Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Malmo Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Malmo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,081 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $3,224 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $4,368 in Malmo.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 882

$83.5 SEK 807

9.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$12.74 SEK 123

-18.21%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.95

$5.15 SEK 49.73

-5.63%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.74

$2.68 SEK 25.92

14.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.77

$2.10 SEK 20.29

21.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.8

$7.81 SEK 75.5

-4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.6

$8.01 SEK 77.4

-3.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.00

$1.73 SEK 16.76

1.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.78

$3.08 SEK 29.73

-6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.30

$3.48 SEK 33.67

-4.02%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.80

$4.53 SEK 43.80

2.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$12.41 SEK 120

-5.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$13.01 SEK 126

-4.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 180

$26.83 SEK 259

-30.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.72

$3.40 SEK 32.84

-9.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.56

$2.94 SEK 28.43

-10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.30

$3.29 SEK 31.83

-10.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.67

$4.83 SEK 46.69

-10.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.97

$1.87 SEK 18.10

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$1.94 SEK 18.76

-3.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.42

$2.55 SEK 24.68

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.38

$1.34 SEK 13.00

18.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.8

$7.88 SEK 76.2

0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$11.67 SEK 113

23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.25

$2.40 SEK 23.25

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.44

$2.73 SEK 26.39

-7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 37.94

$3.46 SEK 33.40

13.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 879

$71.0 SEK 686

28.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.2

$6.76 SEK 65.3

50.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.10

$2.64 SEK 25.49

-36.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 595

$57.1 SEK 552

7.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.95

$1.90 SEK 18.41

3.16%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

$33.0K SEK 318.6K

-2.38%

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

$35.6K SEK 343.7K

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

4.75%

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

$140 SEK 1,356

$155 SEK 1,496

-9.34%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$29.60 SEK 286

-15.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$39.55 SEK 382

-2.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 400

$39.29 SEK 380

5.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$23.47 SEK 227

5.71%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 174

$17.81 SEK 172

1.29%

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

$178 SEK 1,719

$157 SEK 1,520

13.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$4,884 SEK 47.2K

-14.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 866

$105 SEK 1,013

-14.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$45.70 SEK 442

-13.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 922

$124 SEK 1,199

-23.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,474

$166 SEK 1,607

-8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$916 SEK 8,856

19.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,314

$791 SEK 7,642

8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

10.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

1.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.8K

$4,179 SEK 40.4K

55.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

5.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.7K

$3,148 SEK 30.4K

14.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.86

-10.91%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $916 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $83.0 in Malmo. Groceries flip the comparison at $377 vs $412, with Gothenburg 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

Gothenburg vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Malmo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $916 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $157 in Malmo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Malmo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,081 in Malmo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Malmo. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,063 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg 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 Gothenburg 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.