Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Helsingborg

For one person, living is cheaper in Helsingborg: $1,710 a month against $2,075 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
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Malmo Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
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Helsingborg Living Index

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Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,075

/mo nomad

Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malmo and in Helsingborg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malmo and in Helsingborg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,075 per month in Malmo vs $1,710 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Malmo $2,075
Helsingborg $1,710

A couple spends around $3,158 per month in Malmo vs $2,636 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Malmo $3,158
Helsingborg $2,636

A family of three spends $4,240 per month in Malmo vs $3,561 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Malmo $4,240
Helsingborg $3,561

Malmo costs about 21% more than Helsingborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Malmo and Helsingborg sit above the global median – Malmo by 53%, Helsingborg by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.01 SEK 149

$13.35 SEK 132

12.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 SEK 751

$69.2 SEK 686

9.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 SEK 118

$12.75 SEK 126

-6.98%

Cappuccino

$4.96 SEK 49.10

$4.53 SEK 44.87

9.49%

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

$3.32 SEK 32.92

$2.88 SEK 28.49

15.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SEK 25.61

$2.38 SEK 23.60

8.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 SEK 85.2

$6.81 SEK 67.5

26.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.79 SEK 87.1

$6.20 SEK 61.4

41.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.20

$1.47 SEK 14.61

18.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 SEK 28.56

$2.69 SEK 26.65

7.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 SEK 35.10

$2.93 SEK 29.08

20.82%

Eggs

$4.12 SEK 40.86

$3.90 SEK 38.60

5.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 129

$11.24 SEK 111

15.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.13 SEK 120

$11.27 SEK 112

7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.58 SEK 214

$15.15 SEK 150

42.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.48

$3.14 SEK 31.11

-1.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 SEK 26.06

$2.53 SEK 25.03

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 30.72

$2.89 SEK 28.67

7.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 SEK 42.26

$4.47 SEK 44.31

-4.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 16.73

$1.72 SEK 17.02

-1.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 15.35

$1.58 SEK 15.64

-1.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 SEK 24.35

$1.86 SEK 18.38

32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 SEK 11.71

$1.61 SEK 15.99

-26.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.99 SEK 79.2

$8.18 SEK 81.0

-2.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.66 SEK 116

$9.09 SEK 90.1

28.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SEK 19.68

$2.10 SEK 20.78

-5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 22.52

$2.20 SEK 21.77

3.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 SEK 31.23

$3.26 SEK 32.25

-3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 SEK 643

$62.2 SEK 616

4.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 SEK 61.2

$6.28 SEK 62.2

-1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 SEK 24.06

$1.72 SEK 17.00

41.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 SEK 508

$60.5 SEK 599

-15.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.41

$1.80 SEK 17.80

-2.22%

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

$33.1K SEK 327.5K

$32.8K SEK 325.2K

0.71%

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

$33.7K SEK 334.2K

$33.8K SEK 335.2K

-0.29%

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

$141 SEK 1,401

$103 SEK 1,020

37.41%

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

$25.81 SEK 256

$19.97 SEK 198

29.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.83 SEK 395

$33.57 SEK 333

18.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.84 SEK 395

$38.54 SEK 382

3.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.01 SEK 297

$22.23 SEK 220

35.00%

Cinema Ticket

$17.05 SEK 169

$14.82 SEK 147

15.05%

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

$172 SEK 1,703

$176 SEK 1,746

-2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,383 SEK 33.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 SEK 1,004

$80.1 SEK 794

26.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.66 SEK 443

$33.62 SEK 333

32.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 SEK 1,132

$87.2 SEK 864

30.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,548

$107 SEK 1,060

46.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 SEK 10.7K

$846 SEK 8,380

27.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 SEK 8,280

$652 SEK 6,464

28.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 SEK 17.5K

$1,399 SEK 13.9K

26.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 SEK 13.6K

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

27.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,013 SEK 39.8K

$3,133 SEK 31.0K

28.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,220 SEK 31.9K

$2,265 SEK 22.4K

42.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 SEK 30.7K

$2,880 SEK 28.5K

7.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.05

3.06

-0.33%

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

Last update for Malmo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Malmo

$836 40.3%

Helsingborg

$652 38.2% 21.9% $183

Groceries & Markets

Malmo

$376 18.1%

Helsingborg

$337 19.7% 10.3% $39

Eating Out

Malmo

$299 14.4%

Helsingborg

$267 15.6% 10.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malmo

$207 10%

Helsingborg

$156 9.2% 24.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Malmo

$187 9%

Helsingborg

$139 8.1% 26% $49

Getting Around

Malmo

$96 4.6%

Helsingborg

$90 5.3% 6% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Malmo

$74 3.6%

Helsingborg

$68 4% 7.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,082 in Malmo versus $846 in Helsingborg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Malmo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Malmo versus $69.0 in Helsingborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $337 – making Helsingborg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Malmo

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

Same time as Malmo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,588

93,838

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Malmo Helsingborg 52 km

From you

Malmo
Helsingborg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Helsingborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,075 in Malmo, $1,710 in Helsingborg – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,113 per month in Malmo and $2,565 in Helsingborg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Helsingborg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Helsingborg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $172 per month in Malmo and $176 in Helsingborg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Helsingborg, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in Malmo at $2,075. In Helsingborg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Malmo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,710 in Helsingborg to $2,075 in Malmo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Helsingborg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malmo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.