Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Middlesbrough Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalmar and Middlesbrough

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,981 per month in Kalmar vs $2,157 in Middlesbrough, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,973 per month in Kalmar vs $3,127 in Middlesbrough, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,966 per month in Kalmar vs $4,097 in Middlesbrough, rent included.

Kalmar is about 8% cheaper than Middlesbrough, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Kalmar and Middlesbrough sit above the global median – Kalmar by 44%, Middlesbrough by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.61 SEK 149

$24.11 £17.83

-35.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 SEK 699

$73.6 £54.5

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 SEK 106

$10.80 £7.99

2.59%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 46.53

$4.82 £3.57

0.83%

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

$2.92 SEK 27.93

$2.43 £1.80

20.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 SEK 25.32

$1.89 £1.40

40.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.82 SEK 94.0

$6.86 £5.08

43.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 SEK 69.4

$7.37 £5.45

-1.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 SEK 14.52

$1.31 £0.97

16.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 SEK 28.46

$1.45 £1.08

105.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.58

$2.50 £1.85

28.00%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 47.39

$3.60 £2.66

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 112

$7.75 £5.74

50.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 111

$7.23 £5.35

61.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.58 SEK 226

$14.80 £10.95

59.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 SEK 25.36

$2.43 £1.80

9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.07

$2.42 £1.79

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 SEK 32.69

$2.66 £1.97

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 SEK 39.35

$2.66 £1.97

54.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 SEK 14.69

$1.77 £1.31

-12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 SEK 15.03

$1.59 £1.17

-1.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 SEK 19.36

$1.18 £0.87

71.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.47

$3.13 £2.32

-41.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 SEK 77.7

$23.42 £17.33

-65.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 SEK 89.2

$12.41 £9.18

-24.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 19.35

$4.31 £3.19

-53.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 SEK 24.57

$6.26 £4.63

-58.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 SEK 33.98

$5.64 £4.17

-37.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 SEK 775

$94.4 £69.8

-14.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 SEK 95.9

$4.38 £3.24

129.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SEK 16.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.3 SEK 481

$27.56 £20.39

82.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.36

$2.04 £1.51

-11.27%

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

$31.6K SEK 302.2K

$39.1K £28.9K

-19.17%

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

$30.2K SEK 288.7K

$40.7K £30.1K

-25.77%

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

$152 SEK 1,451

$358 £265

-57.61%

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

$27.98 SEK 268

$17.30 £12.80

61.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.50 SEK 320

$42.46 £31.41

-21.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.39 SEK 310

$52.4 £38.74

-38.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 SEK 258

$33.53 £24.81

-19.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.39 SEK 147

$14.99 £11.09

2.67%

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

$146 SEK 1,401

$816 £604

-82.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,205 SEK 49.8K

$40.2K £29.7K

-87.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 SEK 503

$104 £77.3

-49.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.15 SEK 432

$54.8 £40.57

-17.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 SEK 816

$114 £84.6

-25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 SEK 1,011

$108 £79.8

-1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 SEK 9,036

$966 £715

-2.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 SEK 7,763

$701 £518

15.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 SEK 13.1K

$1,134 £839

20.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 SEK 11.6K

$989 £731

22.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,269 SEK 40.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,887 SEK 27.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,037 SEK 29.1K

$2,318 £1,715

31.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

5.64

-30.32%

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

Last update for Kalmar: August 29, 2026

Last update for Middlesbrough: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Kalmar versus $966 in Middlesbrough. 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 31% higher in Kalmar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Kalmar versus $74.0 in Middlesbrough. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Kalmar vs $316 in Middlesbrough – so Middlesbrough wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Middlesbrough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,981 in Kalmar, $2,157 in Middlesbrough – roughly 9% apart. Middlesbrough costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,971 per month in Kalmar and $3,235 in Middlesbrough. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Kalmar and $816 in Middlesbrough. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Middlesbrough – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalmar, where all-in costs run around $1,981, than in Middlesbrough at $2,157. In Kalmar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Middlesbrough it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Kalmar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Middlesbrough makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.