually rather happy here, the main problem for me is that German health care system is really expensive for low income self employees as myself - it costs almost as much a another rent.
I assume that in Sweden and Finland taxes are very high, but high income tax is lower when income is low, unlike here where even minimum public health care is expensive, even if you have a very low income. I expect that groceries, transport, etc. will be probably also cost more up north, but I don't consume much, so I don't think that would make a huge difference. (Obviously my familiarity with these subjects is rather lacking, so please correct me if my assumption are mistaken.)
Is that a bad idea ...? thanks
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Old May 10th 2014, 9:52 am
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Default Re: freelancer considering Sweden/Finland move

You will have to contact admin to change your user name as e mail addys are not allowed in the BE rules.
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Old May 11th 2014, 8:36 am
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Default Re: freelancer considering Sweden/Finland move

done...
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Old May 13th 2014, 1:19 pm
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Default Re: freelancer considering Sweden/Finland move

Originally Posted by forester404
Hi,
I am a low income free lancer, considering a move to either Sweden or Finland. I am currently living in Germany and am actually rather happy here, the main problem for me is that German health care system is really expensive for low income self employees as myself - it costs almost as much a another rent.
I assume that in Sweden and Finland taxes are very high, but high income tax is lower when income is low, unlike here where even minimum public health care is expensive, even if you have a very low income. I expect that groceries, transport, etc. will be probably also cost more up north, but I don't consume much, so I don't think that would make a huge difference. (Obviously my familiarity with these subjects is rather lacking, so please correct me if my assumption are mistaken.)
Is that a bad idea ...? thanks
Hi I am a Finn, currently living in Finland. You need the European Social security card to get the cheap healthcare here. It doesn't matter if you are self employed or, rich or poor, public healthcare sure is cheap. For local general practitioner you pay, if I remember correctly, EUR 11 per visit. Specialist in a health care center is about the same, it may be little more in a hospital. A day in a public hospital is maybe EUR30 to 40. Medicine can be expensive even if you get the subsidy. Always worth asking for cheaper alternative brands.

Food is very expensive and so is living. Since you are a freelancer and can live anywhere with a decent Internet connection, I suggest staying away from the biggest cities (rentwise).

Taxes are high, but naturally the less you earn the smaller the percentage is for income tax. Flat taxes such as VAT are a bit of a problem, since you need to pay the same rate as the well-off people. There are also differences in local council taxes, some small remote areas have high rates.

There is a website where you can compare living costs in different cites around the world. I cannot remember the name, but I once found it just by googling living cost comparison or the like.
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