Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalmar: $1,907 a month against $3,986 in London, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kalmar
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,907
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,986
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kalmar and in London

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

A single person spends $1,907 per month in Kalmar vs $3,986 in London, rent included.

  • Kalmar $1,907
  • London $3,986

A couple spends around $2,844 per month in Kalmar vs $5,791 in London, rent included.

  • Kalmar $2,844
  • London $5,791

A family of three spends $3,781 per month in Kalmar vs $7,595 in London, rent included.

  • Kalmar $3,781
  • London $7,595

Kalmar is about 52% cheaper than London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kalmar and London sit above the global median – Kalmar by 41%, London by 195%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kalmar
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.70 SEK 146
$25.93 £19.45
-43.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.0 SEK 704
$107 £79.9
-33.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.27 SEK 102
$10.71 £8.03
-4.11%
Cappuccino
$4.65 SEK 46.09
$5.47 £4.11
-14.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 SEK 27.99
$2.97 £2.23
-5.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 SEK 25.71
$2.20 £1.65
17.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.66 SEK 95.7
$9.13 £6.85
5.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.03 SEK 69.7
$7.94 £5.96
-11.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kalmar
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 SEK 14.61
$1.86 £1.40
-20.97%
White Bread (500g)
$3.01 SEK 29.83
$2.07 £1.55
45.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.92 SEK 28.97
$2.42 £1.81
20.66%
Eggs
$4.59 SEK 45.43
$5.09 £3.82
-9.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.24 SEK 161
$12.87 £9.66
26.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.97 SEK 109
$10.43 £7.82
5.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.76 SEK 216
$16.87 £12.66
28.99%
Apples (1kg)
$2.46 SEK 24.38
$3.11 £2.33
-20.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 SEK 26.06
$1.40 £1.05
87.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.40 SEK 33.69
$3.08 £2.31
10.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.27 SEK 42.33
$3.27 £2.45
30.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 SEK 16.12
$1.58 £1.19
3.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.30 SEK 22.82
$1.74 £1.31
32.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.84 SEK 18.19
$1.40 £1.05
31.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 SEK 16.43
$1.80 £1.35
-7.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.97 SEK 79.0
$23.28 £17.46
-65.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.19 SEK 91.1
$13.03 £9.77
-29.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 SEK 19.44
$3.17 £2.38
-38.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 SEK 24.87
$4.42 £3.32
-43.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Kalmar
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.33 SEK 33.01
$4.07 £3.05
-18.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.6 SEK 759
$247 £185
-68.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.70 SEK 96.1
$5.58 £4.18
73.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 SEK 16.40
$3.36 £2.52
-50.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.98 SEK 466
$56.8 £42.58
-17.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.70 SEK 16.81
$2.13 £1.60
-20.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K SEK 296.3K
$38.2K £28.6K
-21.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.7K SEK 284.4K
$40.9K £30.7K
-29.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalmar
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$142 SEK 1,403
$372 £279
-61.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.84 SEK 266
$17.82 £13.37
50.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.79 SEK 315
$40.37 £30.29
-21.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kalmar
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.76 SEK 305
$60.0 £44.99
-48.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.42 SEK 262
$21.29 £15.97
24.10%
Cinema Ticket
$14.67 SEK 145
$17.74 £13.31
-17.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kalmar
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$138 SEK 1,367
$2,864 £2,149
-95.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,914 SEK 48.7K
$35.3K £26.5K
-86.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kalmar
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 SEK 501
$114 £85.5
-55.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.32 SEK 419
$54.3 £40.71
-22.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.8 SEK 791
$124 £93.2
-35.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 SEK 998
$163 £122
-38.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kalmar
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$914 SEK 9,056
$2,869 £2,152
-68.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$751 SEK 7,440
$2,233 £1,675
-66.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,294 SEK 12.8K
$5,266 £3,951
-75.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,107 SEK 11.0K
$3,778 £2,835
-70.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,041 SEK 40.0K
$18.3K £13.8K
-77.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,682 SEK 26.6K
$8,024 £6,020
-66.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kalmar
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,878 SEK 28.5K
$5,037 £3,779
-42.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.93
4.74
-17.09%

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

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Last update for London: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kalmar
$751
London
$2.2K 197% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Kalmar
$377
London
$349 7.2% $27
Eating Out
Kalmar
$288
London
$388 34.4% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalmar
$200
London
$430 115% $230
Clothing & Footwear
Kalmar
$123
London
$205 66.7% $82
Getting Around
Kalmar
$108
London
$285 165% $178
Sport & Entertainment
Kalmar
$60
London
$95 58.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $914 in Kalmar versus $2,869 in London. 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 75% higher in London, 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 $71.0 in Kalmar versus $107 in London. Groceries tell a different story – $377 in Kalmar vs $349 in London – so London wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Kalmar
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
05:44 5:44 AM
04:44 4:44 AM
1 h behind Kalmar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
35,170
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kalmar London 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kalmar
  • London

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
Kalmar vs London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kalmar and in London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,907 in Kalmar, $3,986 in London – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Kalmar compared to London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,861 per month in Kalmar and $5,979 in London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kalmar and London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalmar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kalmar and London?
Kindergarten costs $138 per month in Kalmar and $2,864 in London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in London – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalmar, where all-in costs run around $1,907, than in London at $3,986. In Kalmar it covers expenses comfortably, while in London it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Kalmar and London?
It depends on your priorities. London has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,907 in Kalmar to $3,986 in London. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Kalmar or London safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Kalmar and London?
If budget matters most, go with Kalmar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, London makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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