Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kista: $1,724 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kista, Sweden
Malmo, Sweden
Kista
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,724
/mo nomad
Malmo
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,092
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,724 per month in Kista vs $2,092 in Malmo, rent included.

  • Kista $1,724
  • Malmo $2,092

A couple spends around $2,694 per month in Kista vs $3,149 in Malmo, rent included.

  • Kista $2,694
  • Malmo $3,149

A family of three spends $3,664 per month in Kista vs $4,206 in Malmo, rent included.

  • Kista $3,664
  • Malmo $4,206

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

Both Kista and Malmo sit above the global median – Kista by 27%, Malmo by 54%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kista
Malmo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.46 SEK 134
$15.17 SEK 151
-11.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.2 SEK 746
$76.1 SEK 755
-1.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.13 SEK 101
$12.18 SEK 121
-16.83%
Cappuccino
$4.56 SEK 45.29
$4.94 SEK 49.02
-7.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 SEK 26.57
$3.50 SEK 34.77
-23.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 SEK 21.73
$2.70 SEK 26.83
-18.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.96 SEK 69.2
$8.69 SEK 86.3
-19.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.00 SEK 69.5
$9.11 SEK 90.5
-23.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kista
Malmo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 SEK 16.29
$1.67 SEK 16.55
-1.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.75 SEK 27.30
$2.84 SEK 28.25
-3.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 SEK 34.14
$3.44 SEK 34.16
-
Eggs
$4.01 SEK 39.83
$4.12 SEK 40.90
-2.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.21 SEK 121
$13.17 SEK 131
-7.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.11 SEK 120
$11.85 SEK 118
2.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.14 SEK 170
$21.25 SEK 211
-19.34%
Apples (1kg)
$3.03 SEK 30.06
$2.97 SEK 29.46
2.02%
Banana (1kg)
$2.52 SEK 25.01
$2.63 SEK 26.07
-4.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 SEK 28.81
$2.94 SEK 29.20
-1.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 SEK 43.34
$4.26 SEK 42.28
2.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 SEK 16.03
$1.63 SEK 16.16
-1.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 SEK 16.12
$1.55 SEK 15.44
4.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 SEK 22.67
$2.51 SEK 24.95
-9.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.45 SEK 14.42
$1.18 SEK 11.69
22.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.27 SEK 72.3
$8.17 SEK 81.2
-11.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.93 SEK 98.6
$11.38 SEK 113
-12.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 SEK 19.31
$2.05 SEK 20.35
-5.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 SEK 22.81
$2.37 SEK 23.57
-2.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Kista
Malmo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.25 SEK 32.30
$3.22 SEK 32.03
0.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.1 SEK 775
$63.9 SEK 635
22.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.10 SEK 60.6
$6.05 SEK 60.1
0.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 SEK 16.75
$2.48 SEK 24.66
-31.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.9 SEK 585
$49.44 SEK 491
19.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.78
$1.79 SEK 17.77
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K SEK 324.9K
$32.6K SEK 324.2K
0.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K SEK 335.9K
$33.3K SEK 330.4K
1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kista
Malmo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 SEK 1,031
$144 SEK 1,429
-27.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.86 SEK 257
$25.21 SEK 250
2.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.31 SEK 390
$40.19 SEK 399
-2.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kista
Malmo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.24 SEK 370
$39.31 SEK 390
-5.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.02 SEK 258
$29.48 SEK 293
-11.74%
Cinema Ticket
$16.08 SEK 160
$17.12 SEK 170
-6.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kista
Malmo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$159 SEK 1,583
$168 SEK 1,671
-5.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,088 SEK 50.5K
$3,352 SEK 33.3K
51.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kista
Malmo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.4 SEK 977
$102 SEK 1,013
-3.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.15 SEK 399
$45.62 SEK 453
-11.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.7 SEK 910
$111 SEK 1,099
-17.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 SEK 1,393
$156 SEK 1,551
-10.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kista
Malmo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$795 SEK 7,893
$1,100 SEK 10.9K
-27.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$598 SEK 5,937
$852 SEK 8,464
-29.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,370 SEK 13.6K
$1,765 SEK 17.5K
-22.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,001 SEK 9,945
$1,343 SEK 13.3K
-25.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,976 SEK 39.5K
$4,098 SEK 40.7K
-2.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,847 SEK 28.3K
$3,158 SEK 31.4K
-9.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kista
Malmo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$2,979 SEK 29.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.37
3.05
10.49%

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

Last update for Kista: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kista
$598
Malmo
$852 42.6% $254
Groceries & Markets
Kista
$355
Malmo
$371 4.7% $17
Eating Out
Kista
$261
Malmo
$304 16.3% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kista
$169
Malmo
$209 23.8% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Kista
$167
Malmo
$187 11.9% $20
Getting Around
Kista
$106
Malmo
$95 9.8% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Kista
$69
Malmo
$74 6% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $795 in Kista 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Kista versus $76 in Malmo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $371 – making Kista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Kista
🇸🇪 Malmo
🕒 Local time
21:26 9:26 PM
21:26 9:26 PM
Same time as Kista
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,254
316,588
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.06 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kista Malmo 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kista
  • 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
Kista vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kista or Malmo?
Malmo costs about 21% more than Kista, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kista and in Malmo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,587 per month in Kista and $3,138 in Malmo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kista or Malmo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kista, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $795 there versus $1,100 in Malmo.
How expensive is transport in Kista compared to Malmo?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Malmo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Are groceries more expensive in Kista or in Malmo?
Groceries cost about 5% more in Malmo, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Kista or in Malmo?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kista, where all-in costs run around $1,724, than in Malmo at $2,092. In Kista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kista or Malmo?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kista costs $1,724 versus $2,092 in Malmo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Kista vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?