Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsingborg and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Helsingborg: $1,710 a month against $2,075 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
Learn more

Helsingborg Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
Learn more

Malmo Living Index

Jump to prices

Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,710

/mo nomad

Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsingborg 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 Helsingborg and in Malmo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,710 per month in Helsingborg vs $2,075 in Malmo, rent included.

Helsingborg $1,710
Malmo $2,075

A couple spends around $2,636 per month in Helsingborg vs $3,158 in Malmo, rent included.

Helsingborg $2,636
Malmo $3,158

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Helsingborg vs $4,240 in Malmo, rent included.

Helsingborg $3,561
Malmo $4,240

Helsingborg is about 18% cheaper than Malmo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Helsingborg and Malmo sit above the global median – Helsingborg by 26%, Malmo by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.35 SEK 132

$15.01 SEK 149

-11.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 SEK 686

$75.8 SEK 751

-8.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 SEK 126

$11.86 SEK 118

7.50%

Cappuccino

$4.53 SEK 44.87

$4.96 SEK 49.10

-8.67%

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

$2.88 SEK 28.49

$3.32 SEK 32.92

-13.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 23.60

$2.58 SEK 25.61

-7.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 SEK 67.5

$8.60 SEK 85.2

-20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 SEK 61.4

$8.79 SEK 87.1

-29.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 SEK 14.61

$1.74 SEK 17.20

-15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 26.65

$2.88 SEK 28.56

-6.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 29.08

$3.54 SEK 35.10

-17.23%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.60

$4.12 SEK 40.86

-5.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 SEK 111

$13.03 SEK 129

-13.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 SEK 112

$12.13 SEK 120

-7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 SEK 150

$21.58 SEK 214

-29.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 31.11

$3.08 SEK 30.48

1.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 SEK 25.03

$2.63 SEK 26.06

-3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 28.67

$3.10 SEK 30.72

-6.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 SEK 44.31

$4.27 SEK 42.26

4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 17.02

$1.69 SEK 16.73

1.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.64

$1.55 SEK 15.35

1.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SEK 18.38

$2.46 SEK 24.35

-24.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.99

$1.18 SEK 11.71

36.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 SEK 81.0

$7.99 SEK 79.2

2.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 SEK 90.1

$11.66 SEK 116

-22.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.78

$1.99 SEK 19.68

5.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.77

$2.27 SEK 22.52

-3.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 SEK 32.25

$3.15 SEK 31.23

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 SEK 616

$64.9 SEK 643

-4.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 SEK 62.2

$6.17 SEK 61.2

1.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 SEK 17.00

$2.43 SEK 24.06

-29.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.5 SEK 599

$51.3 SEK 508

17.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.80

$1.76 SEK 17.41

2.27%

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

$32.8K SEK 325.2K

$33.1K SEK 327.5K

-0.70%

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

$33.8K SEK 335.2K

$33.7K SEK 334.2K

0.29%

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

$103 SEK 1,020

$141 SEK 1,401

-27.22%

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

$19.97 SEK 198

$25.81 SEK 256

-22.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.57 SEK 333

$39.83 SEK 395

-15.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.54 SEK 382

$39.84 SEK 395

-3.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.23 SEK 220

$30.01 SEK 297

-25.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 SEK 147

$17.05 SEK 169

-13.08%

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

$176 SEK 1,746

$172 SEK 1,703

2.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,383 SEK 33.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 SEK 794

$101 SEK 1,004

-20.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.62 SEK 333

$44.66 SEK 443

-24.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 SEK 864

$114 SEK 1,132

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 SEK 1,060

$156 SEK 1,548

-31.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 SEK 8,380

$1,082 SEK 10.7K

-21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 SEK 6,464

$836 SEK 8,280

-21.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 SEK 13.9K

$1,765 SEK 17.5K

-20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

$1,372 SEK 13.6K

-21.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,133 SEK 31.0K

$4,013 SEK 39.8K

-21.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,265 SEK 22.4K

$3,220 SEK 31.9K

-29.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,880 SEK 28.5K

$3,099 SEK 30.7K

-7.07%

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 Helsingborg: October 20, 2026

Last update for Malmo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsingborg

$652 38.2%

Malmo

$836 40.3% 28.1% $183

Groceries & Markets

Helsingborg

$337 19.7%

Malmo

$376 18.1% 11.5% $39

Eating Out

Helsingborg

$267 15.6%

Malmo

$299 14.4% 12.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsingborg

$156 9.2%

Malmo

$207 10% 32.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Helsingborg

$139 8.1%

Malmo

$187 9% 35.2% $49

Getting Around

Helsingborg

$90 5.3%

Malmo

$96 4.6% 6.4% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Helsingborg

$68 4%

Malmo

$74 3.6% 8.5% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $846 in Helsingborg versus $1,082 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 8% higher in Malmo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Helsingborg versus $76.0 in Malmo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $337 vs $376 – making Helsingborg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Malmo

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

Same time as Helsingborg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,838

316,588

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Helsingborg Malmo 52 km

From you

Helsingborg
Malmo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Helsingborg vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,710 in Helsingborg, $2,075 in Malmo – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,565 per month in Helsingborg and $3,113 in Malmo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Helsingborg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Helsingborg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $176 per month in Helsingborg and $172 in Malmo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Helsingborg, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in Malmo at $2,075. In Helsingborg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Malmo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,710 in Helsingborg to $2,075 in Malmo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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