Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Helsingborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Helsingborg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,047 per month in Malmo vs $1,792 in Helsingborg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in Malmo vs $2,779 in Helsingborg, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,292 per month in Malmo vs $3,765 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Malmo costs about 14% more than Helsingborg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Malmo and Helsingborg sit above the global median – Malmo by 53%, Helsingborg by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 SEK 128

$15.52 SEK 147

-13.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 810

$73.1 SEK 692

17.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 SEK 120

$10.57 SEK 100.0

19.87%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 47.81

$4.77 SEK 45.08

5.87%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.42

$2.91 SEK 27.51

-7.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.35

$2.74 SEK 25.88

-21.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 75.7

$7.27 SEK 68.8

10.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 77.6

$6.49 SEK 61.4

26.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.83

$1.45 SEK 13.70

15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 29.40

$2.46 SEK 23.27

26.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 34.18

$2.72 SEK 25.69

32.72%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.79

$4.80 SEK 45.42

-7.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 SEK 114

$10.30 SEK 97.5

16.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 SEK 121

$11.84 SEK 112

7.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 SEK 260

$16.14 SEK 153

70.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.91

$2.72 SEK 25.71

20.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 26.30

$2.78 SEK 26.33

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 30.67

$3.27 SEK 30.91

-0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 45.29

$3.65 SEK 34.50

31.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.31

$1.48 SEK 14.00

23.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.47

$1.42 SEK 13.43

37.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 24.31

$1.97 SEK 18.66

30.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.67

$1.72 SEK 16.23

-22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 76.9

$7.15 SEK 67.6

13.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 SEK 115

$9.82 SEK 92.9

23.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.92

$2.45 SEK 23.21

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 25.14

$1.65 SEK 15.61

61.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.81

$3.37 SEK 31.89

-0.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 SEK 656

$66.9 SEK 633

3.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 61.0

$3.14 SEK 29.73

105.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 24.97

$1.65 SEK 15.64

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 SEK 532

$20.12 SEK 190

179.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 18.16

$1.93 SEK 18.25

-0.52%

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

$33.1K SEK 312.9K

$32.1K SEK 303.8K

2.99%

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

$33.8K SEK 319.7K

$34.8K SEK 329.0K

-2.82%

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

$154 SEK 1,453

$120 SEK 1,139

27.58%

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

$30.36 SEK 287

$28.86 SEK 273

5.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 382

$36.37 SEK 344

11.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 SEK 362

$39.47 SEK 373

-2.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 SEK 225

$21.99 SEK 208

8.14%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 168

$21.00 SEK 199

-15.19%

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

$162 SEK 1,529

$147 SEK 1,389

10.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 SEK 46.1K

$4,137 SEK 39.1K

17.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 990

$83.4 SEK 789

25.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 432

$44.13 SEK 418

3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,175

$84.6 SEK 801

46.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,563

$112 SEK 1,057

47.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 SEK 8,813

$818 SEK 7,739

13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 SEK 7,315

$643 SEK 6,086

20.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 SEK 16.3K

$1,389 SEK 13.1K

23.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 12.7K

$1,138 SEK 10.8K

18.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 SEK 40.8K

$3,336 SEK 31.6K

29.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 SEK 31.8K

$2,402 SEK 22.7K

39.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,353 SEK 31.7K

$3,072 SEK 29.1K

9.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.66

4.29%

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

Last update for Malmo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in Malmo versus $818 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 9% 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 $86.0 in Malmo versus $73.0 in Helsingborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $340 – making Helsingborg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $2,047 in Malmo, $1,792 in Helsingborg – roughly 14% apart. Malmo costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,071 per month in Malmo and $2,688 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 $162 per month in Malmo and $147 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 $1,792, than in Malmo at $2,047. 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 $1,792 in Helsingborg to $2,047 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.