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: $2,093 in Malmo versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,234 in Malmo versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,376 in Malmo versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Malmo costs roughly 10% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 52% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 SEK 148

$17.30 €14.92

-11.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 SEK 768

$63.3 €54.6

26.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 SEK 118

$11.39 €9.83

7.81%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 46.86

$3.19 €2.75

52.66%

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

$3.55 SEK 34.15

$2.45 €2.11

44.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SEK 27.28

$1.76 €1.52

61.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.09 SEK 87.4

$3.59 €3.10

153.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 SEK 89.9

$3.39 €2.93

175.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.64

$1.24 €1.07

47.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 SEK 28.86

$1.98 €1.71

51.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 35.02

$1.52 €1.31

139.47%

Eggs

$4.18 SEK 40.24

$4.04 €3.49

3.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 SEK 128

$13.54 €11.68

-1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 SEK 119

$8.39 €7.23

47.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.05 SEK 212

$18.25 €15.74

20.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 30.02

$2.29 €1.97

36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.69

$1.74 €1.50

47.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.54

$1.86 €1.60

65.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 42.56

$2.63 €2.27

68.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.96

$1.92 €1.65

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 15.37

$2.09 €1.81

-23.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 25.41

$1.44 €1.24

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.37

$0.84 €0.73

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.95 SEK 76.5

$6.78 €5.85

17.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 114

$5.71 €4.93

107.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.62

$1.38 €1.19

55.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 23.36

$2.22 €1.91

9.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 SEK 31.44

$2.40 €2.07

36.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 SEK 640

$46.78 €40.35

42.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 SEK 60.5

$4.17 €3.60

50.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 SEK 24.09

$1.14 €0.98

119.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.8 SEK 508

$17.68 €15.25

198.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.37

$2.32 €2.00

-21.98%

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

$34.1K SEK 328.2K

$35.3K €30.5K

-3.46%

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

$35.1K SEK 338.0K

$41.4K €35.7K

-15.21%

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

$143 SEK 1,375

$170 €147

-16.11%

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

$27.75 SEK 267

$19.34 €16.68

43.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 376

$33.64 €29.01

16.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 SEK 440

$48.10 €41.48

-4.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.43 SEK 293

$19.90 €17.16

52.91%

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 174

$9.92 €8.56

82.76%

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

$176 SEK 1,690

$717 €619

-75.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,485 SEK 33.5K

$17.5K €15.1K

-80.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 SEK 999

$105 €90.4

-0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 SEK 446

$46.95 €40.49

-1.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 SEK 1,148

$103 €89.2

15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 SEK 1,534

$124 €107

28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SEK 10.1K

$1,677 €1,446

-37.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 SEK 8,132

$1,271 €1,096

-33.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 SEK 16.7K

$2,985 €2,574

-41.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 SEK 13.7K

$1,992 €1,718

-28.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,223 SEK 40.6K

$7,826 €6,750

-46.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,338 SEK 32.1K

$4,658 €4,017

-28.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,200 SEK 30.8K

$1,583 €1,365

102.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.79

-20.32%

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

Last update for Malmo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,054 in Malmo and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 102% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Malmo vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $283 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 11% in total monthly costs ($2,093 vs $2,316 including rent). Malmo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 102% 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: $1,054 in Malmo versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Malmo versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,093 in Malmo versus $2,316 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 11% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.