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: $2,047 in Malmo versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,170 in Malmo versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Malmo versus $4,328 in Gothenburg.

Living in Malmo costs roughly 1% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 53% above, Gothenburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 SEK 127

$13.74 SEK 129

-1.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 804

$93.9 SEK 882

-8.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 SEK 119

$10.34 SEK 97.1

22.53%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 47.48

$4.73 SEK 44.47

6.77%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.24

$2.97 SEK 27.88

-9.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.21

$2.53 SEK 23.80

-15.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 75.2

$7.26 SEK 68.2

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 77.1

$7.72 SEK 72.5

6.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.72

$1.68 SEK 15.77

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 29.19

$2.85 SEK 26.80

9.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.93

$3.32 SEK 31.15

8.73%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.49

$4.65 SEK 43.70

-4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 SEK 113

$11.80 SEK 111

2.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 SEK 120

$12.61 SEK 118

1.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 SEK 258

$19.02 SEK 179

44.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.69

$3.10 SEK 29.11

5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 26.12

$2.74 SEK 25.71

1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 30.45

$2.91 SEK 27.29

11.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 44.97

$4.18 SEK 39.22

14.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.19

$1.66 SEK 15.61

10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.34

$1.85 SEK 17.37

5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 24.14

$2.27 SEK 21.36

13.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.58

$1.55 SEK 14.55

-13.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 76.4

$7.82 SEK 73.5

3.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 SEK 114

$15.32 SEK 144

-21.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.75

$2.26 SEK 21.22

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.96

$2.61 SEK 24.49

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.58

$3.80 SEK 35.69

-11.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 SEK 651

$88.6 SEK 832

-21.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 60.5

$10.11 SEK 94.9

-36.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 24.80

$1.66 SEK 15.58

59.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 SEK 528

$61.7 SEK 580

-8.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 18.04

$1.89 SEK 17.76

1.59%

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

$33.1K SEK 310.7K

$32.0K SEK 300.9K

3.26%

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

$33.8K SEK 317.4K

$34.5K SEK 323.8K

-1.96%

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

$154 SEK 1,442

$138 SEK 1,301

10.91%

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

$30.36 SEK 285

$24.95 SEK 234

21.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 379

$38.25 SEK 359

5.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 SEK 360

$41.78 SEK 392

-8.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 SEK 223

$25.26 SEK 237

-5.86%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 167

$17.98 SEK 169

-0.95%

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

$162 SEK 1,518

$175 SEK 1,648

-7.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 SEK 45.8K

$4,215 SEK 39.6K

15.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 983

$87.6 SEK 823

19.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 429

$40.28 SEK 378

13.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,166

$96.9 SEK 910

28.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,552

$156 SEK 1,468

5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 SEK 8,751

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 SEK 7,264

$873 SEK 8,203

-11.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 SEK 16.2K

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

-10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 12.6K

$1,434 SEK 13.5K

-6.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 SEK 40.5K

$6,696 SEK 62.9K

-35.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 SEK 31.6K

$3,764 SEK 35.4K

-10.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,353 SEK 31.5K

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

-15.19%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Malmo and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 18% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Malmo vs $94.0 in Gothenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $381, 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

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

On paper, Gothenburg earns 18% less. 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: $932 in Malmo versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $162 in Malmo versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,047 in Malmo versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malmo but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Malmo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Malmo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,047 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Malmo 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 Malmo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.