Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,563 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
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Malmo Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index

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Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,092

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malmo and in Bålsta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malmo and in Bålsta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,092 in Malmo versus $1,563 in Bålsta.

Malmo $2,092
Bålsta $1,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,149 in Malmo versus $2,445 in Bålsta.

Malmo $3,149
Bålsta $2,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,206 in Malmo versus $3,328 in Bålsta.

Malmo $4,206
Bålsta $3,328

Living in Malmo is roughly 34% more expensive than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 54% above, Bålsta 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 SEK 151

$13.67 SEK 136

10.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 SEK 755

$66.8 SEK 663

13.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 SEK 121

$8.80 SEK 87.4

38.41%

Cappuccino

$4.94 SEK 49.02

$3.95 SEK 39.26

25.06%

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

$3.50 SEK 34.77

$2.68 SEK 26.63

30.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 SEK 26.83

$2.24 SEK 22.25

20.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.69 SEK 86.3

$7.16 SEK 71.1

21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 SEK 90.5

$6.96 SEK 69.1

30.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 16.55

$1.49 SEK 14.79

12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 SEK 28.25

$2.00 SEK 19.90

42.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 SEK 34.16

$3.51 SEK 34.83

-1.99%

Eggs

$4.12 SEK 40.90

$3.71 SEK 36.89

11.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.17 SEK 131

$11.01 SEK 109

19.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.85 SEK 118

$12.21 SEK 121

-2.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.25 SEK 211

$11.02 SEK 109

92.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 29.46

$2.50 SEK 24.82

18.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 SEK 26.07

$2.60 SEK 25.85

1.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 29.20

$2.07 SEK 20.56

42.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 SEK 42.28

$2.90 SEK 28.76

46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 16.16

$1.50 SEK 14.93

8.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 15.44

$1.18 SEK 11.72

31.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 SEK 24.95

$1.55 SEK 15.38

61.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 SEK 11.69

$0.99 SEK 9.84

19.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 SEK 81.2

$7.26 SEK 72.1

12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 SEK 113

$10.20 SEK 101

11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.35

$1.54 SEK 15.25

33.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.57

$1.96 SEK 19.49

20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 SEK 32.03

$3.28 SEK 32.56

-1.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 SEK 635

$79.1 SEK 785

-19.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 SEK 60.1

$6.03 SEK 59.9

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 SEK 24.66

$1.54 SEK 15.34

61.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.44 SEK 491

$77.4 SEK 769

-36.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.77

$1.76 SEK 17.48

1.70%

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

$32.6K SEK 324.2K

$33.2K SEK 329.5K

-1.62%

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

$33.3K SEK 330.4K

$33.8K SEK 335.6K

-1.55%

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

$144 SEK 1,429

$50.1 SEK 497

187.34%

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

$25.21 SEK 250

$20.16 SEK 200

25.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.19 SEK 399

$39.59 SEK 393

1.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.31 SEK 390

$37.16 SEK 369

5.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.48 SEK 293

$26.37 SEK 262

11.79%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 SEK 170

$12.93 SEK 128

32.41%

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

$168 SEK 1,671

$121 SEK 1,203

38.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,352 SEK 33.3K

$5,046 SEK 50.1K

-33.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 SEK 1,013

$69.2 SEK 688

47.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.62 SEK 453

$9.93 SEK 98.6

359.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 SEK 1,099

$81.0 SEK 804

36.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,551

$113 SEK 1,121

38.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 SEK 10.9K

$801 SEK 7,955

37.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 8,464

$610 SEK 6,054

39.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 SEK 17.5K

$1,368 SEK 13.6K

29.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 13.3K

$1,030 SEK 10.2K

30.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 SEK 40.7K

$4,003 SEK 39.8K

2.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,158 SEK 31.4K

$2,823 SEK 28.0K

11.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,979 SEK 29.6K

$3,868 SEK 38.4K

-23.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.05

2.8

8.93%

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

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Malmo

$852 40.8%

Bålsta

$610 39% 28.5% $243

Groceries & Markets

Malmo

$371 17.8%

Bålsta

$299 19.1% 19.6% $73

Eating Out

Malmo

$304 14.5%

Bålsta

$253 16.2% 16.8% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malmo

$209 10%

Bålsta

$110 7% 47.5% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Malmo

$187 8.9%

Bålsta

$123 7.9% 34.1% $64

Getting Around

Malmo

$95 4.6%

Bålsta

$106 6.8% 11.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Malmo

$74 3.5%

Bålsta

$63 4% 14.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,100 in Malmo and $801 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76 in Malmo vs $67 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $299 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Malmo

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

Same time as Malmo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,588

13,138

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malmo Bålsta 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Malmo
Bålsta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Malmo vs Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Malmo. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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: $1,100 in Malmo versus $801 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,092 per month in Malmo versus $1,563 in Bålsta – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malmo runs roughly 19% less than in Bålsta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bålsta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.