Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Kista Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Kista

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,083 per month in Malmo vs $1,780 in Kista, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Malmo vs $2,804 in Kista, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,359 per month in Malmo vs $3,829 in Kista, rent included.

Malmo costs about 17% more than Kista, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Malmo and Kista sit above the global median – Malmo by 52%, Kista by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 SEK 152

$14.16 SEK 140

8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 SEK 756

$78.8 SEK 777

-2.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 120

$10.48 SEK 103

16.60%

Cappuccino

$5.10 SEK 50.3

$4.68 SEK 46.11

8.97%

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

$3.37 SEK 33.24

$2.69 SEK 26.50

25.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 26.37

$2.21 SEK 21.79

21.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.43 SEK 73.3

20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.40 SEK 73.0

21.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.24

$1.73 SEK 17.04

1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 SEK 29.88

$2.78 SEK 27.43

8.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 SEK 35.27

$3.79 SEK 37.38

-5.54%

Eggs

$4.23 SEK 41.71

$4.38 SEK 43.19

-3.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 SEK 129

$12.51 SEK 123

4.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 SEK 120

$12.13 SEK 120

0.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 SEK 217

$18.01 SEK 177

22.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.04

$3.25 SEK 32.01

-6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$2.64 SEK 26.04

-0.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.30

$3.20 SEK 31.57

-0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 43.75

$4.42 SEK 43.54

0.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.14

$1.61 SEK 15.82

8.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.99

$1.70 SEK 16.73

-10.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 SEK 24.46

$2.33 SEK 22.96

6.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.89

$1.54 SEK 15.17

-14.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 SEK 76.7

$7.77 SEK 76.6

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 116

$10.30 SEK 102

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.72

$2.06 SEK 20.34

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.85

$2.31 SEK 22.77

0.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 31.49

$3.38 SEK 33.33

-5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 SEK 636

$79.4 SEK 782

-18.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 SEK 63.3

$6.05 SEK 59.6

6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$1.77 SEK 17.40

37.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 SEK 510

$62.5 SEK 616

-17.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.33

$1.85 SEK 18.25

-4.86%

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

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

$34.9K SEK 344.2K

-4.88%

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

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

$34.2K SEK 336.7K

-1.30%

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

$140 SEK 1,384

$109 SEK 1,074

28.85%

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

$26.87 SEK 265

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 SEK 370

$39.32 SEK 387

-4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 SEK 428

$38.98 SEK 384

11.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.75 SEK 293

$26.46 SEK 261

12.43%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 SEK 174

$16.89 SEK 166

4.38%

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

$172 SEK 1,695

$164 SEK 1,618

4.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

$5,266 SEK 51.9K

-35.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,012

$94.8 SEK 934

8.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 SEK 459

$43.93 SEK 433

6.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 SEK 1,120

$97.9 SEK 965

16.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,542

$146 SEK 1,442

6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

$843 SEK 8,303

23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 SEK 8,044

$606 SEK 5,969

34.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

$1,395 SEK 13.8K

25.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

$1,070 SEK 10.5K

28.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

$4,175 SEK 41.1K

0.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

$2,932 SEK 28.9K

12.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.42

-11.70%

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

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kista: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Malmo versus $843 in Kista. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Malmo versus $79.0 in Kista. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Malmo vs $369 in Kista – so Kista wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 17% more than Kista, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,125 per month in Malmo and $2,670 in Kista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,083 in Malmo and $1,780 in Kista. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Kista. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kista, where all-in costs run around $1,780, than in Malmo at $2,083. In Kista it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kista costs $1,780 versus $2,083 in Malmo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kista. 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.