Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malmo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Malmo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $2,148 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $3,268 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $4,388 in Malmo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Malmo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Malmo 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$15.41 SEK 149

13.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$80.0 SEK 775

-19.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$12.32 SEK 119

-5.44%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.96 SEK 48.04

-34.27%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$3.56 SEK 34.54

-30.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.69 SEK 26.04

-37.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$8.81 SEK 85.5

-60.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$9.21 SEK 89.3

-61.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.74 SEK 16.88

-32.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.92 SEK 28.32

-33.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$3.63 SEK 35.15

-57.02%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.29 SEK 41.58

-6.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.32 SEK 129

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$12.65 SEK 123

-33.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$22.12 SEK 214

-17.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.21 SEK 31.10

-27.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.71 SEK 26.29

-36.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.05 SEK 29.57

-36.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.50 SEK 43.58

-41.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.78 SEK 17.22

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.60 SEK 15.55

31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.67 SEK 25.92

-46.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.27 SEK 12.29

-37.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$8.06 SEK 78.2

-13.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.80 SEK 114

-49.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.07 SEK 20.05

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.45 SEK 23.74

-12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.28 SEK 31.84

-27.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$64.8 SEK 628

-28.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$6.53 SEK 63.3

-35.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.60 SEK 25.24

-57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$52.1 SEK 505

-66.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.85 SEK 17.95

21.62%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$34.1K SEK 331.0K

0.94%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$34.4K SEK 333.6K

20.96%

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

$171 €147

$144 SEK 1,400

18.36%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$27.41 SEK 266

-30.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$38.23 SEK 371

-10.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$43.31 SEK 420

14.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$30.14 SEK 292

-35.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$17.87 SEK 173

-43.48%

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

$699 €603

$180 SEK 1,742

289.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$3,500 SEK 33.9K

407.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$104 SEK 1,011

0.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$46.40 SEK 450

3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$116 SEK 1,127

-12.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$160 SEK 1,547

-19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$1,046 SEK 10.1K

58.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$822 SEK 7,968

49.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,782 SEK 17.3K

63.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,407 SEK 13.6K

43.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$4,132 SEK 40.1K

96.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$3,338 SEK 32.4K

38.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$3,184 SEK 30.9K

-49.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.02

25.17%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Malmo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $1,046 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $80.0 in Malmo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $388 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Malmo differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $2,148 including rent). Malmo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Malmo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $1,046 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $180 in Malmo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,148 in Malmo versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malmo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Malmo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Malmo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malmo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.