Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Lulea Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Lulea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,093 in Malmo versus $1,919 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,234 in Malmo versus $3,101 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,376 in Malmo versus $4,283 in Lulea.

Living in Malmo is roughly 9% more expensive than in Lulea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 52% above, Lulea 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 SEK 148

$12.44 SEK 120

23.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 SEK 768

$99.1 SEK 954

-19.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 SEK 118

$11.59 SEK 112

5.95%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 46.91

$4.58 SEK 44.07

6.33%

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

$3.55 SEK 34.19

$2.64 SEK 25.39

34.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SEK 27.31

$1.97 SEK 18.94

44.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.09 SEK 87.6

$9.32 SEK 89.8

-2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 SEK 90.0

$9.80 SEK 94.4

-4.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.66

$1.87 SEK 18.01

-2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 SEK 28.89

$3.43 SEK 33.03

-12.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 35.06

$4.91 SEK 47.27

-25.87%

Eggs

$4.18 SEK 40.28

$4.67 SEK 44.95

-10.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 SEK 128

$12.63 SEK 122

5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 SEK 119

$13.62 SEK 131

-9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.05 SEK 212

$27.73 SEK 267

-20.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 30.06

$2.66 SEK 25.59

17.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.72

$2.82 SEK 27.20

-8.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.58

$2.50 SEK 24.06

22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 42.61

$4.35 SEK 41.88

1.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.98

$2.22 SEK 21.40

-20.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 15.39

$1.55 SEK 14.95

3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 25.44

$3.44 SEK 33.16

-23.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.38

$1.28 SEK 12.37

0.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.95 SEK 76.6

$7.17 SEK 69.1

10.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 114

$12.68 SEK 122

-6.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.64

$1.88 SEK 18.14

13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 23.39

$1.84 SEK 17.71

32.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 SEK 31.47

$3.42 SEK 32.96

-4.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 SEK 641

$57.6 SEK 555

15.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 SEK 60.6

$9.51 SEK 91.6

-33.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 SEK 24.12

$2.25 SEK 21.67

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.8 SEK 508

$71.9 SEK 693

-26.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.39

$1.76 SEK 16.98

2.84%

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

$34.1K SEK 328.5K

$33.5K SEK 322.7K

1.82%

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

$35.1K SEK 338.4K

$35.8K SEK 344.4K

-1.74%

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

$143 SEK 1,376

$173 SEK 1,663

-17.26%

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

$27.75 SEK 267

$32.34 SEK 312

-14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 376

$27.89 SEK 269

40.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 SEK 441

$49.35 SEK 475

-7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.43 SEK 293

$36.98 SEK 356

-17.71%

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 175

$13.46 SEK 130

34.70%

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

$176 SEK 1,692

$161 SEK 1,552

9.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,485 SEK 33.6K

$5,808 SEK 55.9K

-40.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 SEK 1,000

$123 SEK 1,182

-15.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 SEK 447

$34.18 SEK 329

35.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 SEK 1,150

$126 SEK 1,211

-5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 SEK 1,535

$166 SEK 1,599

-3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SEK 10.2K

$806 SEK 7,766

30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 SEK 8,142

$600 SEK 5,775

40.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 SEK 16.7K

$1,533 SEK 14.8K

13.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 SEK 13.7K

$1,151 SEK 11.1K

23.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,223 SEK 40.7K

$3,240 SEK 31.2K

30.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,338 SEK 32.1K

$2,346 SEK 22.6K

42.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,200 SEK 30.8K

$2,633 SEK 25.4K

21.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.85

-21.56%

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

Last update for Malmo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lulea: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,054 in Malmo and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Malmo vs $99.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $420 per month, with Malmo 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Malmo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Malmo pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $80.0 in Malmo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,093 in Malmo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Malmo. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,919 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Malmo and Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.