Cost of Living Comparison Between Gavle and Malmo Cost of Living Comparison Between Gavle and Malmo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,060 in Gavle versus $2,081 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Gavle versus $3,224 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Gavle versus $4,368 in Malmo.

Living in Gavle costs roughly 1% less than in Malmo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 54% above, Malmo 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.88 SEK 125

$13.74 SEK 133

-6.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 SEK 911

$83.5 SEK 807

12.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 SEK 101

$12.74 SEK 123

-17.74%

Cappuccino

$5.07 SEK 48.98

$5.15 SEK 49.73

-1.55%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.72

$2.68 SEK 25.92

-20.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SEK 23.76

$2.10 SEK 20.29

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 SEK 79.2

$7.81 SEK 75.5

4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 SEK 83.5

$8.01 SEK 77.4

7.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.64

$1.73 SEK 16.76

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 SEK 24.39

$3.08 SEK 29.73

-18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 SEK 37.68

$3.48 SEK 33.67

12.07%

Eggs

$4.02 SEK 38.83

$4.53 SEK 43.80

-11.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 SEK 90.8

$12.41 SEK 120

-24.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 SEK 99.1

$13.01 SEK 126

-21.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 SEK 143

$26.83 SEK 259

-44.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 SEK 31.93

$3.40 SEK 32.84

-2.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 SEK 27.62

$2.94 SEK 28.43

-2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 SEK 33.47

$3.29 SEK 31.83

5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 SEK 44.20

$4.83 SEK 46.69

-5.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.87

$1.87 SEK 18.10

-1.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.04

$1.94 SEK 18.76

-3.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 25.46

$2.55 SEK 24.68

3.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.10

$1.34 SEK 13.00

16.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 SEK 77.2

$7.88 SEK 76.2

1.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 SEK 112

$11.67 SEK 113

-1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.05

$2.40 SEK 23.25

-30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.85

$2.73 SEK 26.39

-32.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 SEK 37.95

$3.46 SEK 33.40

13.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 SEK 555

$71.0 SEK 686

-19.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 SEK 45.27

$6.76 SEK 65.3

-30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 SEK 12.77

$2.64 SEK 25.49

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.27 SEK 476

$57.1 SEK 552

-13.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 SEK 18.14

$1.90 SEK 18.41

-1.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K SEK 281.7K

$33.0K SEK 318.6K

-11.60%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.6K SEK 324.8K

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

-1.02%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$112 SEK 1,082

$155 SEK 1,496

-27.66%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.71 SEK 278

$29.60 SEK 286

-3.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.73 SEK 403

$39.55 SEK 382

5.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 SEK 485

$39.29 SEK 380

27.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 SEK 157

$23.47 SEK 227

-30.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 SEK 137

$17.81 SEK 172

-20.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$159 SEK 1,534

$157 SEK 1,520

0.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,129 SEK 39.9K

$4,884 SEK 47.2K

-15.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 958

$105 SEK 1,013

-5.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.72 SEK 471

$45.70 SEK 442

6.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 SEK 810

$124 SEK 1,199

-32.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 SEK 1,544

$166 SEK 1,607

-3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 SEK 8,106

$916 SEK 8,856

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 SEK 8,666

$791 SEK 7,642

13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 SEK 16.6K

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

0.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 SEK 12.1K

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

-9.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,990 SEK 19.2K

$4,179 SEK 40.4K

-52.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,398 SEK 13.5K

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

-57.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,214 SEK 31.1K

$3,148 SEK 30.4K

2.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

4.86

-15.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Gavle: July 14, 2026

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Gavle and $916 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gavle vs $83.0 in Malmo. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $412, with Gavle cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Gavle vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gavle and Malmo differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,060 vs $2,081 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Gavle, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $839 in Gavle versus $916 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 24% less than in Malmo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $159 in Gavle versus $157 in Malmo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,060 in Gavle versus $2,081 in Malmo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Malmo. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gavle and Malmo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.