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Money in Sweden, sorted.
A calm, current plan for the money side of your trip: why your card covers everything (and cash almost nothing), why it is kronor and not euros, how little you tip, the shopping tax you can claim back, and why there is no tourist tax to worry about.
From 1 April 2026, Sweden cut the VAT on most groceries from 12% to 6% (a temporary reduction scheduled to run to the end of 2027), which should trim food-shop bills a little. The reduced rate on restaurant and cafe meals stayed at 12%, and hotel stays are still 12% too. It does not change how you pay, since VAT is already in the price, but it is why a supermarket receipt may look slightly cheaper than you expected.
The three things people ask
Will my card work? Do I need cash? Are ATMs easy?
The quick read for a first trip.
Your card
Works everywhere
Visa and Mastercard are taken essentially everywhere, contactless is the norm, and Apple or Google Pay are widely accepted, on trains, in shops and at museums. Many venues are card-only and will not take cash at all. Locals often pay by the Swish app, but you will not need it. Amex works at bigger hotels and shops but is patchier, so carry a Visa or Mastercard.
Check yours →Cash
You can skip it
Cards cover everything, and lots of places refuse cash outright. You can travel Sweden without touching a krona. If you want a small safety net, keep 200 to 400 SEK for a rare market stall or rural spot, but do not exchange a pile of dollars; euros do not work here either.
How much to bring →ATMs
Use a bank machine
If you want cash, use a bank Bankomat ATM (the shared machines used by the big banks), common in towns. Read the on-screen fee, take a modest amount since you will barely use it, and always decline "convert to US dollars." Your own bank's foreign-ATM fee usually matters more than the machine's.
See ATMs in Sweden →(opens in a new tab)Cash or card
Genuinely cashless; the real cost is how much everything costs.
A rough feel for everyday spending. Cards and contactless cover essentially everything, from hotels and restaurants to buses, trains, museums and tiny kiosks, and locals lean on cards and the Swish app. Many places take no cash whatsoever. You need almost no cash here; the thing to plan for is not cash, it is the prices, so pad your daily budget.
See what the trip really costs →Your money plan
Four steps and you're set.
Before you go
- Bring a no-foreign-fee Visa or Mastercard with contactless for everything, plus a backup card from a different bank; that is genuinely all you need here.
- A no-foreign-fee debit card (Charles Schwab, Wise or Revolut) is handy for the rare cash you might want, but many trips use none.
- Check your US phone plan for Sweden. It is in the EU, so plans that include EU roaming usually cover it, but confirm the rate; otherwise an eSIM is cheap.
- Do not bother buying kronor in advance. You will barely use cash, and airport exchange rates are poor.
At the airport
- Skip the exchange counters. You can tap your card straight away, including for the Arlanda Express or the airport bus into Stockholm.
- If you insist on a little cash, pull kronor from a bank Bankomat ATM and decline "convert to dollars."
- Set up an eSIM before you land (Airalo, Nomad, or a local Telia, Tele2 or Telenor plan) for maps and transit apps.
- Doing the VAT refund on the way out? Get forms validated at customs before you check bags.
Day to day
- Tap your card or phone for everything: trains, buses, shops, restaurants and museums. Expect to see "card only" signs.
- Prices already include VAT, so the number on the tag or menu is what you pay.
- You will rarely, if ever, need cash. Do not stress about carrying it.
- Always choose kronor, never dollars or euros, on every card terminal and ATM screen.
A golden rule
- It is kronor, not euros, and always pay in kronor. Choosing dollars or euros (dynamic currency conversion) quietly adds 3 to 8%, and euros do not spend here at all.
- Budget high. A coffee, a quick lunch, a beer or a museum ticket all cost more than you expect, so plan a bigger daily number than for much of Europe.
Staying connected
Will my phone work here? And what will it cost?
Excellent across cities, towns and the main routes, with strong 4G and wide 5G, and good coverage along most travelled roads and rail lines. The main networks are Telia, Tele2 and Telenor. Coverage thins in the far north, the mountains and deep in Lapland, so expect gaps in the wilderness. Sweden is in the EU, so a US plan with EU roaming usually covers it, but confirm the rate; an eSIM (Airalo, Nomad, Ubigi) is often cheaper. You do not need mobile data to pay by card, but you will want it for maps and transit apps. The cost is where people get caught out, and on most US plans it lands in one of two buckets.
