Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Boden

For one person, living is cheaper in Boden: $1,770 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malmo, Sweden
Boden, Sweden
Malmo
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,092
/mo nomad
Boden
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,770
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malmo and in Boden

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 Boden actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,092 per month in Malmo vs $1,770 in Boden, rent included.

  • Malmo $2,092
  • Boden $1,770

A couple spends around $3,149 per month in Malmo vs $2,754 in Boden, rent included.

  • Malmo $3,149
  • Boden $2,754

A family of three spends $4,206 per month in Malmo vs $3,739 in Boden, rent included.

  • Malmo $4,206
  • Boden $3,739

Malmo costs about 18% more than Boden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malmo and Boden sit above the global median – Malmo by 54%, Boden by 30%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malmo
Boden
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.17 SEK 148
$18.64 SEK 182
-18.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.1 SEK 742
$74.7 SEK 729
1.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.18 SEK 119
$10.01 SEK 97.6
21.68%
Cappuccino
$4.94 SEK 48.15
$4.35 SEK 42.42
13.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 SEK 34.16
$1.59 SEK 15.56
120.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 SEK 26.35
$2.22 SEK 21.61
21.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.69 SEK 84.8
$7.22 SEK 70.4
20.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.11 SEK 88.9
$6.50 SEK 63.5
40.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malmo
Boden
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 SEK 16.26
$1.52 SEK 14.84
9.87%
White Bread (500g)
$2.84 SEK 27.75
$2.77 SEK 27.01
2.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 SEK 33.56
$3.39 SEK 33.08
1.47%
Eggs
$4.12 SEK 40.18
$4.04 SEK 39.45
1.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.17 SEK 128
$12.16 SEK 119
8.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.85 SEK 116
$12.15 SEK 119
-2.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.25 SEK 207
$17.39 SEK 170
22.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 SEK 28.94
$2.99 SEK 29.18
-0.67%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 SEK 25.61
$2.56 SEK 25.01
2.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.94 SEK 28.68
$3.04 SEK 29.64
-3.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.26 SEK 41.53
$4.21 SEK 41.12
1.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 SEK 15.88
$1.60 SEK 15.58
1.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 SEK 15.17
$1.63 SEK 15.92
-4.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 SEK 24.51
$2.23 SEK 21.76
12.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 SEK 11.48
$1.44 SEK 14.01
-18.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.17 SEK 79.7
$10.29 SEK 100
-20.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.38 SEK 111
$10.30 SEK 100
10.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 SEK 19.99
$1.98 SEK 19.36
3.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 SEK 23.15
$2.21 SEK 21.51
7.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Malmo
Boden
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.22 SEK 31.46
$3.36 SEK 32.79
-4.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.9 SEK 623
$71.3 SEK 696
-10.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.05 SEK 59.0
$5.83 SEK 56.8
3.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.48 SEK 24.23
$1.51 SEK 14.69
64.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.44 SEK 482
$53.9 SEK 525
-8.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.45
$1.93 SEK 18.85
-7.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K SEK 318.4K
$25.4K SEK 247.6K
28.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K SEK 324.6K
$32.6K SEK 317.7K
2.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malmo
Boden
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$144 SEK 1,403
$103 SEK 1,004
39.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.21 SEK 246
$25.25 SEK 246
-0.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.19 SEK 392
$39.16 SEK 382
2.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malmo
Boden
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.31 SEK 384
$57.8 SEK 564
-31.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.48 SEK 288
$20.12 SEK 196
46.52%
Cinema Ticket
$17.12 SEK 167
$12.48 SEK 122
37.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malmo
Boden
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$168 SEK 1,642
$158 SEK 1,544
6.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,352 SEK 32.7K
$5,245 SEK 51.2K
-36.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malmo
Boden
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 SEK 995
$98.7 SEK 963
3.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.62 SEK 445
$40.77 SEK 398
11.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 SEK 1,079
$91.3 SEK 891
21.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 SEK 1,524
$140 SEK 1,365
11.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malmo
Boden
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,100 SEK 10.7K
$894 SEK 8,721
22.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$852 SEK 8,314
$604 SEK 5,896
41.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,765 SEK 17.2K
$1,367 SEK 13.3K
29.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,343 SEK 13.1K
$994 SEK 9,694
35.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 SEK 40.0K
$4,214 SEK 41.1K
-2.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,158 SEK 30.8K
$2,804 SEK 27.4K
12.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malmo
Boden
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,979 SEK 29.1K
$3,822 SEK 37.3K
-22.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.05
3.4
-10.29%

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

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Boden: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malmo
$852
Boden
$604 29.1% $248
Groceries & Markets
Malmo
$371
Boden
$355 4.5% $17
Eating Out
Malmo
$304
Boden
$296 2.6% $7.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malmo
$209
Boden
$167 20% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Malmo
$187
Boden
$167 10.6% $20
Getting Around
Malmo
$95
Boden
$98 3% $2.9
Sport & Entertainment
Malmo
$74
Boden
$83 12.5% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,100 in Malmo versus $894 in Boden. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Boden, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Malmo versus $75 in Boden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $355 – making Boden the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Malmo
🇸🇪 Boden
🕒 Local time
15:14 3:14 PM
15:14 3:14 PM
Same time as Malmo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
316,588
18,680
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.76 SEK (1 SEK = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.89 SEK (100 SEK = 9.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malmo Boden 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Malmo
  • Boden

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 Boden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boden cheaper than Malmo?
Yes – Malmo is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,138 per month in Malmo and $2,655 in Boden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Boden, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $894 there versus $1,100 in Malmo.
What are total monthly expenses in Malmo and in Boden?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,092 in Malmo and $1,770 in Boden. That makes Boden about 15% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $168 per month in Malmo and $158 in Boden. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough for either Malmo or Boden?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,092 in Malmo and $1,770 in Boden, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Malmo or Boden more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Boden – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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