Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Kalmar Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Kalmar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,081 per month in Malmo vs $1,926 in Kalmar, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,224 per month in Malmo vs $2,839 in Kalmar, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,368 per month in Malmo vs $3,751 in Kalmar, rent included.

Malmo costs about 8% more than Kalmar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Malmo and Kalmar sit above the global median – Malmo by 56%, Kalmar by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$15.76 SEK 153

-12.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 808

$74.7 SEK 723

11.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$10.34 SEK 100

23.21%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.81

$4.68 SEK 45.26

10.04%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.96

$2.81 SEK 27.23

-4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.32

$2.73 SEK 26.46

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.6

$9.90 SEK 95.9

-21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.6

$7.59 SEK 73.5

5.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.79

$1.50 SEK 14.57

15.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.78

$2.48 SEK 23.99

24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.72

$2.71 SEK 26.27

28.41%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.87

$4.88 SEK 47.26

-7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$10.18 SEK 98.6

21.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 126

$11.54 SEK 112

12.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 260

$16.07 SEK 156

66.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.89

$2.67 SEK 25.84

27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.48

$2.73 SEK 26.48

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.88

$3.17 SEK 30.68

3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.76

$3.78 SEK 36.60

27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.49 SEK 14.38

25.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.79

$2.33 SEK 22.52

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.72

$2.07 SEK 20.04

23.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.02

$1.68 SEK 16.24

-20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.3

$7.12 SEK 68.9

10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 113

$9.11 SEK 88.2

28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.28

$2.00 SEK 19.40

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.43

$1.72 SEK 16.61

58.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.46

$2.98 SEK 28.86

16.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 687

$87.1 SEK 843

-18.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.4

$7.08 SEK 68.6

-4.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.53

$1.59 SEK 15.43

66.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 553

$52.6 SEK 509

8.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.44

$1.91 SEK 18.45

-0.52%

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

$33.0K SEK 319.1K

$27.6K SEK 266.9K

19.57%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.7K

$28.1K SEK 272.0K

20.84%

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

$155 SEK 1,498

$117 SEK 1,131

32.51%

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

$29.60 SEK 287

$28.56 SEK 277

3.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 383

$30.64 SEK 297

29.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 380

$29.77 SEK 288

31.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 227

$15.73 SEK 152

49.21%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$14.39 SEK 139

23.77%

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

$157 SEK 1,523

$146 SEK 1,412

7.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.3K

$4,077 SEK 39.5K

19.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,015

$64.2 SEK 622

63.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 442

$21.00 SEK 203

117.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,201

$60.4 SEK 585

105.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,609

$75.9 SEK 735

118.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,870

$947 SEK 9,168

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,655

$812 SEK 7,857

-2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.5K

$1,363 SEK 13.2K

24.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$1,203 SEK 11.6K

14.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.5K

$4,262 SEK 41.3K

-1.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

$2,835 SEK 27.5K

17.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.5K

$2,928 SEK 28.3K

7.51%

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 Kalmar: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $916 in Malmo versus $947 in Kalmar. 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 $83.0 in Malmo versus $75.0 in Kalmar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $337 – making Kalmar 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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,081 in Malmo, $1,926 in Kalmar – roughly 8% apart. Malmo costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,121 per month in Malmo and $2,889 in Kalmar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $157 per month in Malmo and $146 in Kalmar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Malmo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalmar, where all-in costs run around $1,926, than in Malmo at $2,081. In Kalmar 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 $1,926 in Kalmar 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 Kalmar. 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.