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: $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,047 in Malmo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Lulea versus $3,170 in Malmo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,161 in Lulea versus $4,292 in Malmo.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 8% less than in Malmo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 41% above, Malmo 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$13.48 SEK 126

-4.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 SEK 875

$85.6 SEK 799

9.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 SEK 112

$12.67 SEK 118

-5.21%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 43.39

$5.05 SEK 47.16

-7.92%

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

$2.56 SEK 23.88

$2.69 SEK 25.07

-4.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.25

$2.15 SEK 20.07

-4.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 78.9

$8.00 SEK 74.7

5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 SEK 93.2

$8.20 SEK 76.5

21.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.02

$1.67 SEK 15.62

15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 SEK 33.15

$3.11 SEK 28.99

14.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 SEK 46.86

$3.61 SEK 33.71

39.06%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 46.21

$4.42 SEK 41.22

11.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$12.05 SEK 112

7.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 130

$12.78 SEK 119

9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 SEK 255

$27.50 SEK 257

-0.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.13

$3.27 SEK 30.49

-17.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 26.15

$2.78 SEK 25.94

0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.49

$3.24 SEK 30.25

-19.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 42.17

$4.79 SEK 44.68

-5.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 SEK 20.33

$1.83 SEK 17.07

19.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.26

$1.95 SEK 18.22

-15.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 31.88

$2.57 SEK 23.98

33.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.53

$1.34 SEK 12.50

8.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.45 SEK 69.5

$8.13 SEK 75.9

-8.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 SEK 118

$12.10 SEK 113

4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.10

$2.53 SEK 23.59

-27.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.77

$2.66 SEK 24.80

-32.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.39

$3.36 SEK 31.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 561

$69.3 SEK 647

-13.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 SEK 88.9

$6.44 SEK 60.1

47.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.00

$2.64 SEK 24.63

-35.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.1 SEK 700

$56.2 SEK 524

33.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.60

$1.92 SEK 17.92

-1.56%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

$33.1K SEK 308.6K

-3.31%

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

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

$33.8K SEK 315.3K

3.23%

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

$174 SEK 1,627

$154 SEK 1,433

13.58%

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

$33.07 SEK 309

$30.36 SEK 283

8.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 SEK 265

$40.38 SEK 377

-29.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 SEK 459

$38.30 SEK 357

28.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.67 SEK 342

$23.78 SEK 222

54.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 128

$17.81 SEK 166

-22.80%

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

$159 SEK 1,481

$162 SEK 1,508

-1.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

$4,876 SEK 45.5K

18.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,168

$105 SEK 977

19.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 SEK 315

$45.70 SEK 426

-26.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,175

$124 SEK 1,159

1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,605

$165 SEK 1,542

4.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,376

$932 SEK 8,693

-15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SEK 5,395

$773 SEK 7,215

-25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

$1,721 SEK 16.1K

-17.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 SEK 9,824

$1,343 SEK 12.5K

-21.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

$4,311 SEK 40.2K

-22.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

$3,360 SEK 31.3K

-29.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

$3,353 SEK 31.3K

-18.50%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Malmo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Lulea and $932 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 23% 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: $94.0 in Lulea vs $86.0 in Malmo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $410 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, Malmo earns 23% 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: $791 in Lulea versus $932 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 $94.0 versus $86.0 in Malmo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,047 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 $1,885 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.