Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Malmo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Malmo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,081 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,060 in Lulea versus $3,224 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,256 in Lulea versus $4,368 in Malmo.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 10% less than in Malmo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 40% above, Malmo 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.56 SEK 121

$13.74 SEK 132

-8.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 SEK 911

$83.5 SEK 804

13.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 SEK 112

$12.74 SEK 123

-8.95%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 46.91

$5.15 SEK 49.58

-5.44%

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

$2.55 SEK 24.56

$2.68 SEK 25.84

-4.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 19.01

$2.10 SEK 20.23

-6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 SEK 82.6

$7.81 SEK 75.3

9.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 SEK 96.0

$8.01 SEK 77.2

24.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.64

$1.73 SEK 16.71

11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 SEK 32.98

$3.08 SEK 29.64

11.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 SEK 48.86

$3.48 SEK 33.56

45.69%

Eggs

$4.74 SEK 45.70

$4.53 SEK 43.67

4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 SEK 123

$12.41 SEK 120

2.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 SEK 135

$13.01 SEK 125

7.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.00 SEK 270

$26.83 SEK 259

4.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 SEK 25.15

$3.40 SEK 32.73

-23.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 SEK 26.58

$2.94 SEK 28.35

-6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.03

$3.29 SEK 31.73

-20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 42.04

$4.83 SEK 46.54

-9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 SEK 21.48

$1.87 SEK 18.04

19.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$1.94 SEK 18.70

-14.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.48 SEK 33.52

$2.55 SEK 24.61

36.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SEK 13.84

$1.34 SEK 12.96

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.42 SEK 71.5

$7.88 SEK 76.0

-5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 SEK 119

$11.67 SEK 112

5.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.15

$2.40 SEK 23.17

-21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.87

$2.73 SEK 26.30

-32.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 32.35

$3.46 SEK 33.30

-2.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.3 SEK 562

$71.0 SEK 684

-17.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 SEK 91.9

$6.76 SEK 65.1

41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.68

$2.64 SEK 25.41

-34.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 SEK 718

$57.1 SEK 550

30.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 18.22

$1.90 SEK 18.35

-0.53%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

$33.0K SEK 317.6K

-2.35%

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

$35.7K SEK 343.7K

$33.9K SEK 327.1K

5.07%

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

$176 SEK 1,692

$155 SEK 1,491

13.45%

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

$31.87 SEK 307

$29.60 SEK 285

7.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 SEK 275

$39.55 SEK 381

-27.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 SEK 468

$39.29 SEK 379

23.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.54 SEK 352

$23.47 SEK 226

55.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 SEK 132

$17.81 SEK 172

-22.91%

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

$163 SEK 1,566

$157 SEK 1,516

3.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,827 SEK 56.2K

$4,884 SEK 47.1K

19.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 SEK 1,190

$105 SEK 1,010

17.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.60 SEK 324

$45.70 SEK 440

-26.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 SEK 1,252

$124 SEK 1,195

4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 SEK 1,643

$166 SEK 1,602

2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,765

$916 SEK 8,829

-12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 SEK 5,675

$791 SEK 7,619

-25.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

-15.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

-21.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,107 SEK 29.9K

$4,179 SEK 40.3K

-25.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 SEK 22.4K

$3,318 SEK 32.0K

-30.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,654 SEK 25.6K

$3,148 SEK 30.3K

-15.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

4.86

-13.58%

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

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $916 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $95.0 in Lulea vs $83.0 in Malmo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 vs $412 per month, with Malmo 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

Lulea vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Malmo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% 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: $806 in Lulea versus $916 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Malmo pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $83.0 in Malmo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,081 in Malmo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Malmo. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,865 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.