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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,081 per month in Malmo vs $1,811 in Helsingborg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,224 per month in Malmo vs $2,820 in Helsingborg, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,368 per month in Malmo vs $3,829 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Malmo costs about 15% more than Helsingborg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Malmo and Helsingborg sit above the global median – Malmo by 56%, Helsingborg by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$15.90 SEK 154

-13.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 808

$73.3 SEK 709

13.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$10.57 SEK 102

20.53%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.81

$4.65 SEK 45.05

10.75%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.96

$2.83 SEK 27.43

-5.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.32

$2.80 SEK 27.07

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.6

$7.30 SEK 70.6

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.6

$6.15 SEK 59.5

30.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.79

$1.53 SEK 14.79

13.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.78

$2.39 SEK 23.11

28.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.72

$2.71 SEK 26.22

28.41%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.87

$4.84 SEK 46.83

-6.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$10.28 SEK 99.5

20.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 126

$11.59 SEK 112

12.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 260

$16.10 SEK 156

66.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.89

$2.82 SEK 27.35

20.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.48

$2.81 SEK 27.18

4.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.88

$3.20 SEK 30.97

2.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.76

$3.83 SEK 37.03

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.47 SEK 14.28

27.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.79

$1.48 SEK 14.34

31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.72

$2.05 SEK 19.86

24.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.02

$1.72 SEK 16.63

-22.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.3

$7.14 SEK 69.1

10.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 113

$9.41 SEK 91.1

24.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.28

$2.33 SEK 22.60

3.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.43

$1.66 SEK 16.11

64.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.46

$3.28 SEK 31.77

5.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 687

$65.3 SEK 632

8.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.4

$3.13 SEK 30.31

115.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.53

$1.58 SEK 15.27

67.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 553

$20.35 SEK 197

180.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.44

$1.91 SEK 18.46

-0.52%

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

$33.0K SEK 319.1K

$32.5K SEK 314.3K

1.52%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.7K

$34.2K SEK 331.5K

-0.87%

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

$155 SEK 1,498

$117 SEK 1,133

32.24%

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

$29.60 SEK 287

$28.69 SEK 278

3.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 383

$36.56 SEK 354

8.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 380

$38.59 SEK 374

1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 227

$22.08 SEK 214

6.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$20.96 SEK 203

-15.03%

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

$157 SEK 1,523

$148 SEK 1,429

6.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.3K

$4,146 SEK 40.1K

17.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,015

$82.2 SEK 796

27.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 442

$43.98 SEK 426

3.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,201

$84.3 SEK 817

47.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,609

$115 SEK 1,111

44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,870

$827 SEK 8,004

10.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,655

$653 SEK 6,325

21.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.5K

$1,363 SEK 13.2K

24.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$1,152 SEK 11.1K

19.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.5K

$3,169 SEK 30.7K

31.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

$2,342 SEK 22.7K

41.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.5K

$2,900 SEK 28.1K

8.55%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $916 in Malmo versus $827 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 $83.0 in Malmo versus $73.0 in Helsingborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $339 – 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: $2,081 in Malmo, $1,811 in Helsingborg – roughly 15% apart. Malmo costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,121 per month in Malmo and $2,717 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 9% less in Helsingborg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $157 per month in Malmo and $148 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 $1,811, than in Malmo at $2,081. 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 $1,811 in Helsingborg to $2,081 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.