Sweden's ten priciest places to live revealed

The costs of maintaining a house in Sweden can vary by as much as 15,000 kronor ($2,300) depending on where the house is located, according to a report published on Friday by the Swedish Homeowners Association (Villaägarnas Riksförbund).

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"The research shows that there are big differences based on where you live. And sometimes these differences are hard to explain," Joacim Olsson, deputy head of the Association, told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

The housing costs are based on property taxes, electricity costs, water and sewage, insurance and an estimated maintenance cost that is assumed to be the same nationwide.

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According to these parameters, Tjörn, near Gothenburg, is the most expensive municipality in the country to own a house, with annual operating costs of 57,364 kronor.

Close behind was Värmdö, east of Stockholm, with 57,331 kronor, followed by central Sweden's Hammarö municipality, where homeowners can expect to shell out an average of 57,107 kronor a year.

On the other end of the scale, Lycksele was the cheapest with costs of only 42,005 kronor, with Malå and Boden not far behind. All three areas are in Sweden's far north.

Olsson pointed out that parliamentary decisions linked to the energy sector are one factor that leads to varying prices, and that the Swedish Homeowners Association is now reviewing if each municipality is calculating their charges optimally.

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"That operating costs can vary so much and that political decisions are often the reason why means local and county decision makers get a failing grade," Olsson said in a statement.

The most expensive municipalities in Sweden, together with annual costs:
Tjörn: 57,364 kronor.
Värmdö: 57,331 kronor.
Hammarö: 57,107 kronor.
Öckerö: 56,536 kronor.
Sotenäs: 56,339 kronor.
Bollebygd: 55,883 kronor.
Kil: 55,757 kronor.
Tanum: 54,993 kronor.
Svalöv: 54,757 kronor.
Vellinge: 54,529 kronor.

Sweden's cheapest ten municipalities, with annual costs
Lycksele: 42,005 kronor.
Malå: 42,816 kronor.
Boden: 43,633 kronor.
Norsjö: 43,820 kronor.
Berg: 44,462 kronor.
Tibro: 44,568 kronor.
Malung: 45,038 kronor.
Vindeln: 45,108 kronor.
Ragunda: 45,196 kronor.
Sorsele: 45,196 kronor.

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