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: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $2,083 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $3,221 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $4,359 in Malmo.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 51% above, Malmo 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 133

$15.40 SEK 152

-12.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 901

$76.7 SEK 756

19.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 130

$12.22 SEK 120

7.53%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.93

$5.10 SEK 50.3

-2.55%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.77

$3.37 SEK 33.24

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.93

$2.68 SEK 26.37

-16.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.8

$8.97 SEK 88.4

-23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.4

$8.97 SEK 88.4

-15.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.07

$1.75 SEK 17.24

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.78

$3.03 SEK 29.88

-10.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.32

$3.58 SEK 35.27

-11.17%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.82

$4.23 SEK 41.71

-6.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$13.07 SEK 129

-8.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$12.22 SEK 120

-4.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 166

$22.01 SEK 217

-23.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.51

$3.05 SEK 30.04

4.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.34

$2.62 SEK 25.85

-1.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.40

$3.18 SEK 31.30

-3.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.82

$4.44 SEK 43.75

-4.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.24

$1.74 SEK 17.14

6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.29

$1.52 SEK 14.99

8.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.51

$2.48 SEK 24.46

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 17.01

$1.31 SEK 12.89

32.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.4

$7.79 SEK 76.7

7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 141

$11.80 SEK 116

20.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.38

$2.00 SEK 19.72

3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.96

$2.32 SEK 22.85

-3.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.89

$3.20 SEK 31.49

16.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 867

$64.5 SEK 636

36.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.3

$6.42 SEK 63.3

-3.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.82

$2.44 SEK 24.00

-29.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 594

$51.8 SEK 510

16.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.76 SEK 17.33

3.98%

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

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

0.48%

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

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

3.14%

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

$107 SEK 1,057

$140 SEK 1,384

-23.62%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$26.87 SEK 265

-28.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 354

$37.50 SEK 370

-4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 365

$43.40 SEK 428

-14.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 249

$29.75 SEK 293

-15.23%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 193

$17.63 SEK 174

10.83%

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

$229 SEK 2,253

$172 SEK 1,695

32.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

30.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 879

$103 SEK 1,012

-13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 327

$46.61 SEK 459

-28.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 919

$114 SEK 1,120

-17.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,308

$156 SEK 1,542

-15.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

0.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,380

$816 SEK 8,044

16.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

6.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

2.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

51.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

8.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

16.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.02

1.32%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $1,044 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 16% 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 $77.0 in Malmo. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $383, 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 16% 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $1,044 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $172 in Malmo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Malmo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $2,083 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 $2,066 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.