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: $2,047 in Malmo versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,170 in Malmo versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Malmo versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Malmo costs roughly 7% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 53% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 SEK 127

$15.91 €13.70

-15.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 804

$64.8 €55.8

32.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 SEK 119

$10.51 €9.05

20.55%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 47.48

$2.87 €2.47

75.96%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.24

$2.24 €1.93

20.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.21

$1.50 €1.30

43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 75.2

$3.49 €3.01

129.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 77.1

$3.88 €3.34

111.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.72

$1.14 €0.98

46.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 29.19

$1.75 €1.51

77.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.93

$1.76 €1.51

105.11%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.49

$3.22 €2.77

37.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 SEK 113

$13.49 €11.62

-10.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 SEK 120

$7.91 €6.81

61.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 SEK 258

$15.87 €13.67

73.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.69

$2.31 €1.99

41.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 26.12

$1.70 €1.46

63.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 30.45

$2.01 €1.73

61.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 44.97

$2.46 €2.12

94.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.19

$1.84 €1.59

-0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.34

$2.00 €1.72

-2.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 24.14

$1.93 €1.66

33.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.58

$0.79 €0.68

69.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 76.4

$6.61 €5.69

23.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 SEK 114

$5.72 €4.93

111.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.75

$1.37 €1.18

84.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.96

$2.97 €2.56

-10.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.58

$2.37 €2.04

41.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 SEK 651

$45.56 €39.23

52.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 60.5

$4.29 €3.69

50.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 24.80

$0.82 €0.70

221.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 SEK 528

$18.30 €15.76

207.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 18.04

$2.06 €1.78

-6.80%

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

$33.1K SEK 310.7K

$34.3K €29.5K

-3.51%

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

$33.8K SEK 317.4K

$39.3K €33.8K

-13.99%

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

$154 SEK 1,442

$148 €127

3.85%

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

$30.36 SEK 285

$20.52 €17.67

47.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 379

$39.61 €34.11

1.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 SEK 360

$47.85 €41.20

-19.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 SEK 223

$18.92 €16.29

25.69%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 167

$9.18 €7.91

94.01%

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

$162 SEK 1,518

$614 €529

-73.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 SEK 45.8K

$16.0K €13.8K

-69.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 983

$105 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 429

$42.06 €36.22

8.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,166

$94.0 €80.9

32.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,552

$120 €103

38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 SEK 8,751

$1,628 €1,402

-42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 SEK 7,264

$1,255 €1,081

-38.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 SEK 16.2K

$3,030 €2,609

-43.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 12.6K

$2,020 €1,740

-33.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 SEK 40.5K

$7,800 €6,716

-44.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 SEK 31.6K

$4,273 €3,679

-21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,353 SEK 31.5K

$1,603 €1,381

109.08%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Malmo and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86.0 in Malmo vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $269 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 8% in total monthly costs ($2,047 vs $2,210 including rent). Malmo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Malmo pays 109% more on average, 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: $932 in Malmo versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $162 in Malmo versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 52% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,047 in Malmo versus $2,210 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 8% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.