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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,047 per month in Malmo vs $1,862 in Kalmar, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in Malmo vs $2,801 in Kalmar, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,292 per month in Malmo vs $3,740 in Kalmar, rent included.

Malmo costs about 10% more than Kalmar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Malmo and Kalmar sit above the global median – Malmo by 53%, Kalmar by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 SEK 126

$16.05 SEK 150

-16.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 799

$74.3 SEK 693

15.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 SEK 118

$10.56 SEK 98.6

19.98%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 47.16

$4.56 SEK 42.55

10.75%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.07

$2.89 SEK 26.97

-6.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.07

$2.66 SEK 24.85

-19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 74.7

$9.71 SEK 90.6

-17.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 76.5

$7.43 SEK 69.3

10.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.62

$1.48 SEK 13.77

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 28.99

$2.39 SEK 22.28

30.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.71

$2.58 SEK 24.05

39.92%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.22

$4.88 SEK 45.52

-9.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 SEK 112

$10.36 SEK 96.7

16.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 SEK 119

$11.73 SEK 109

8.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 SEK 257

$16.15 SEK 151

70.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.49

$2.62 SEK 24.42

24.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 25.94

$2.79 SEK 26.03

-0.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 30.25

$3.12 SEK 29.16

3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 44.68

$3.70 SEK 34.51

29.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.07

$1.43 SEK 13.33

27.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.22

$2.34 SEK 21.87

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 23.98

$2.06 SEK 19.19

24.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.50

$1.66 SEK 15.44

-19.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 75.9

$7.30 SEK 68.1

11.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 SEK 113

$9.90 SEK 92.4

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.59

$2.11 SEK 19.71

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.80

$1.66 SEK 15.48

60.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.37

$2.83 SEK 26.39

18.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 SEK 647

$86.2 SEK 804

-19.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 60.1

$7.25 SEK 67.6

-11.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 24.63

$1.56 SEK 14.53

69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 SEK 524

$52.6 SEK 491

6.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 17.92

$1.95 SEK 18.19

-1.54%

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

$33.1K SEK 308.6K

$27.5K SEK 256.4K

20.39%

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

$33.8K SEK 315.3K

$28.1K SEK 262.2K

20.24%

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

$154 SEK 1,433

$118 SEK 1,104

29.77%

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

$30.36 SEK 283

$28.08 SEK 262

8.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 377

$30.58 SEK 285

32.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 SEK 357

$29.43 SEK 275

30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 SEK 222

$15.57 SEK 145

52.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 166

$14.22 SEK 133

25.25%

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

$162 SEK 1,508

$145 SEK 1,357

11.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 SEK 45.5K

$4,155 SEK 38.8K

17.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 977

$63.8 SEK 595

64.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 426

$20.69 SEK 193

120.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,159

$60.0 SEK 560

107.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,542

$77.4 SEK 723

113.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 SEK 8,693

$939 SEK 8,760

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 SEK 7,215

$795 SEK 7,421

-2.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 SEK 16.1K

$1,389 SEK 13.0K

23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 12.5K

$1,183 SEK 11.0K

13.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 SEK 40.2K

$4,304 SEK 40.2K

0.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 SEK 31.3K

$2,931 SEK 27.4K

14.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,353 SEK 31.3K

$3,061 SEK 28.6K

9.52%

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 Kalmar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in Malmo versus $939 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 10% 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 $74.0 in Kalmar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $338 – 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: $2,047 in Malmo, $1,862 in Kalmar – roughly 10% apart. Malmo costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,071 per month in Malmo and $2,793 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 $162 per month in Malmo and $145 in Kalmar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% 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 $1,862, than in Malmo at $2,047. 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 $1,862 in Kalmar 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 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.