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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $2,047 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $3,170 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $4,292 in Malmo.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 1% more expensive than Malmo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Malmo 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$13.48 SEK 127

1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 882

$85.6 SEK 804

9.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.1

$12.67 SEK 119

-18.39%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.47

$5.05 SEK 47.48

-6.34%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.88

$2.69 SEK 25.24

10.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.80

$2.15 SEK 20.21

17.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.2

$8.00 SEK 75.2

-9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.5

$8.20 SEK 77.1

-5.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.77

$1.67 SEK 15.72

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.80

$3.11 SEK 29.19

-8.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.15

$3.61 SEK 33.93

-8.03%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.70

$4.42 SEK 41.49

5.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$12.05 SEK 113

-2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$12.78 SEK 120

-1.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 179

$27.50 SEK 258

-30.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.11

$3.27 SEK 30.69

-5.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.71

$2.78 SEK 26.12

-1.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.29

$3.24 SEK 30.45

-10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.22

$4.79 SEK 44.97

-12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.61

$1.83 SEK 17.19

-9.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.37

$1.95 SEK 18.34

-5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.36

$2.57 SEK 24.14

-11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.55

$1.34 SEK 12.58

15.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$8.13 SEK 76.4

-3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$12.10 SEK 114

26.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.22

$2.53 SEK 23.75

-10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.49

$2.66 SEK 24.96

-1.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.69

$3.36 SEK 31.58

13.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 832

$69.3 SEK 651

27.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.9

$6.44 SEK 60.5

56.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$2.64 SEK 24.80

-37.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 580

$56.2 SEK 528

9.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.76

$1.92 SEK 18.04

-1.56%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

$33.1K SEK 310.7K

-3.16%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

$33.8K SEK 317.4K

1.99%

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

$138 SEK 1,301

$154 SEK 1,442

-9.84%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$30.36 SEK 285

-17.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$40.38 SEK 379

-5.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$38.30 SEK 360

9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$23.78 SEK 223

6.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$17.81 SEK 167

0.95%

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

$175 SEK 1,648

$162 SEK 1,518

8.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

$4,876 SEK 45.8K

-13.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 823

$105 SEK 983

-16.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$45.70 SEK 429

-11.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 910

$124 SEK 1,166

-21.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,468

$165 SEK 1,552

-5.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$932 SEK 8,751

20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,203

$773 SEK 7,264

12.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$1,721 SEK 16.2K

11.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

$1,343 SEK 12.6K

6.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

$4,311 SEK 40.5K

55.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

$3,360 SEK 31.6K

12.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$3,353 SEK 31.5K

17.91%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Malmo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $932 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $86.0 in Malmo. Groceries flip the comparison at $381 vs $410, 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

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

Gothenburg pays 18% more on average, 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $932 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $162 in Malmo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,047 in Malmo versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malmo but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Malmo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Malmo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,047 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Malmo 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 Malmo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.