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: $2,093 in Malmo versus $1,471 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,234 in Malmo versus $2,348 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,376 in Malmo versus $3,226 in Gavle.

Living in Malmo is roughly 42% more expensive than in Gavle, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 52% above, Gavle 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 SEK 147

$12.47 SEK 119

23.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 SEK 763

$89.8 SEK 859

-11.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 SEK 118

$9.68 SEK 92.6

26.86%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 46.59

$5.26 SEK 50.3

-7.41%

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

$3.55 SEK 33.96

$2.12 SEK 20.24

67.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SEK 27.13

$2.41 SEK 23.06

17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.09 SEK 87.0

$8.32 SEK 79.6

9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 SEK 89.4

$7.34 SEK 70.2

27.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.54

$1.73 SEK 16.56

5.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 SEK 28.70

$2.63 SEK 25.15

14.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 34.82

$3.99 SEK 38.15

-8.77%

Eggs

$4.18 SEK 40.01

$3.90 SEK 37.28

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 SEK 127

$9.72 SEK 93.0

36.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 SEK 118

$10.92 SEK 105

13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.05 SEK 211

$19.50 SEK 187

13.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.85

$3.11 SEK 29.79

0.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.55

$2.83 SEK 27.06

-9.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.38

$3.20 SEK 30.63

-4.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 42.32

$4.60 SEK 43.97

-3.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.87

$1.72 SEK 16.48

2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 15.28

$1.88 SEK 18.00

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 25.27

$2.56 SEK 24.51

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.30

$2.07 SEK 19.77

-37.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.95 SEK 76.1

$8.30 SEK 79.4

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 113

$11.54 SEK 110

2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.50

$1.69 SEK 16.15

26.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 23.23

$1.64 SEK 15.71

48.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 SEK 31.26

$3.42 SEK 32.67

-4.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 SEK 636

$62.3 SEK 596

6.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 SEK 60.2

$4.73 SEK 45.22

32.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 SEK 23.95

$1.55 SEK 14.79

61.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.8 SEK 505

$35.03 SEK 335

50.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.27

$1.91 SEK 18.26

-5.24%

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

$34.1K SEK 326.3K

$26.9K SEK 257.1K

26.94%

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

$35.1K SEK 336.1K

$28.8K SEK 275.7K

21.91%

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

$143 SEK 1,367

$55.4 SEK 530

158.11%

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

$27.75 SEK 265

$22.54 SEK 216

23.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 374

$39.89 SEK 382

-2.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 SEK 438

$48.53 SEK 464

-5.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.43 SEK 291

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 173

$15.71 SEK 150

15.40%

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

$176 SEK 1,681

$138 SEK 1,316

27.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,485 SEK 33.3K

$15.5K SEK 147.9K

-77.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 SEK 993

$74.3 SEK 711

39.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 SEK 444

$57.3 SEK 548

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 SEK 1,142

$52.1 SEK 499

128.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 SEK 1,525

$94.7 SEK 905

68.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SEK 10.1K

$583 SEK 5,575

80.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 SEK 8,086

$443 SEK 4,236

90.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 SEK 16.6K

$817 SEK 7,814

112.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 SEK 13.6K

$685 SEK 6,553

107.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,223 SEK 40.4K

$2,005 SEK 19.2K

110.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,338 SEK 31.9K

$1,373 SEK 13.1K

143.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,200 SEK 30.6K

$3,222 SEK 30.8K

-0.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.31

-8.76%

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

Last update for Malmo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Gavle: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,054 in Malmo and $583 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Malmo vs $90.0 in Gavle. Groceries flip the comparison at $387 vs $365, 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 42% in total monthly costs ($2,093 vs $1,471 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1% 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: $1,054 in Malmo versus $583 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 7% less than in Malmo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $176 in Malmo versus $138 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,471 in Gavle versus $2,093 in Malmo, a $2,000 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 42% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.