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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,092 per month in Malmo vs $1,841 in Kista, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,273 per month in Malmo vs $2,845 in Kista, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,454 per month in Malmo vs $3,849 in Kista, rent included.

Malmo costs about 14% more than Kista, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Malmo and Kista sit above the global median – Malmo by 57%, Kista by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.93 SEK 130

$13.40 SEK 125

3.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 SEK 793

$73.7 SEK 689

15.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 SEK 117

$10.67 SEK 99.8

17.71%

Cappuccino

$5.11 SEK 47.78

$4.52 SEK 42.30

13.05%

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

$2.83 SEK 26.48

$2.75 SEK 25.71

2.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 20.38

$2.50 SEK 23.38

-12.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 SEK 74.6

$7.84 SEK 73.3

1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 SEK 75.3

$7.42 SEK 69.5

8.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 15.76

$1.67 SEK 15.64

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 SEK 29.53

$2.87 SEK 26.82

10.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 SEK 34.16

$3.81 SEK 35.65

-4.20%

Eggs

$4.46 SEK 41.72

$4.16 SEK 38.95

7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 SEK 115

$12.07 SEK 113

1.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.84 SEK 120

$11.74 SEK 110

9.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.92 SEK 252

$16.88 SEK 158

59.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 31.84

$3.10 SEK 29.01

9.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.54

$2.58 SEK 24.09

10.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 SEK 30.87

$3.02 SEK 28.23

9.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 SEK 44.02

$4.38 SEK 40.97

7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.33

$1.56 SEK 14.58

18.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.24

$1.79 SEK 16.77

8.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 SEK 24.21

$2.64 SEK 24.68

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 SEK 12.13

$1.51 SEK 14.12

-13.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.26 SEK 77.3

$7.44 SEK 69.6

11.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 SEK 113

$9.21 SEK 86.2

30.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 SEK 22.68

$1.96 SEK 18.36

23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 SEK 25.82

$1.90 SEK 17.81

45.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 SEK 31.13

$3.30 SEK 30.88

0.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.5 SEK 659

$75.2 SEK 703

-6.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 SEK 61.4

$6.29 SEK 58.9

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 SEK 24.97

$1.60 SEK 14.99

66.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.4 SEK 537

$62.5 SEK 584

-8.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 SEK 18.57

$1.90 SEK 17.76

4.74%

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

$32.2K SEK 300.9K

$32.8K SEK 306.9K

-1.94%

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

$33.6K SEK 314.1K

$34.4K SEK 321.5K

-2.29%

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

$151 SEK 1,417

$112 SEK 1,048

35.23%

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

$30.27 SEK 283

$28.99 SEK 271

4.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 SEK 375

$36.29 SEK 339

10.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.38 SEK 368

$40.93 SEK 383

-3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.06 SEK 225

$25.26 SEK 236

-4.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 SEK 168

$15.90 SEK 149

13.14%

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

$161 SEK 1,510

$144 SEK 1,348

11.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,852 SEK 45.4K

$4,120 SEK 38.5K

17.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 SEK 971

$94.9 SEK 888

9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 SEK 411

$40.22 SEK 376

9.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 SEK 1,152

$96.6 SEK 903

27.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 SEK 1,558

$152 SEK 1,422

9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 SEK 8,416

$848 SEK 7,928

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 SEK 7,243

$641 SEK 5,996

20.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 SEK 15.8K

$1,417 SEK 13.3K

18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 SEK 12.5K

$1,078 SEK 10.1K

24.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,382 SEK 41.0K

$3,939 SEK 36.9K

11.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,406 SEK 31.9K

$2,986 SEK 27.9K

14.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,257 SEK 30.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.53

7.28%

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

Last update for Malmo: June 13, 2026

Last update for Kista: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Malmo versus $848 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 $85.0 in Malmo versus $74.0 in Kista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $357 – making Kista 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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 14% more than Kista, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,138 per month in Malmo and $2,761 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 $2,092 in Malmo and $1,841 in Kista. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 7% 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 $1,841, than in Malmo at $2,092. 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 $1,841 versus $2,092 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.