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: $2,083 in Malmo versus $2,066 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,221 in Malmo versus $3,137 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,359 in Malmo versus $4,208 in Gothenburg.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 52% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 SEK 152

$13.45 SEK 133

14.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 SEK 756

$91.4 SEK 901

-16.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 120

$13.14 SEK 130

-7.00%

Cappuccino

$5.10 SEK 50.3

$4.97 SEK 48.93

2.62%

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

$3.37 SEK 33.24

$3.02 SEK 29.77

11.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 26.37

$2.23 SEK 21.93

20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$6.88 SEK 67.8

30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.55 SEK 74.4

18.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.24

$1.73 SEK 17.07

1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 SEK 29.88

$2.72 SEK 26.78

11.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 SEK 35.27

$3.18 SEK 31.32

12.58%

Eggs

$4.23 SEK 41.71

$3.94 SEK 38.82

7.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 SEK 129

$11.92 SEK 117

9.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 SEK 120

$11.66 SEK 115

4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 SEK 217

$16.83 SEK 166

30.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.04

$3.20 SEK 31.51

-4.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$2.57 SEK 25.34

1.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.30

$3.08 SEK 30.40

3.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 43.75

$4.24 SEK 41.82

4.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.14

$1.85 SEK 18.24

-5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.99

$1.65 SEK 16.29

-7.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 SEK 24.46

$1.98 SEK 19.51

25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.89

$1.73 SEK 17.01

-24.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 SEK 76.7

$8.36 SEK 82.4

-6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 116

$14.27 SEK 141

-17.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.72

$2.07 SEK 20.38

-3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.85

$2.23 SEK 21.96

4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 31.49

$3.74 SEK 36.89

-14.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 SEK 636

$88.0 SEK 867

-26.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 SEK 63.3

$6.22 SEK 61.3

3.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$1.71 SEK 16.82

42.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 SEK 510

$60.3 SEK 594

-14.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.33

$1.83 SEK 17.99

-3.83%

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

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

-0.47%

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

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

-3.05%

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

$140 SEK 1,384

$107 SEK 1,057

30.93%

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

$26.87 SEK 265

$19.22 SEK 189

39.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 SEK 370

$35.96 SEK 354

4.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 SEK 428

$37.06 SEK 365

17.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.75 SEK 293

$25.22 SEK 249

17.96%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 SEK 174

$19.54 SEK 193

-9.77%

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

$172 SEK 1,695

$229 SEK 2,253

-24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

-23.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,012

$89.2 SEK 879

15.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 SEK 459

$33.16 SEK 327

40.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 SEK 1,120

$93.3 SEK 919

21.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,542

$133 SEK 1,308

17.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

-0.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 SEK 8,044

$952 SEK 9,380

-14.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

-6.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

-2.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

-34.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

-7.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

-14.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.06

-1.31%

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

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,044 in Malmo and $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Malmo vs $91.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $363, 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 16% 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: $1,044 in Malmo versus $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $172 in Malmo versus $229 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Malmo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $2,083 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 $2,066 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.