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: $2,047 in Malmo versus $1,885 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,170 in Malmo versus $3,023 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Malmo versus $4,161 in Lulea.

Living in Malmo is roughly 9% more expensive than Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 53% above, Lulea 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 SEK 126

$12.89 SEK 120

4.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 799

$93.8 SEK 875

-8.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 SEK 118

$12.01 SEK 112

5.50%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 47.16

$4.65 SEK 43.39

8.60%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.07

$2.56 SEK 23.88

5.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.07

$2.06 SEK 19.25

4.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 74.7

$8.46 SEK 78.9

-5.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 76.5

$9.98 SEK 93.2

-17.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.62

$1.93 SEK 18.02

-13.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 28.99

$3.55 SEK 33.15

-12.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.71

$5.02 SEK 46.86

-28.09%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.22

$4.95 SEK 46.21

-10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 SEK 112

$12.91 SEK 120

-6.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 SEK 119

$13.97 SEK 130

-8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 SEK 257

$27.38 SEK 255

0.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.49

$2.69 SEK 25.13

21.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 25.94

$2.80 SEK 26.15

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 30.25

$2.62 SEK 24.49

23.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 44.68

$4.52 SEK 42.17

5.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.07

$2.18 SEK 20.33

-16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.22

$1.64 SEK 15.26

18.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 23.98

$3.42 SEK 31.88

-24.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.50

$1.45 SEK 13.53

-7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 75.9

$7.45 SEK 69.5

9.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 SEK 113

$12.66 SEK 118

-4.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.59

$1.83 SEK 17.10

38.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.80

$1.80 SEK 16.77

47.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.37

$3.36 SEK 31.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 SEK 647

$60.1 SEK 561

15.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 60.1

$9.53 SEK 88.9

-32.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 24.63

$1.71 SEK 16.00

54.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 SEK 524

$75.1 SEK 700

-25.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 17.92

$1.89 SEK 17.60

1.59%

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

$33.1K SEK 308.6K

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

3.43%

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

$33.8K SEK 315.3K

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

-3.13%

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

$154 SEK 1,433

$174 SEK 1,627

-11.95%

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

$30.36 SEK 283

$33.07 SEK 309

-8.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 377

$28.42 SEK 265

42.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 SEK 357

$49.17 SEK 459

-22.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 SEK 222

$36.67 SEK 342

-35.15%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 166

$13.75 SEK 128

29.53%

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

$162 SEK 1,508

$159 SEK 1,481

1.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 SEK 45.5K

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

-15.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 977

$125 SEK 1,168

-16.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 426

$33.73 SEK 315

35.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,159

$126 SEK 1,175

-1.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,542

$172 SEK 1,605

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 SEK 8,693

$791 SEK 7,376

17.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 SEK 7,215

$578 SEK 5,395

33.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 SEK 16.1K

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

21.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 12.5K

$1,053 SEK 9,824

27.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 SEK 40.2K

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

29.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 SEK 31.3K

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

41.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,353 SEK 31.3K

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

22.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.2

15.71%

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

Last update for Malmo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Malmo and $791 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 23% 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: $86.0 in Malmo vs $94.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $428 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.

Malmo pays 23% 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 $791 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Malmo pay roughly 4% 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 $94.0 versus $86.0 in Malmo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,047 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 $1,885 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.