Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Kiruna

For one person, living is cheaper in Kiruna: $1,730 a month against $2,120 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malmo, Sweden
Kiruna, Sweden
Malmo
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,120
/mo nomad
Kiruna
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,730
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malmo and in Kiruna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malmo and in Kiruna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,120 per month in Malmo vs $1,730 in Kiruna, rent included.

  • Malmo $2,120
  • Kiruna $1,730

A couple spends around $3,205 per month in Malmo vs $2,703 in Kiruna, rent included.

  • Malmo $3,205
  • Kiruna $2,703

A family of three spends $4,290 per month in Malmo vs $3,676 in Kiruna, rent included.

  • Malmo $4,290
  • Kiruna $3,676

Malmo costs about 23% more than Kiruna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Malmo and Kiruna sit above the global median – Malmo by 57%, Kiruna by 28%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.53 SEK 151
$13.68 SEK 133
13.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.4 SEK 763
$76.6 SEK 745
2.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.46 SEK 121
$9.23 SEK 89.8
34.99%
Cappuccino
$4.94 SEK 48.06
$4.37 SEK 42.54
13.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 SEK 32.97
$2.71 SEK 26.39
25.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 SEK 25.95
$2.20 SEK 21.41
21.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.77 SEK 85.4
$7.02 SEK 68.3
24.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.94 SEK 87.0
$7.23 SEK 70.4
23.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 SEK 16.64
$1.68 SEK 16.37
1.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.86 SEK 27.85
$2.90 SEK 28.26
-1.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.51 SEK 34.15
$3.36 SEK 32.73
4.46%
Eggs
$3.88 SEK 37.76
$4.11 SEK 40.01
-5.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.92 SEK 126
$12.25 SEK 119
5.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.47 SEK 121
$11.75 SEK 114
6.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.74 SEK 212
$16.46 SEK 160
32.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.09 SEK 30.03
$2.71 SEK 26.40
14.02%
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 SEK 25.90
$2.64 SEK 25.69
0.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.11 SEK 30.26
$3.21 SEK 31.25
-3.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.49 SEK 43.73
$5.05 SEK 49.09
-11.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 SEK 15.82
$1.72 SEK 16.76
-5.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.57 SEK 15.23
$1.53 SEK 14.93
2.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.57 SEK 25.02
$2.30 SEK 22.36
11.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 SEK 11.83
$1.62 SEK 15.72
-24.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.03 SEK 78.1
$7.38 SEK 71.8
8.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.84 SEK 115
$10.38 SEK 101
14.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 SEK 20.30
$2.12 SEK 20.64
-1.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 SEK 22.65
$2.26 SEK 22.03
3.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.30 SEK 32.09
$3.40 SEK 33.11
-2.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.7 SEK 630
$80.6 SEK 784
-19.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.21 SEK 60.5
$6.90 SEK 67.1
-10.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.45 SEK 23.84
$1.70 SEK 16.51
44.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$52.0 SEK 506
$65.9 SEK 641
-21.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.77 SEK 17.22
$1.95 SEK 18.97
-9.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K SEK 325.6K
$37.3K SEK 362.7K
-10.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.2K SEK 333.2K
$29.3K SEK 284.9K
16.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 SEK 1,425
$94.8 SEK 922
54.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.36 SEK 218
$24.06 SEK 234
-7.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.56 SEK 385
$38.82 SEK 378
1.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.65 SEK 366
$37.31 SEK 363
0.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.39 SEK 305
$24.32 SEK 237
29.07%
Cinema Ticket
$17.02 SEK 166
$16.49 SEK 160
3.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$172 SEK 1,678
$133 SEK 1,290
30.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,146 SEK 30.6K
$4,718 SEK 45.9K
-33.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 SEK 1,009
$100 SEK 975
3.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.60 SEK 444
$39.13 SEK 381
16.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 SEK 1,123
$90.2 SEK 878
27.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 SEK 1,521
$122 SEK 1,189
27.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,097 SEK 10.7K
$822 SEK 7,997
33.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$868 SEK 8,444
$615 SEK 5,980
41.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,800 SEK 17.5K
$1,392 SEK 13.5K
29.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,387 SEK 13.5K
$1,022 SEK 9,942
35.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,139 SEK 40.3K
$3,824 SEK 37.2K
8.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,172 SEK 30.9K
$2,670 SEK 26.0K
18.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malmo
Kiruna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,173 SEK 30.9K
$3,354 SEK 32.6K
-5.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.05
4
-23.75%

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

Last update for Malmo: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kiruna: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malmo
$868
Kiruna
$615 29.2% $253
Groceries & Markets
Malmo
$380
Kiruna
$361 4.9% $19
Eating Out
Malmo
$307
Kiruna
$259 15.6% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malmo
$208
Kiruna
$158 24.3% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Malmo
$189
Kiruna
$158 16.5% $31
Getting Around
Malmo
$96
Kiruna
$110 13.7% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Malmo
$72
Kiruna
$70 2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,097 in Malmo versus $822 in Kiruna. 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 6% higher in Kiruna, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Malmo versus $77 in Kiruna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $361 – making Kiruna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Malmo
🇸🇪 Kiruna
🕒 Local time
09:47 9:47 AM
09:47 9:47 AM
Same time as Malmo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
316,588
22,454
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.73 SEK (1 SEK = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.93 SEK (100 SEK = 9.15 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malmo Kiruna 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Malmo
  • Kiruna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kiruna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Malmo and in Kiruna compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,120 in Malmo, $1,730 in Kiruna – Kiruna comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Malmo compared to Kiruna?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,180 per month in Malmo and $2,595 in Kiruna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Malmo and Kiruna?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kiruna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $822 there versus $1,097 in Malmo.
Which city is more expensive overall: Malmo or Kiruna?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,120 in Malmo and $1,730 in Kiruna. That makes Kiruna about 18% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Malmo and Kiruna?
Kindergarten costs $172 per month in Malmo and $133 in Kiruna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $3,000 go in Malmo compared to Kiruna?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,120 in Malmo and $1,730 in Kiruna, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Malmo or Kiruna?
Families tend to lean toward Kiruna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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