Your plan may already include it
Often, do nothing
Some US plans include slow data abroad at no extra cost. If that is you, the honest move is to leave it alone.
we earn nothing
Or it charges quietly, after the fact
The bill lands later
On pay-per-use plans the cost runs in the background while you travel, and the charge can show up weeks after you are home. Forgetting to switch off data roaming is the classic one. For a week or more, an eSIM is usually cheaper and keeps you in control.
Check what your own carrier charges before the trip, not after.
If an eSIM is the cheaper call, Nomad covers Sweden.
Get your Nomad eSIM for Sweden→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionMedical cover
The one cost with no price tag.
Every other number on this page has a price you can look up. This one does not, and it can be the largest of them all. Most US health plans cover little or nothing once you leave the country, and Medicare covers essentially none of it abroad. A serious illness or injury is paid up front, and a medical evacuation runs from tens of thousands of dollars to past $100,000 if you are remote or an ocean from home.
First, you may not need to buy anything.
A cheap, refundable trip close to home does not need this. And if you are healthy, headed somewhere with good care, and one of the premium cards on the shortlist above already includes emergency medical and evacuation, you may be covered already. Check your card's benefits guide before you buy. Saying that costs us the commission, and it is still the right call.
How much cover matters here
Here, good hospitals are easy to reach and the care is high quality, so for a healthy traveler this leans more toward your call than a must.
If you do want cover, this is what it is for: the evacuation and the up-front hospital bill, the part no card limit is meant to absorb.
Enough for most trips
Faye, or a comparable whole-trip policy
Bundles trip protection with emergency medical, which is enough cover for most travelers on a typical trip.
The deeper end
A dedicated travel-medical plan built for serious care and evacuation abroad
Stronger on medical care and evacuation, for a remote or higher-risk trip where that is the real exposure.
If it happens
Call it first, then call your insurer's 24/7 assistance line, which is what confirms payment and arranges an evacuation. 112 reaches every emergency service, ambulance, police and fire, from any phone, even with no SIM. Operators speak English. For non-urgent medical advice, call 1177 (staffed by nurses); for non-urgent police matters, call 114 14. Keep 112 for a genuine emergency.
TrueTripCosts explains the gap and points to options. It does not set your coverage amounts or act as your insurance advisor, and every policy carries its own exclusions, so read them before you buy. Emergency number checked Jul 2026. Confirm the current number before you travel, as local lines can change.
Currency basics
The Swedish krona, in plain terms.
Quick conversion
Sweden uses the krona (SEK), plural kronor. At about 9.7 kronor to the dollar in mid-2026, 100 SEK is roughly 10 dollars, 200 SEK about 21, and 500 SEK about 52. Prices already include VAT, so the figure on the tag or menu is what you pay.
Notes and coins
Notes run 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 kronor; coins are 1, 2, 5 and 10 kronor. You will rarely handle any of it, since almost everything goes on a card and many places take no cash.
It's kronor, not euros
Sweden is in the EU but never adopted the euro, so the currency is the Swedish krona, not the euro. Euros will not spend here, and there is no reason to carry dollars; your card handles everything.
Tipping is light
Service is included and staff are paid a proper wage, so tipping is modest: round up or leave about 5 to 10% for good service at a sit-down meal, nothing at a counter. See the tipping section below.
Real exchange rate
What your money is really worth here.
This is the mid-market rate, the one the banks trade at and the yardstick every other rate is measured against. Your card lands a little below it, and if a screen ever offers to bill you in dollars, that is worse again. So this is the number to expect, and how you spot a bad one.
1 US dollar is about 9.66 SEK
Taxes, tips and refunds
High prices with tax in them, a light tip, and money back on shopping.
Sweden is expensive, and VAT is already in the price: 25% on most things, a reduced 12% on hotels and restaurant meals, and 6% on transport, books and culture, so the tag or menu figure is what you pay. From 1 April 2026 the VAT on most groceries dropped to 6% (a temporary cut to the end of 2027), which eases food-shop bills a little. As a non-EU visitor you can reclaim the VAT on goods you take home, on receipts of at least 200 SEK in a single store. Ask for a tax-free form, keep the goods unused, and get it validated by customs when you leave the EU; after the operator's fee you get back a useful chunk, though not the full 25%. Tipping is light: service is included, so rounding up or leaving about 5 to 10% for good service at a nice restaurant is generous, not expected, and there is no terminal tip-prompt culture as in the US. There is no general tourist tax in Sweden, and no separate departure tax to pay; airport charges are built into your ticket.
