Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairo: $643 a month against $2,046 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Malmo
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,046
/mo nomad
Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malmo and in Cairo

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

A single person spends $2,046 per month in Malmo vs $643 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Malmo $2,046
  • Cairo $643

A couple spends around $3,083 per month in Malmo vs $1,037 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Malmo $3,083
  • Cairo $1,037

A family of three spends $4,121 per month in Malmo vs $1,431 in Cairo, rent included.

  • Malmo $4,121
  • Cairo $1,431

Malmo costs about 218% more than Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malmo sits 53% above the global median, while Cairo is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.90 SEK 149
$4.69 E£245
217.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.0 SEK 740
$28.49 E£1,491
159.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.18 SEK 122
$6.03 E£315
101.99%
Cappuccino
$4.83 SEK 48.23
$1.81 E£94.7
166.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.35 SEK 33.52
$0.35 E£18.18
857.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 SEK 26.97
$0.15 E£7.95
1700.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.46 SEK 84.5
$1.45 E£76.0
483.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.10 SEK 90.9
$2.24 E£117
306.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 SEK 17.26
$0.97 E£50.7
78.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.87 SEK 28.67
$0.73 E£37.96
293.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.32 SEK 33.22
$0.77 E£40.24
331.17%
Eggs
$4.11 SEK 41.10
$1.17 E£61.2
251.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.74 SEK 127
$4.32 E£226
194.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.86 SEK 119
$5.07 E£265
133.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.61 SEK 216
$8.92 E£467
142.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.99 SEK 29.93
$1.83 E£95.8
63.39%
Banana (1kg)
$2.58 SEK 25.82
$0.75 E£39.07
244.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 SEK 29.61
$0.57 E£29.78
419.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 SEK 41.43
$0.51 E£26.62
713.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.66 SEK 16.62
$0.38 E£20.05
336.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 SEK 15.29
$0.42 E£21.88
264.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.47 SEK 24.65
$0.35 E£18.43
605.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 SEK 12.24
$0.24 E£12.57
412.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.72 SEK 77.1
$1.99 E£104
287.94%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.53 SEK 115
$7.48 E£391
54.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 SEK 20.05
$1.52 E£79.4
32.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 SEK 23.43
$2.13 E£112
9.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.15 SEK 31.45
$0.33 E£17.10
854.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.5 SEK 635
$8.66 E£453
633.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.00 SEK 59.9
$0.37 E£19.27
1521.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.41 SEK 24.07
$0.20 E£10.65
1105.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.13 SEK 491
$1.49 E£77.8
3197.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 SEK 17.36
$0.46 E£23.94
278.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K SEK 322.6K
$32.6K E£1.7M
-1.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K SEK 331.5K
$28.4K E£1.5M
16.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 SEK 1,380
$27.54 E£1,441
401.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.21 SEK 262
$8.27 E£432
216.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.07 SEK 361
$14.05 E£735
156.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.93 SEK 399
$28.27 E£1,479
41.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.69 SEK 287
$6.70 E£350
328.21%
Cinema Ticket
$17.17 SEK 172
$4.40 E£230
290.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$167 SEK 1,666
$121 E£6,356
37.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,311 SEK 33.1K
$3,619 E£189.3K
-8.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.0 SEK 979
$40.16 E£2,101
144.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.19 SEK 442
$49.61 E£2,596
-10.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 SEK 1,125
$115 E£6,033
-2.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$152 SEK 1,520
$60.6 E£3,170
151.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,063 SEK 10.6K
$220 E£11.5K
383.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$818 SEK 8,173
$194 E£10.2K
321.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,720 SEK 17.2K
$514 E£26.9K
234.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,354 SEK 13.5K
$334 E£17.5K
305.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,026 SEK 40.2K
$806 E£42.2K
399.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,166 SEK 31.6K
$513 E£26.9K
516.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malmo
Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,045 SEK 30.4K
$200 E£10.5K
1421.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.05
16.21
-81.18%

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

Last update for Malmo: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cairo: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malmo
$818
Cairo
$194 76.3% $624
Groceries & Markets
Malmo
$372
Cairo
$141 62% $230
Eating Out
Malmo
$298
Cairo
$91 69.5% $207
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malmo
$200
Cairo
$50 75.1% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Malmo
$183
Cairo
$120 34.7% $64
Getting Around
Malmo
$94
Cairo
$11 87.9% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Malmo
$74
Cairo
$37 50.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Malmo versus $220 in Cairo. 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 1421% higher in Malmo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Malmo versus $28.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $141 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Malmo
🇪🇬 Cairo
🕒 Local time
04:21 4:21 AM
05:21 5:21 AM
1 h ahead of Malmo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
316,588
9,120,350 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 52.32 EGP (100 EGP = 1.91 USD). 1 EUR = 58.68 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malmo Cairo 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Malmo
  • Cairo

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cairo cheaper than Malmo?
Yes – Malmo is pricier by about 218%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,069 per month in Malmo and $965 in Cairo. 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 Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Malmo and in Cairo?
Groceries cost about 163% more in Malmo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Malmo or in Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Malmo and $28.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Malmo or in Cairo?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $643, than in Malmo at $2,046. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Malmo or Cairo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malmo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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