$150k is really a ridiculous amount of money in Sweden. Not that living expenses are low or anything, but most of life's big expenses are taken care of already: you get a real pension, universal health care, paid for university (no need to save up for your kids), long vacations, 16 months parental leave, cheap child care ($150/month) etc. So $60k is actually plenty. Also, a year or two ago, $60k was $80. The exchange rate is unpredictable.