Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Gothenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Gothenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,081 in Malmo versus $2,063 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Malmo versus $3,240 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Malmo versus $4,417 in Gothenburg.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 807

$91.2 SEK 882

-8.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$10.42 SEK 101

22.26%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.73

$4.86 SEK 46.95

5.97%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.92

$3.08 SEK 29.74

-12.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.29

$2.56 SEK 24.77

-17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.5

$7.43 SEK 71.8

5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.4

$7.72 SEK 74.6

3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.76

$1.76 SEK 17.00

-1.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.73

$2.87 SEK 27.78

7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.67

$3.34 SEK 32.30

4.19%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.80

$4.63 SEK 44.80

-2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$11.67 SEK 113

6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 126

$12.41 SEK 120

4.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 259

$18.65 SEK 180

43.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.84

$3.07 SEK 29.72

10.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.43

$2.64 SEK 25.56

11.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.83

$2.93 SEK 28.30

12.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.69

$4.31 SEK 41.67

12.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$1.76 SEK 16.97

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.76

$1.87 SEK 18.10

3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.68

$2.22 SEK 21.42

14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.00

$1.59 SEK 15.38

-15.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.2

$7.94 SEK 76.8

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 113

$14.36 SEK 139

-18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.25

$2.20 SEK 21.25

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.39

$2.53 SEK 24.44

7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.40

$3.92 SEK 37.94

-11.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 686

$90.9 SEK 879

-21.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.3

$10.16 SEK 98.2

-33.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.49

$1.67 SEK 16.10

58.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 552

$61.6 SEK 595

-7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.41

$1.96 SEK 18.95

-3.06%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.6K

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

2.43%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

$35.6K SEK 343.7K

-4.54%

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

$155 SEK 1,496

$140 SEK 1,356

10.30%

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

$29.60 SEK 286

$25.00 SEK 242

18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 382

$38.56 SEK 373

2.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 380

$41.38 SEK 400

-5.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 227

$24.81 SEK 240

-5.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$18.04 SEK 174

-1.27%

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

$157 SEK 1,520

$178 SEK 1,719

-11.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.2K

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

16.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,013

$89.5 SEK 866

17.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 442

$39.39 SEK 381

16.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,199

$95.4 SEK 922

30.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,607

$153 SEK 1,474

8.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,856

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

-16.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,642

$860 SEK 8,314

-8.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

$1,875 SEK 18.1K

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

-1.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.4K

$6,493 SEK 62.8K

-35.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

-5.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.4K

$3,590 SEK 34.7K

-12.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.33

12.24%

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

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Malmo and $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 14% 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 $91.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $412 vs $377, with Gothenburg 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 Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Malmo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gothenburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Gothenburg. 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 $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Malmo versus $178 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Malmo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $2,081 in Malmo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gothenburg but tight or insufficient in Malmo. The gap between the two cities makes Gothenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gothenburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,063 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gothenburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Malmo and Gothenburg 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 Gothenburg 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.