Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Halmstad and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Halmstad: $1,608 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Halmstad
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Halmstad Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
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Malmo Living Index

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Halmstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,608

/mo nomad

Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Halmstad and in Malmo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Halmstad and in Malmo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,608 per month in Halmstad vs $2,092 in Malmo, rent included.

Halmstad $1,608
Malmo $2,092

A couple spends around $2,517 per month in Halmstad vs $3,149 in Malmo, rent included.

Halmstad $2,517
Malmo $3,149

A family of three spends $3,426 per month in Halmstad vs $4,206 in Malmo, rent included.

Halmstad $3,426
Malmo $4,206

Halmstad is about 23% cheaper than Malmo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Halmstad and Malmo sit above the global median – Halmstad by 18%, Malmo by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.09 SEK 130

$15.17 SEK 151

-13.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SEK 701

$76.1 SEK 755

-7.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 SEK 114

$12.18 SEK 121

-5.83%

Cappuccino

$4.67 SEK 46.42

$4.94 SEK 49.02

-5.47%

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

$2.86 SEK 28.43

$3.50 SEK 34.77

-18.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 23.62

$2.70 SEK 26.83

-11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 SEK 69.7

$8.69 SEK 86.3

-19.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 SEK 71.3

$9.11 SEK 90.5

-21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 SEK 14.79

$1.67 SEK 16.55

-10.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 SEK 24.73

$2.84 SEK 28.25

-12.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 SEK 31.38

$3.44 SEK 34.16

-8.14%

Eggs

$3.34 SEK 33.14

$4.12 SEK 40.90

-18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 SEK 111

$13.17 SEK 131

-15.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 SEK 89.2

$11.85 SEK 118

-24.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 SEK 164

$21.25 SEK 211

-22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 31.00

$2.97 SEK 29.46

5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 SEK 25.13

$2.63 SEK 26.07

-3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 29.71

$2.94 SEK 29.20

1.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 39.61

$4.26 SEK 42.28

-6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 15.22

$1.63 SEK 16.16

-6.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 14.66

$1.55 SEK 15.44

-4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 SEK 19.52

$2.51 SEK 24.95

-21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 SEK 8.49

$1.18 SEK 11.69

-27.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 SEK 65.4

$8.17 SEK 81.2

-19.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 SEK 104

$11.38 SEK 113

-8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.97

$2.05 SEK 20.35

-1.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.25

$2.37 SEK 23.57

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 SEK 28.05

$3.22 SEK 32.03

-12.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 SEK 649

$63.9 SEK 635

2.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 SEK 60.2

$6.05 SEK 60.1

0.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 SEK 16.42

$2.48 SEK 24.66

-33.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 SEK 587

$49.44 SEK 491

19.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 18.18

$1.79 SEK 17.77

2.23%

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

$33.2K SEK 329.7K

$32.6K SEK 324.2K

1.70%

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

$33.3K SEK 330.4K

0.01%

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

$105 SEK 1,042

$144 SEK 1,429

-27.07%

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

$19.73 SEK 196

$25.21 SEK 250

-21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.15 SEK 339

$40.19 SEK 399

-15.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.85 SEK 346

$39.31 SEK 390

-11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.48 SEK 293

Cinema Ticket

$16.80 SEK 167

$17.12 SEK 170

-1.87%

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

$149 SEK 1,482

$168 SEK 1,671

-11.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,359 SEK 43.3K

$3,352 SEK 33.3K

30.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 SEK 880

$102 SEK 1,013

-13.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.58 SEK 324

$45.62 SEK 453

-28.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 SEK 885

$111 SEK 1,099

-19.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SEK 1,290

$156 SEK 1,551

-16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 SEK 5,821

$1,100 SEK 10.9K

-46.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 SEK 5,496

$852 SEK 8,464

-35.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 SEK 11.1K

$1,765 SEK 17.5K

-36.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 SEK 9,650

$1,343 SEK 13.3K

-27.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,339 SEK 43.1K

$4,098 SEK 40.7K

5.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,158 SEK 31.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,263 SEK 22.5K

$2,979 SEK 29.6K

-24.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.05

0.33%

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

Last update for Halmstad: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Halmstad

$553 34.4%

Malmo

$852 40.8% 54% $299

Groceries & Markets

Halmstad

$317 19.7%

Malmo

$371 17.8% 17% $54

Eating Out

Halmstad

$266 16.5%

Malmo

$304 14.5% 14.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Halmstad

$159 9.9%

Malmo

$209 10% 31.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Halmstad

$153 9.5%

Malmo

$187 8.9% 21.8% $33

Getting Around

Halmstad

$91 5.7%

Malmo

$95 4.6% 4.7% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Halmstad

$68 4.3%

Malmo

$74 3.5% 7.5% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $586 in Halmstad versus $1,100 in Malmo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 32% higher in Malmo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Halmstad versus $76 in Malmo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $317 vs $371 – making Halmstad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Halmstad

🇸🇪 Malmo

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

Same time as Halmstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,688

316,588

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Halmstad Malmo 120 km

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Halmstad
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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

Halmstad vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 30% more than Halmstad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,412 per month in Halmstad and $3,138 in Malmo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Halmstad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $586 there versus $1,100 in Malmo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Halmstad and $76 in Malmo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Malmo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Halmstad, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Malmo at $2,092. In Halmstad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Halmstad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Halmstad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malmo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.