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: $2,081 in Malmo versus $1,865 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Malmo versus $3,060 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Malmo versus $4,256 in Lulea.

Living in Malmo is roughly 12% more expensive than in Lulea, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 56% above, Lulea 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$12.56 SEK 121

9.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 807

$94.6 SEK 914

-11.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$11.60 SEK 112

9.83%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.73

$4.87 SEK 47.06

5.75%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.92

$2.55 SEK 24.63

5.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.29

$1.97 SEK 19.07

6.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.5

$8.57 SEK 82.8

-8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.4

$9.97 SEK 96.3

-19.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.76

$1.93 SEK 18.70

-10.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.73

$3.42 SEK 33.08

-9.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.67

$5.07 SEK 49.01

-31.36%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.80

$4.74 SEK 45.84

-4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$12.76 SEK 123

-2.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 126

$14.05 SEK 136

-7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 259

$28.00 SEK 271

-4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.84

$2.61 SEK 25.23

30.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.43

$2.76 SEK 26.67

6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.83

$2.60 SEK 25.10

26.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.69

$4.36 SEK 42.18

10.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$2.23 SEK 21.55

-16.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.76

$1.66 SEK 16.00

16.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.68

$3.48 SEK 33.62

-26.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.00

$1.44 SEK 13.88

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.2

$7.42 SEK 71.7

6.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 113

$12.34 SEK 119

-5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.25

$1.88 SEK 18.21

27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.39

$1.85 SEK 17.93

47.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.40

$3.36 SEK 32.46

2.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 686

$58.3 SEK 564

21.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.3

$9.54 SEK 92.2

-29.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.49

$1.73 SEK 16.73

52.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 552

$74.5 SEK 720

-23.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.41

$1.89 SEK 18.27

0.53%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.6K

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

2.41%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

$35.7K SEK 344.8K

-4.83%

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

$155 SEK 1,496

$176 SEK 1,697

-11.85%

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

$29.60 SEK 286

$31.87 SEK 308

-7.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 382

$28.56 SEK 276

38.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 380

$48.58 SEK 470

-19.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 227

$36.54 SEK 353

-35.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$13.73 SEK 133

29.72%

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

$157 SEK 1,520

$163 SEK 1,571

-3.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.2K

$5,827 SEK 56.3K

-16.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,013

$124 SEK 1,194

-15.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 442

$33.60 SEK 325

36.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,199

$130 SEK 1,256

-4.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,607

$170 SEK 1,648

-2.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,856

$806 SEK 7,789

13.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,642

$589 SEK 5,693

34.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

18.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

27.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.4K

$3,107 SEK 30.0K

34.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

$2,323 SEK 22.5K

42.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.4K

$2,654 SEK 25.7K

18.60%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lulea: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Malmo and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 19% 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: $83.0 in Malmo vs $95.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $426 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 12% 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 19% 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: $916 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 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 $95.0 versus $83.0 in Malmo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,865 in Lulea versus $2,081 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 $1,865 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 12% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.