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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,047 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,170 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,292 in Malmo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 8% more expensive than Malmo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Malmo 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$13.48 SEK 127

18.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$85.6 SEK 804

-24.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$12.67 SEK 119

-17.05%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$5.05 SEK 47.48

-43.17%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.69 SEK 25.24

-16.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.15 SEK 20.21

-30.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$8.00 SEK 75.2

-56.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$8.20 SEK 77.1

-52.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.67 SEK 15.72

-31.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.11 SEK 29.19

-43.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.61 SEK 33.93

-51.25%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.42 SEK 41.49

-27.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$12.05 SEK 113

11.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$12.78 SEK 120

-38.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$27.50 SEK 258

-42.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.27 SEK 30.69

-29.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.78 SEK 26.12

-38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.24 SEK 30.45

-37.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.79 SEK 44.97

-48.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.83 SEK 17.19

0.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.95 SEK 18.34

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.57 SEK 24.14

-24.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.34 SEK 12.58

-41.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$8.13 SEK 76.4

-18.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$12.10 SEK 114

-52.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.53 SEK 23.75

-45.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.66 SEK 24.96

11.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.36 SEK 31.58

-29.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$69.3 SEK 651

-34.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$6.44 SEK 60.5

-33.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.64 SEK 24.80

-68.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$56.2 SEK 528

-67.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.92 SEK 18.04

7.29%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$33.1K SEK 310.7K

3.64%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$33.8K SEK 317.4K

16.27%

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

$148 €127

$154 SEK 1,442

-3.71%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$30.36 SEK 285

-32.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$40.38 SEK 379

-1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$38.30 SEK 360

24.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$23.78 SEK 223

-20.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$17.81 SEK 167

-48.46%

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

$614 €529

$162 SEK 1,518

279.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,876 SEK 45.8K

229.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$105 SEK 983

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$45.70 SEK 429

-7.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$124 SEK 1,166

-24.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$165 SEK 1,552

-27.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$932 SEK 8,751

74.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$773 SEK 7,264

62.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,721 SEK 16.2K

76.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,343 SEK 12.6K

50.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,311 SEK 40.5K

80.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,360 SEK 31.6K

27.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$3,353 SEK 31.5K

-52.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.86

-21.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Malmo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $932 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $86.0 in Malmo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $410 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 8% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,047 including rent). Malmo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Malmo earns 109% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $932 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $162 in Malmo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 52% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,047 in Malmo versus $2,210 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 8% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.