Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiruna and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiruna: $1,730 a month against $2,120 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kiruna
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Kiruna Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
Learn more

Malmo Living Index

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Kiruna

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,730

/mo nomad

Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,730 per month in Kiruna vs $2,120 in Malmo, rent included.

Kiruna $1,730
Malmo $2,120

A couple spends around $2,703 per month in Kiruna vs $3,205 in Malmo, rent included.

Kiruna $2,703
Malmo $3,205

A family of three spends $3,676 per month in Kiruna vs $4,290 in Malmo, rent included.

Kiruna $3,676
Malmo $4,290

Kiruna is about 18% cheaper than Malmo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kiruna and Malmo sit above the global median – Kiruna by 28%, Malmo by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.68 SEK 133

$15.53 SEK 151

-11.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 SEK 746

$78.4 SEK 764

-2.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 SEK 90.0

$12.46 SEK 121

-25.92%

Cappuccino

$4.37 SEK 42.61

$4.94 SEK 48.13

-11.54%

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

$2.71 SEK 26.43

$3.39 SEK 33.02

-20.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.44

$2.67 SEK 25.99

-17.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 SEK 68.4

$8.77 SEK 85.5

-19.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 SEK 70.5

$8.94 SEK 87.1

-19.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 16.39

$1.71 SEK 16.66

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 SEK 28.30

$2.86 SEK 27.89

1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 SEK 32.78

$3.51 SEK 34.20

-4.27%

Eggs

$4.11 SEK 40.08

$3.88 SEK 37.82

5.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 SEK 119

$12.92 SEK 126

-5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 SEK 115

$12.47 SEK 122

-5.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 SEK 160

$21.74 SEK 212

-24.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 SEK 26.44

$3.09 SEK 30.07

-12.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.73

$2.66 SEK 25.94

-0.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 SEK 31.30

$3.11 SEK 30.30

3.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 SEK 49.17

$4.49 SEK 43.80

12.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.78

$1.63 SEK 15.84

5.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 14.96

$1.57 SEK 15.25

-2.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 SEK 22.40

$2.57 SEK 25.06

-10.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SEK 15.74

$1.22 SEK 11.85

32.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.38 SEK 71.9

$8.03 SEK 78.3

-8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 SEK 101

$11.84 SEK 115

-12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 SEK 20.67

$2.09 SEK 20.33

1.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 22.07

$2.33 SEK 22.69

-3.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 SEK 33.16

$3.30 SEK 32.14

3.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 SEK 786

$64.7 SEK 631

24.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.90 SEK 67.2

$6.21 SEK 60.6

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 SEK 16.54

$2.45 SEK 23.87

-30.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.9 SEK 642

$52.0 SEK 506

26.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 19.00

$1.77 SEK 17.25

10.17%

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

$37.3K SEK 363.2K

$33.5K SEK 326.1K

11.39%

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

$29.3K SEK 285.4K

$34.2K SEK 333.7K

-14.47%

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

$94.8 SEK 924

$146 SEK 1,427

-35.27%

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

$24.06 SEK 234

$22.36 SEK 218

7.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.82 SEK 378

$39.56 SEK 386

-1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 SEK 364

$37.65 SEK 367

-0.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.32 SEK 237

$31.39 SEK 306

-22.52%

Cinema Ticket

$16.49 SEK 161

$17.02 SEK 166

-3.11%

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

$133 SEK 1,292

$172 SEK 1,681

-23.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,718 SEK 46.0K

$3,146 SEK 30.7K

50.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 SEK 976

$104 SEK 1,011

-3.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.13 SEK 381

$45.60 SEK 444

-14.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 SEK 879

$115 SEK 1,125

-21.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 SEK 1,191

$156 SEK 1,524

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 SEK 8,009

$1,097 SEK 10.7K

-25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SEK 5,989

$868 SEK 8,457

-29.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 SEK 13.6K

$1,800 SEK 17.5K

-22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 SEK 9,957

$1,387 SEK 13.5K

-26.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,824 SEK 37.3K

$4,139 SEK 40.3K

-7.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,670 SEK 26.0K

$3,172 SEK 30.9K

-15.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,354 SEK 32.7K

$3,173 SEK 30.9K

5.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.05

31.15%

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

Last update for Kiruna: October 31, 2026

Last update for Malmo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kiruna

$615 35.5%

Malmo

$868 40.9% 41.2% $253

Groceries & Markets

Kiruna

$361 20.9%

Malmo

$380 17.9% 5.2% $19

Eating Out

Kiruna

$259 15%

Malmo

$307 14.5% 18.5% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Kiruna

$158 9.2%

Malmo

$189 8.9% 19.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kiruna

$158 9.1%

Malmo

$208 9.8% 32.1% $51

Getting Around

Kiruna

$110 6.3%

Malmo

$96 4.6% 12.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kiruna

$70 4.1%

Malmo

$72 3.4% 2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $822 in Kiruna versus $1,097 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 6% higher in Kiruna, 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 $77 in Kiruna versus $78 in Malmo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $380 – making Kiruna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Kiruna

🇸🇪 Malmo

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

Same time as Kiruna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,454

316,588

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.26 USD

100 SEK = 9.15 EUR

100 SEK = 10.26 USD

100 SEK = 9.15 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kiruna Malmo 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kiruna
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

Kiruna vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,730 in Kiruna, $2,120 in Malmo – Kiruna comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,595 per month in Kiruna and $3,180 in Malmo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kiruna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $822 there versus $1,097 in Malmo.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,730 in Kiruna and $2,120 in Malmo. That makes Kiruna about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $133 per month in Kiruna and $172 in Malmo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,730 in Kiruna and $2,120 in Malmo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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