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: $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,093 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,101 in Lulea versus $3,234 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,283 in Lulea versus $4,376 in Malmo.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 8% less than in Malmo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 40% above, Malmo 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.44 SEK 120

$15.36 SEK 148

-19.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 SEK 954

$79.8 SEK 768

24.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 SEK 112

$12.28 SEK 118

-5.62%

Cappuccino

$4.58 SEK 44.07

$4.87 SEK 46.91

-5.95%

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

$2.64 SEK 25.39

$3.55 SEK 34.19

-25.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.94

$2.84 SEK 27.31

-30.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.32 SEK 89.8

$9.09 SEK 87.6

2.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 SEK 94.4

$9.34 SEK 90.0

4.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 SEK 18.01

$1.83 SEK 17.66

2.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 SEK 33.03

$3.00 SEK 28.89

14.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 SEK 47.27

$3.64 SEK 35.06

34.89%

Eggs

$4.67 SEK 44.95

$4.18 SEK 40.28

11.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 122

$13.29 SEK 128

-4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 SEK 131

$12.35 SEK 119

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.73 SEK 267

$22.05 SEK 212

25.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 25.59

$3.12 SEK 30.06

-14.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.20

$2.57 SEK 24.72

9.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.06

$3.07 SEK 29.58

-18.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 41.88

$4.42 SEK 42.61

-1.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 SEK 21.40

$1.76 SEK 16.98

26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.95

$1.60 SEK 15.39

-3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 SEK 33.16

$2.64 SEK 25.44

30.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.37

$1.29 SEK 12.38

-0.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 SEK 69.1

$7.95 SEK 76.6

-9.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 SEK 122

$11.86 SEK 114

6.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.14

$2.14 SEK 20.64

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SEK 17.71

$2.43 SEK 23.39

-24.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.96

$3.27 SEK 31.47

4.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 SEK 555

$66.5 SEK 641

-13.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 SEK 91.6

$6.29 SEK 60.6

51.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 SEK 21.67

$2.50 SEK 24.12

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 SEK 693

$52.8 SEK 508

36.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 16.98

$1.81 SEK 17.39

-2.76%

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

$33.5K SEK 322.7K

$34.1K SEK 328.5K

-1.79%

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

$35.8K SEK 344.4K

$35.1K SEK 338.4K

1.77%

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

$173 SEK 1,663

$143 SEK 1,376

20.86%

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

$32.34 SEK 312

$27.75 SEK 267

16.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 SEK 269

$39.07 SEK 376

-28.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 SEK 475

$45.75 SEK 441

7.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.98 SEK 356

$30.43 SEK 293

21.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 SEK 130

$18.13 SEK 175

-25.76%

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

$161 SEK 1,552

$176 SEK 1,692

-8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,808 SEK 55.9K

$3,485 SEK 33.6K

66.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 SEK 1,182

$104 SEK 1,000

18.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 SEK 329

$46.39 SEK 447

-26.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,211

$119 SEK 1,150

5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,599

$159 SEK 1,535

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,766

$1,054 SEK 10.2K

-23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 SEK 5,775

$845 SEK 8,142

-29.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 SEK 14.8K

$1,733 SEK 16.7K

-11.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 SEK 11.1K

$1,421 SEK 13.7K

-18.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,240 SEK 31.2K

$4,223 SEK 40.7K

-23.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,346 SEK 22.6K

$3,338 SEK 32.1K

-29.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,633 SEK 25.4K

$3,200 SEK 30.8K

-17.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.02

27.48%

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

Last update for Lulea: September 1, 2026

Last update for Malmo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $1,054 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 22% 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: $99.0 in Lulea vs $80.0 in Malmo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $387 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 9% 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 22% 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 $1,054 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Malmo pay roughly 9% 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 $99.0 versus $80.0 in Malmo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,093 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 $1,919 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 9% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.