Before you book: passports, the six-month rule and whether you need a visa. Not a US citizen, or connecting through Europe? The rules can differ, and even a layover can need its own visa. See our passports and visas guide →
Watch out for
The small traps that catch first-timers.
Tipping
Light: service is included, rounding up is plenty.
Tipping in Sweden is modest, so relax about it. Service is included and staff are paid a proper wage, so locals simply round up or leave a little for good service. At a sit-down restaurant, rounding the bill up or adding about 5 to 10% for good service is generous rather than expected; at a cafe, bar or counter, no tip is needed. For taxis, round up to the nearest note; for hotel housekeeping, a small amount is a kind gesture but not required; for a helpful guide or driver on a tour, a little extra is appreciated. Card terminals may show a tip line, but there is no strong tipping culture here as in North America, so do not feel obliged.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do I need cash in Sweden?
Almost never. Sweden is one of the most cashless countries in the world: cards and tap work everywhere, and many cafes, shops, buses and museums take no cash at all. You can comfortably travel without touching a krona. If you want a small buffer, keep 200 to 400 SEK, but most visitors use none.
Does Sweden use the euro?
No. Sweden is in the EU but never adopted the euro, so it uses the Swedish krona (SEK). Euros will not spend here, so plan to pay by card in kronor and do not carry euros for this leg.
Should I pay in kronor or US dollars in Sweden?
Kronor. If a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in US dollars (or euros), decline; that dynamic currency conversion typically adds 3 to 8%. Paying in kronor and letting your own bank convert is almost always cheaper.
Is there a tourist tax in Sweden?
No. Sweden has no general tourist tax or nightly accommodation tax, so nothing extra is added to your hotel bill. VAT is already baked into prices, and from April 2026 the VAT on most groceries dropped to 6% on a temporary basis.
Can I get a VAT refund on shopping in Sweden?
Yes, if you live outside the EU and spend at least 200 SEK in one store. Ask for a tax-free refund form, keep the goods unused, and get it validated by customs when you leave the EU, then claim through the refund operator. After fees you get back a useful part of the 25% VAT, though not the full amount.
Why is Sweden so expensive, and how much should I budget?
High wages, a high cost of living and VAT all feed into prices, from coffee to museum tickets. For everyday spending beyond your hotel, very roughly 900 to 1,600 SEK a day per person (about 93 to 165 dollars) is a realistic mid-range figure, essentially all on card. The fix is to budget a higher daily number than for much of Europe.
What it really costs
What you'll really spend in Sweden.
Your flights if you want them counted, your room, your on-the-ground spending, the two fees most US cards add without telling you, and Sweden's tourist tax. One number, nothing waiting on the statement. No bank to pick, no sign-up, nothing saved.
Optional. Enter your round trip fare per traveler to fold flights into the total.
In Sweden, plan for about $0.
Realistically somewhere between $0 and $0.
Whether at an ATM or a card terminal in a shop or restaurant, always choose to be charged in the local currency, not dollars. Paying in dollars (called dynamic currency conversion) lets the machine set its own, worse, exchange rate on top of any fee.
Rough guide, not a quote. The percentage here is a blended stand-in for a typical US card's foreign fee, not your exact rate. The real number moves with the card you carry: one no-foreign-fee card can cover both sides, while a plain rewards credit card only removes the fee on what you buy, and cash still costs a little unless that card also waives ATM and foreign-cash fees. A debit card, or accepting the "pay in dollars" (dynamic currency conversion) offer at a till or ATM, can push it higher. Rates checked Jun 2026 and rounded.
How this estimate is built
These are the assumptions behind the number. Change the room price, nights, travelers, or travel style above, and every line here moves with them.
- Hotel
- Daily spending
- Flights
- Cash vs card
- ATM withdrawals
- Foreign fee
- The range
- Tourist tax
Not sure which card to bring? See my pick for Sweden.
Already carry a card with no foreign transaction fee? Then you are set for Sweden, and can skip this. There is nothing to buy.
If you are getting a card for Sweden, this is the pairing I would pick: a no-foreign-fee credit card for spending, and a fee-free ATM debit card for cash. We earn nothing on these today. Always confirm the current fee with the issuer before you apply. Checked Jun 2026.
Capital One charges no foreign transaction fee on any of its cards.
