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: $1,471 in Gavle versus $2,093 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Gavle versus $3,234 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,226 in Gavle versus $4,376 in Malmo.

Living in Gavle costs roughly 30% less than in Malmo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 7% above, Malmo 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.47 SEK 119

$15.36 SEK 147

-18.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 SEK 859

$79.8 SEK 763

12.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 SEK 92.6

$12.28 SEK 118

-21.17%

Cappuccino

$5.26 SEK 50.3

$4.87 SEK 46.59

8.01%

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

$2.12 SEK 20.24

$3.55 SEK 33.96

-40.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.06

$2.84 SEK 27.13

-15.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 SEK 79.6

$9.09 SEK 87.0

-8.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 SEK 70.2

$9.34 SEK 89.4

-21.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.56

$1.83 SEK 17.54

-5.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 SEK 25.15

$3.00 SEK 28.70

-12.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 38.15

$3.64 SEK 34.82

9.62%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 37.28

$4.18 SEK 40.01

-6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 SEK 93.0

$13.29 SEK 127

-26.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 SEK 105

$12.35 SEK 118

-11.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 SEK 187

$22.05 SEK 211

-11.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 SEK 29.79

$3.12 SEK 29.85

-0.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.06

$2.57 SEK 24.55

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.63

$3.07 SEK 29.38

4.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 43.97

$4.42 SEK 42.32

4.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.48

$1.76 SEK 16.87

-2.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.00

$1.60 SEK 15.28

17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 SEK 24.51

$2.64 SEK 25.27

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.77

$1.29 SEK 12.30

60.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.30 SEK 79.4

$7.95 SEK 76.1

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 SEK 110

$11.86 SEK 113

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SEK 16.15

$2.14 SEK 20.50

-21.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.71

$2.43 SEK 23.23

-32.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.67

$3.27 SEK 31.26

4.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 SEK 596

$66.5 SEK 636

-6.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 SEK 45.22

$6.29 SEK 60.2

-24.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SEK 14.79

$2.50 SEK 23.95

-38.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.03 SEK 335

$52.8 SEK 505

-33.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.26

$1.81 SEK 17.27

5.52%

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

$26.9K SEK 257.1K

$34.1K SEK 326.3K

-21.22%

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

$28.8K SEK 275.7K

$35.1K SEK 336.1K

-17.97%

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

$55.4 SEK 530

$143 SEK 1,367

-61.26%

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

$22.54 SEK 216

$27.75 SEK 265

-18.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.89 SEK 382

$39.07 SEK 374

2.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.53 SEK 464

$45.75 SEK 438

6.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.43 SEK 291

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 SEK 150

$18.13 SEK 173

-13.35%

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

$138 SEK 1,316

$176 SEK 1,681

-21.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K SEK 147.9K

$3,485 SEK 33.3K

343.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 SEK 711

$104 SEK 993

-28.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 SEK 548

$46.39 SEK 444

23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.1 SEK 499

$119 SEK 1,142

-56.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 SEK 905

$159 SEK 1,525

-40.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 SEK 5,575

$1,054 SEK 10.1K

-44.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 SEK 4,236

$845 SEK 8,086

-47.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 SEK 7,814

$1,733 SEK 16.6K

-52.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 SEK 6,553

$1,421 SEK 13.6K

-51.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 SEK 19.2K

$4,223 SEK 40.4K

-52.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,373 SEK 13.1K

$3,338 SEK 31.9K

-58.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,222 SEK 30.8K

$3,200 SEK 30.6K

0.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

3.02

9.60%

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

Last update for Gavle: August 31, 2026

Last update for Malmo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $583 in Gavle and $1,054 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Gavle vs $80.0 in Malmo. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $387, 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 42% in total monthly costs ($1,471 vs $2,093 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $583 in Gavle versus $1,054 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 7% less than in Malmo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $138 in Gavle versus $176 in Malmo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,471 in Gavle versus $2,093 in Malmo, a $2,000 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 42% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.