Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Ludvika

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludvika: $1,567 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Malmo, Sweden
Ludvika, Sweden
Malmo
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,092
/mo nomad
Ludvika
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malmo and in Ludvika

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malmo and in Ludvika actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,092 per month in Malmo vs $1,567 in Ludvika, rent included.

  • Malmo $2,092
  • Ludvika $1,567

A couple spends around $3,149 per month in Malmo vs $2,609 in Ludvika, rent included.

  • Malmo $3,149
  • Ludvika $2,609

A family of three spends $4,206 per month in Malmo vs $3,650 in Ludvika, rent included.

  • Malmo $4,206
  • Ludvika $3,650

Malmo costs about 33% more than Ludvika, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Malmo and Ludvika sit above the global median – Malmo by 54%, Ludvika by 15%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.17 SEK 149
$13.68 SEK 134
10.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.1 SEK 747
$64.9 SEK 637
17.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.18 SEK 120
$9.96 SEK 97.8
22.29%
Cappuccino
$4.94 SEK 48.47
$4.43 SEK 43.53
11.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.50 SEK 34.38
$2.70 SEK 26.54
29.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 SEK 26.53
$2.15 SEK 21.15
25.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.69 SEK 85.3
$7.17 SEK 70.4
21.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.11 SEK 89.5
$7.11 SEK 69.8
28.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 SEK 16.37
$1.71 SEK 16.76
-2.34%
White Bread (500g)
$2.84 SEK 27.93
$2.56 SEK 25.18
10.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 SEK 33.78
$3.83 SEK 37.62
-10.18%
Eggs
$4.12 SEK 40.44
$5.08 SEK 49.91
-18.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.17 SEK 129
$13.69 SEK 134
-3.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.85 SEK 116
$13.44 SEK 132
-11.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.25 SEK 209
$27.55 SEK 271
-22.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 SEK 29.13
$3.20 SEK 31.43
-7.19%
Banana (1kg)
$2.63 SEK 25.78
$3.33 SEK 32.68
-21.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.94 SEK 28.87
$3.54 SEK 34.77
-16.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.26 SEK 41.80
$4.17 SEK 40.91
2.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 SEK 15.98
$1.50 SEK 14.76
8.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 SEK 15.27
$1.74 SEK 17.06
-10.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 SEK 24.67
$2.28 SEK 22.39
10.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 SEK 11.55
$1.52 SEK 14.95
-22.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.17 SEK 80.3
$7.14 SEK 70.2
14.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.38 SEK 112
$9.88 SEK 97.1
15.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 SEK 20.13
$1.98 SEK 19.45
3.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 SEK 23.30
$2.31 SEK 22.64
2.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.22 SEK 31.67
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.9 SEK 628
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.05 SEK 59.4
$13.32 SEK 131
-54.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.48 SEK 24.39
$2.05 SEK 20.18
20.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.44 SEK 486
$80.7 SEK 792
-38.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.57
$1.71 SEK 16.78
4.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K SEK 320.5K
$33.7K SEK 331.2K
-3.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.3K SEK 326.7K
$33.3K SEK 327.0K
-0.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$144 SEK 1,412
$100 SEK 985
43.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.21 SEK 248
$20.19 SEK 198
24.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.19 SEK 395
$46.79 SEK 459
-14.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.31 SEK 386
$29.56 SEK 290
32.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.48 SEK 289
$49.43 SEK 485
-40.36%
Cinema Ticket
$17.12 SEK 168
$17.23 SEK 169
-0.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$168 SEK 1,652
$222 SEK 2,180
-24.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,352 SEK 32.9K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 SEK 1,002
$98.9 SEK 971
3.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.62 SEK 448
$52.8 SEK 519
-13.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 SEK 1,087
$96.1 SEK 943
15.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 SEK 1,534
$218 SEK 2,137
-28.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,100 SEK 10.8K
$455 SEK 4,469
141.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$852 SEK 8,369
$431 SEK 4,229
97.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,765 SEK 17.3K
$946 SEK 9,292
86.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,343 SEK 13.2K
$963 SEK 9,459
39.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 SEK 40.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,158 SEK 31.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Malmo
Ludvika
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,979 SEK 29.2K
$3,637 SEK 35.7K
-18.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.05
2.8
8.93%

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

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ludvika: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Malmo
$852
Ludvika
$431 49.5% $422
Groceries & Markets
Malmo
$371
Ludvika
$410 10.4% $39
Eating Out
Malmo
$304
Ludvika
$262 13.7% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Malmo
$209
Ludvika
$167 20% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Malmo
$187
Ludvika
$209 12.3% $23
Getting Around
Malmo
$95
Ludvika
$24 * 75.2% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Malmo
$74
Ludvika
$64 13% $9.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,100 in Malmo versus $455 in Ludvika. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Ludvika, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Malmo versus $65 in Ludvika. Groceries tell a different story – $371 in Malmo vs $410 in Ludvika – so Malmo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Malmo
🇸🇪 Ludvika
🕒 Local time
10:20 10:20 AM
10:20 10:20 AM
Same time as Malmo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
316,588
26,343
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Malmo Ludvika 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Malmo
  • Ludvika

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ludvika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Malmo or Ludvika?
Malmo costs about 33% more than Ludvika, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Malmo and in Ludvika?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,138 per month in Malmo and $2,350 in Ludvika. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Malmo or Ludvika?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ludvika, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $455 there versus $1,100 in Malmo.
How much does it cost to live in Malmo compared to Ludvika?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,092 in Malmo and $1,567 in Ludvika. That makes Ludvika about 25% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Malmo and in Ludvika?
Kindergarten costs $168 per month in Malmo and $222 in Ludvika. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Malmo or in Ludvika?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,092 in Malmo and $1,567 in Ludvika. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Malmo or Ludvika?
It depends on your priorities. Malmo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,567 in Ludvika to $2,092 in Malmo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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