Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Gavle Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Gavle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,081 in Malmo versus $2,060 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Malmo versus $3,021 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Malmo versus $3,982 in Gavle.

Living in Malmo is roughly 1% more expensive than in Gavle, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 56% above, Gavle 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$12.88 SEK 125

6.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 808

$94.2 SEK 912

-11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$10.48 SEK 101

21.56%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.81

$5.07 SEK 49.06

1.58%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.96

$2.14 SEK 20.75

25.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.32

$2.46 SEK 23.80

-14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.6

$8.19 SEK 79.3

-4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.6

$8.63 SEK 83.6

-7.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.79

$1.72 SEK 16.67

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.78

$2.52 SEK 24.43

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.72

$3.90 SEK 37.74

-10.77%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.87

$4.02 SEK 38.89

12.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$9.39 SEK 90.9

32.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 126

$10.25 SEK 99.2

26.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 260

$14.76 SEK 143

81.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.89

$3.30 SEK 31.98

3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.48

$2.86 SEK 27.66

2.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.88

$3.46 SEK 33.53

-4.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.76

$4.57 SEK 44.27

5.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.85 SEK 17.89

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.79

$1.87 SEK 18.07

3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.72

$2.63 SEK 25.50

-3.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.02

$1.56 SEK 15.12

-14.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.3

$7.98 SEK 77.3

-1.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 113

$11.55 SEK 112

1.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.28

$1.66 SEK 16.08

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.43

$1.85 SEK 17.88

47.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.46

$3.93 SEK 38.01

-11.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 687

$57.4 SEK 556

23.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.4

$4.68 SEK 45.34

44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.53

$1.32 SEK 12.79

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 553

$49.27 SEK 477

15.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.44

$1.88 SEK 18.17

1.06%

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

$33.0K SEK 319.1K

$29.1K SEK 282.1K

13.13%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.7K

$33.6K SEK 325.3K

1.03%

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

$155 SEK 1,498

$112 SEK 1,084

38.23%

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

$29.60 SEK 287

$28.71 SEK 278

3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 383

$41.73 SEK 404

-5.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 380

$50.2 SEK 486

-21.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 227

$16.20 SEK 157

44.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$14.19 SEK 137

25.51%

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

$157 SEK 1,523

$159 SEK 1,536

-0.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.3K

$4,129 SEK 40.0K

18.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,015

$99.1 SEK 959

5.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 442

$48.72 SEK 472

-6.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,201

$83.8 SEK 811

48.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,609

$160 SEK 1,547

4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,870

$839 SEK 8,119

9.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,655

$897 SEK 8,680

-11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.5K

$1,716 SEK 16.6K

-0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$1,248 SEK 12.1K

10.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.5K

$1,990 SEK 19.3K

110.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

$1,398 SEK 13.5K

137.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.5K

$3,214 SEK 31.1K

-2.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.1

18.54%

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

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Last update for Gavle: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Malmo and $839 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Malmo vs $94.0 in Gavle. Groceries flip the comparison at $412 vs $342, with Gavle cheaper for home cooking.

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 Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo and Gavle differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,081 vs $2,060 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Gavle. 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: $916 in Malmo versus $839 in Gavle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 24% less than in Malmo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $157 in Malmo versus $159 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,060 in Gavle versus $2,081 in Malmo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Malmo. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Malmo and Gavle 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 Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.