Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,081 in Malmo versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Malmo versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Malmo versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Malmo costs roughly 9% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 56% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 132

$16.19 €14.15

-15.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 804

$63.3 €55.3

31.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$10.32 €9.02

23.45%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.58

$2.83 €2.47

81.98%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.84

$2.29 €2.00

17.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.23

$1.58 €1.38

32.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.3

$3.40 €2.97

129.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.2

$4.03 €3.52

98.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.71

$1.09 €0.95

58.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.64

$1.75 €1.53

76.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.56

$1.76 €1.54

97.73%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.67

$3.17 €2.77

42.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$13.19 €11.53

-5.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 125

$7.97 €6.96

63.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 259

$15.53 €13.57

72.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.73

$2.37 €2.07

43.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.35

$1.71 €1.49

71.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.73

$2.01 €1.75

63.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.54

$2.43 €2.12

98.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.04

$1.76 €1.54

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.70

$2.03 €1.78

-4.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.61

$1.92 €1.68

32.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.96

$0.85 €0.74

57.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.0

$6.58 €5.75

19.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 112

$5.58 €4.87

109.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.17

$1.33 €1.16

80.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.30

$2.97 €2.60

-8.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.30

$2.28 €1.99

51.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 684

$45.79 €40.01

54.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.1

$4.23 €3.69

59.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.41

$0.81 €0.71

225.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 550

$18.44 €16.11

209.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.35

$2.08 €1.82

-8.65%

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

$33.0K SEK 317.6K

$34.7K €30.3K

-4.92%

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

$33.9K SEK 327.1K

$39.2K €34.2K

-13.31%

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

$155 SEK 1,491

$148 €129

4.53%

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

$29.60 SEK 285

$20.46 €17.88

44.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 381

$39.56 €34.56

-0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 379

$47.99 €41.93

-18.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 226

$18.60 €16.25

26.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$9.22 €8.06

93.17%

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

$157 SEK 1,516

$616 €538

-74.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.1K

$16.4K €14.4K

-70.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,010

$103 €89.7

2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 440

$41.74 €36.47

9.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,195

$94.8 €82.8

30.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,602

$122 €107

36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,829

$1,633 €1,426

-43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,619

$1,232 €1,077

-35.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

$3,098 €2,707

-45.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$2,031 €1,775

-32.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.3K

$7,831 €6,842

-46.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.0K

$4,389 €3,835

-24.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.3K

$1,607 €1,404

95.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

3.81

27.56%

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

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Malmo and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 96% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Malmo vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $267 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo and Lisbon differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,081 vs $2,291 including rent). Malmo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% higher in Malmo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $916 in Malmo versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Malmo versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 54% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,081 in Malmo versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malmo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Malmo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Malmo and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malmo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.