Big cities like New York, London, and Paris are desirable living locations for so many reasons. They often have amazing job opportunities, museums, and public transportation that draw visitors and locals alike. One thing that makes popular cities like those a little bit less than desirable is the expense. It seems that restaurant, grocery, and rent prices are rising by the minute, even as the quality continues to tank. That’s proven in a viral TikTok that compares the difference between almost affordable London apartments and Swedish prisons.
As it turns out, the difference is a stark one. While one living situation consists of a small room with a dorm-style bed, television, and desk, the other seems to always have a singular mattress that blocks the cabinets or lone-standing toilet. Unfortunately for Londoners, the bathroom and bedroom combo that is shown multiple times throughout the video turns out to be a not very bang-for-your-buck apartment in London. It is safe to say this video makes being arrested in Sweden look like the best that European housing has to offer.
So much so, that the video has commenters scrounging to be arrested in Sweden, even brainstorming ideas to end up in the relatively nice — and free — housing unit arrangement. It even had people questioning why anyone lives in London at all. Londoners took to the comment section to share their own horror stories, some even joking that the TikToker had gotten a photo of their London flat. Many even speculated that the living arrangements of London flats were illegal and others said if they thought this was bad, they should compare it to New york City.
According to Rent London Flat, the average annual cost of rent in the city is £26,316 yearly, and most spend more than half their post-tax income on rent for a flat that may or may not resemble a Swedish prison. In the last year, that average cost has increased by almost 15%. The rent prices do depend on where exactly you live in the city and how big your apartment is, but as proven in the video, you can still pay a steep price for a shoebox apartment. On the other hand, Swedish apartments range from $700-1500 USD depending on size and location, as reported by International Citizens.
As rent prices continue to increase, it may just be time to commit to a life of Swedish crime. Or just a life in Sweden; given the seemingly reasonable rent prices, it can’t be too bad of an idea.