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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,047 per month in Malmo vs $1,768 in Karlskrona, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in Malmo vs $2,652 in Karlskrona, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,292 per month in Malmo vs $3,535 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Malmo costs about 16% more than Karlskrona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Malmo and Karlskrona sit above the global median – Malmo by 53%, Karlskrona by 32%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 SEK 127

$13.32 SEK 125

1.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 804

$69.1 SEK 649

23.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 SEK 119

$9.22 SEK 86.6

37.42%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 47.48

$3.98 SEK 37.40

26.88%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.24

$1.45 SEK 13.57

85.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.21

$2.51 SEK 23.60

-14.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 75.2

$7.21 SEK 67.8

10.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 77.1

$5.33 SEK 50.1

53.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.72

$1.60 SEK 14.98

4.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 29.19

$2.84 SEK 26.63

9.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.93

$3.84 SEK 36.04

-5.99%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.49

$4.07 SEK 38.27

8.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 SEK 113

$11.49 SEK 108

4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 SEK 120

$11.95 SEK 112

6.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 SEK 258

$15.94 SEK 150

72.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.69

$3.23 SEK 30.33

1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 26.12

$2.43 SEK 22.84

14.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 30.45

$3.21 SEK 30.16

0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 44.97

$4.64 SEK 43.60

3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.19

$1.51 SEK 14.16

21.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.34

$1.60 SEK 14.98

21.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 24.14

$2.22 SEK 20.83

15.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.58

$1.45 SEK 13.57

-7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 76.4

$7.48 SEK 70.2

8.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 SEK 114

$13.48 SEK 127

-10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.75

$2.10 SEK 19.72

20.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.96

$1.77 SEK 16.66

50.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.58

$3.03 SEK 28.43

10.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 SEK 651

$65.2 SEK 612

6.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 60.5

$14.57 SEK 137

-55.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 24.80

$1.66 SEK 15.57

59.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 SEK 528

$21.00 SEK 197

167.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 18.04

$1.87 SEK 17.60

2.67%

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

$33.1K SEK 310.7K

$33.1K SEK 310.6K

0.02%

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

$33.8K SEK 317.4K

$34.1K SEK 319.8K

-0.75%

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

$154 SEK 1,442

$53.3 SEK 500

188.29%

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

$30.36 SEK 285

$28.37 SEK 266

7.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 379

$36.87 SEK 346

9.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 SEK 360

$43.31 SEK 407

-11.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 SEK 223

$24.03 SEK 226

-1.04%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 167

$17.05 SEK 160

4.46%

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

$162 SEK 1,518

$146 SEK 1,367

11.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 SEK 45.8K

$753 SEK 7,072

547.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 983

$104 SEK 974

0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 429

$20.86 SEK 196

119.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,166

$85.2 SEK 800

45.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,552

$154 SEK 1,443

7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 SEK 8,751

$716 SEK 6,723

30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 SEK 7,264

$690 SEK 6,478

12.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 SEK 16.2K

$1,149 SEK 10.8K

49.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 12.6K

$1,002 SEK 9,410

34.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 SEK 40.5K

$3,141 SEK 29.5K

37.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 SEK 31.6K

$2,664 SEK 25.0K

26.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,353 SEK 31.5K

$2,640 SEK 24.8K

26.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.7

3.40%

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

Last update for Malmo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in Malmo versus $716 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 27% 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 $69.0 in Karlskrona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $360 – 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 16%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,071 per month in Malmo and $2,652 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 $86.0 in Malmo and $69.0 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 $2,047 in Malmo and $1,768 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 $1,768, than in Malmo at $2,047. 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.