No foreign transaction fee
Fee-free ATM cash worldwide
Want one account that holds and spends in the local currency? A different job from the three above, and the one I reach for abroad. It is free to open; you can create a virtual card in the app and add it to your phone wallet in minutes, without waiting for the physical card; and you can convert US dollars into the local currency inside the account before you travel, then spend from that balance. Wise uses the mid-market rate plus a small conversion fee (around 0.4% and up), with no flat foreign fee.
The three picks above pay us nothing, and their tags say so. Wise is the only option here that can earn us a commission, and its tag says that too. Paid or not, the pick is still the pick.
Travelers, not touristsA few words of Swedish go a long way
A few words of Swedish go a long way
Swedes speak Swedish and value balance in all things. A friendly Tack and a story or two mark you as a guest rather than a tourist.
Say a few words
Tip: Two words unlock Sweden. Fika is the daily ritual of pausing for coffee and something sweet with friends or colleagues, and it is never to be skipped. And lagom, meaning just the right amount, not too much and not too little, is the very heart of how Swedes like life to be.
Know a story
Messages carved in stone
More than a thousand years ago, Vikings raised tall rune stones across Sweden, carving them with angular runes and coiling serpents to honor the dead or mark a journey. Sweden has thousands of them, more than anywhere else on Earth, still standing in fields and churchyards. They are letters from the Viking age, written in stone.
Say it: rune stones, raised over a thousand years ago
The longest, brightest day
At Midsummer, when the northern sun barely sets, Swedes head to the countryside to raise a flower-decked maypole and dance around it in rings, wearing crowns of wildflowers. There is pickled herring, singing and endless daylight. After the long dark winter, it is the most beloved day of the year.
Good to know: Midsummer is the high point of the Swedish year
The warship that sank in minutes
In 1628 the mighty warship Vasa, the pride of the Swedish navy, set sail from Stockholm before a cheering crowd, then caught a gust of wind, tipped over and sank in the harbor after barely a kilometer. Built top-heavy and over-armed, she went down on her maiden voyage. Raised almost whole in 1961, she is now Sweden's most visited museum.
Good to know: raised in 1961, now a museum shipSwedes are calm, egalitarian and proud of a country that pairs a Viking past with sleek modern design, music and a strong social spirit. They cherish nature, fairness and their fika. Match their easy, unshowy warmth and you will get along famously.
No links here, nothing to buy. This part is just to help you travel well.
Sources, and how this guide was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
Changed since last checkSources added on first publish, checked July 2026. Confirmed that Sweden (an EU member, but keeping its own krona rather than the euro) charges VAT (moms) of 25% on most things, with reduced rates of 12% on hotels and restaurant meals and 6% on transport, books and culture, all already in the price, and that non-EU visitors can reclaim VAT on goods over 200 SEK in one store. The recent change: from 1 April 2026 the VAT on most groceries dropped from 12% to 6% (a temporary cut running to the end of 2027), which should ease food-shop costs a little. There is still no general tourist or nightly accommodation tax.
- Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency)the 25%, 12% and 6% VAT rates
- Global BlueSweden tax-free shopping, minimum 200 SEK per store
- Sweden country emergency number112 for all services
Our own judgmentThe daily cash share, tipping norms, and likely ATM behavior are our own estimate from experience, not an official figure. VAT rates and thresholds can change, so check anything that affects a big purchase.
More money guides in Europe
If you are also weighing up nearby destinations, each guide covers cards, cash, ATMs and the fees to expect.
Going deeper on Sweden
The money questions people ask on the ground.
Short, focused answers to the specific things that catch first-timers out in Sweden.
- Tipping in SwedenSweden is not really a tipping country. Wages are high and service is included, so tipping is not expected. The wrinkle: in a near-cashless country, terminals often prompt for a tip. Here is what you actually owe.
- Do I need cash in Sweden, or can I use cards?Short answer: a card for everything, and you may never touch cash. Sweden is one of the most cashless countries anywhere, and many places refuse cash outright, so the real risk is a dead card, not a lack of notes.
- Bringing your dog or cat to Sweden.Sweden runs on the single EU pet-entry process for a US-origin dog or cat: microchip, rabies in the right order, and an EU health certificate on a 10-day clock. No quarantine, no rabies titer. Here is what that means for Sweden, and the local parts worth knowing.
This is how Sweden stands today.
Money rules move. We can let you know for free if that changes.