Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Karlskrona Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Karlskrona

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,083 per month in Malmo vs $1,639 in Karlskrona, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Malmo vs $2,583 in Karlskrona, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,359 per month in Malmo vs $3,528 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Malmo costs about 27% more than Karlskrona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Malmo and Karlskrona sit above the global median – Malmo by 52%, Karlskrona by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 SEK 152

$13.36 SEK 132

15.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 SEK 756

$67.3 SEK 663

14.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 120

$9.46 SEK 93.2

29.18%

Cappuccino

$5.10 SEK 50.3

$4.09 SEK 40.27

24.69%

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

$3.37 SEK 33.24

$1.35 SEK 13.29

149.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 26.37

$2.28 SEK 22.49

17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.32 SEK 72.2

22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$5.14 SEK 50.7

74.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.24

$1.48 SEK 14.55

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 SEK 29.88

$2.71 SEK 26.75

11.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 SEK 35.27

$3.74 SEK 36.84

-4.28%

Eggs

$4.23 SEK 41.71

$4.61 SEK 45.44

-8.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 SEK 129

$10.87 SEK 107

20.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 SEK 120

$13.28 SEK 131

-7.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 SEK 217

$17.32 SEK 171

27.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.04

$3.15 SEK 30.99

-3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$2.37 SEK 23.33

10.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.30

$2.95 SEK 29.10

7.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 43.75

$4.55 SEK 44.87

-2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.14

$1.51 SEK 14.89

15.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.99

$1.51 SEK 14.91

0.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 SEK 24.46

$2.15 SEK 21.19

15.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.89

$1.47 SEK 14.51

-10.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 SEK 76.7

$7.15 SEK 70.5

8.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 116

$12.79 SEK 126

-7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.72

$1.97 SEK 19.43

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.85

$1.76 SEK 17.30

31.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 31.49

$3.03 SEK 29.91

5.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 SEK 636

$73.5 SEK 725

-12.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 SEK 63.3

$13.58 SEK 134

-52.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$2.00 SEK 19.76

22.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 SEK 510

$82.2 SEK 810

-37.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.33

$1.71 SEK 16.84

2.92%

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

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

$33.2K SEK 327.0K

0.12%

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

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

$33.4K SEK 329.3K

0.92%

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

$140 SEK 1,384

$52.6 SEK 518

166.96%

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

$26.87 SEK 265

$28.34 SEK 279

-5.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 SEK 370

$37.87 SEK 373

-0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 SEK 428

$42.28 SEK 417

2.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.75 SEK 293

$24.72 SEK 244

20.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 SEK 174

$16.62 SEK 164

6.08%

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

$172 SEK 1,695

$164 SEK 1,618

4.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,012

$98.9 SEK 975

3.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 SEK 459

$20.68 SEK 204

125.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 SEK 1,120

$81.8 SEK 806

38.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,542

$178 SEK 1,756

-12.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

$686 SEK 6,762

52.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 SEK 8,044

$597 SEK 5,879

36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

$1,140 SEK 11.2K

53.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

$963 SEK 9,494

42.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

$2,944 SEK 29.0K

43.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

$2,555 SEK 25.2K

28.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

$2,546 SEK 25.1K

22.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

4.22

-28.44%

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

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Malmo versus $686 in Karlskrona. 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 22% 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 $77.0 in Malmo versus $67.0 in Karlskrona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $364 – making Karlskrona 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 Karlskrona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Malmo is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,125 per month in Malmo and $2,459 in Karlskrona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Malmo and $67.0 in Karlskrona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,083 in Malmo and $1,639 in Karlskrona. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlskrona, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Malmo at $2,083. In Karlskrona it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Karlskrona – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Karlskrona. 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.