Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Ostersund Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Ostersund

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,078 per month in Malmo vs $1,842 in Ostersund, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,236 per month in Malmo vs $2,858 in Ostersund, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,394 per month in Malmo vs $3,874 in Ostersund, rent included.

Malmo costs about 13% more than Ostersund, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Malmo and Ostersund sit above the global median – Malmo by 55%, Ostersund by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 129

$13.59 SEK 128

1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 803

$72.6 SEK 681

18.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 SEK 121

$10.63 SEK 99.7

21.07%

Cappuccino

$4.94 SEK 46.31

$4.70 SEK 44.09

5.11%

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

$2.74 SEK 25.74

$2.83 SEK 26.54

-3.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SEK 20.32

$2.40 SEK 22.48

-9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 73.2

$7.86 SEK 73.8

-0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 SEK 74.4

$7.78 SEK 73.0

1.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 16.55

$1.49 SEK 14.00

18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 SEK 28.35

$3.12 SEK 29.29

-3.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.87

$5.11 SEK 47.92

-29.35%

Eggs

$4.47 SEK 41.90

$3.53 SEK 33.08

26.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 SEK 114

$14.49 SEK 136

-15.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.69 SEK 119

$11.89 SEK 112

6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.69 SEK 250

$16.12 SEK 151

65.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 SEK 30.77

$4.54 SEK 42.61

-27.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.56

$2.99 SEK 28.06

-1.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 SEK 30.44

$3.59 SEK 33.66

-9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 SEK 44.62

$4.12 SEK 38.64

15.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 SEK 17.48

$3.76 SEK 35.24

-50.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 SEK 18.59

$1.76 SEK 16.54

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 SEK 24.16

$2.58 SEK 24.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.08

$1.58 SEK 14.85

-18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.89 SEK 74.0

$8.30 SEK 77.8

-4.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 SEK 112

$10.58 SEK 99.2

12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 SEK 23.32

$1.93 SEK 18.15

29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 24.66

$1.90 SEK 17.84

38.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 SEK 31.80

$3.31 SEK 31.07

2.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.3 SEK 669

$75.3 SEK 706

-5.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 SEK 61.4

$6.26 SEK 58.7

4.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 SEK 23.71

$1.64 SEK 15.39

54.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.3 SEK 538

$61.9 SEK 581

-7.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 18.02

$2.08 SEK 19.54

-7.69%

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

$32.8K SEK 308.1K

$32.7K SEK 306.9K

0.38%

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

$33.5K SEK 314.2K

$33.9K SEK 318.2K

-1.26%

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

$152 SEK 1,428

$113 SEK 1,063

34.30%

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

$30.08 SEK 282

$28.49 SEK 267

5.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.52 SEK 380

$36.65 SEK 344

10.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 SEK 362

$40.38 SEK 379

-4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 SEK 225

$25.07 SEK 235

-4.47%

Cinema Ticket

$18.09 SEK 170

$15.37 SEK 144

17.70%

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

$157 SEK 1,477

$129 SEK 1,212

21.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,974 SEK 46.7K

$4,184 SEK 39.3K

18.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 SEK 990

$92.9 SEK 872

13.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.45 SEK 426

$40.09 SEK 376

13.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 SEK 1,144

$95.9 SEK 900

27.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,549

$152 SEK 1,429

8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 SEK 8,408

$825 SEK 7,741

8.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 SEK 7,426

$645 SEK 6,048

22.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,730 SEK 16.2K

$1,386 SEK 13.0K

24.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 SEK 12.7K

$1,062 SEK 9,966

27.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,244 SEK 39.8K

$4,359 SEK 40.9K

-2.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,353 SEK 31.5K

$2,949 SEK 27.7K

13.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,254 SEK 30.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.53

7.28%

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

Last update for Malmo: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $896 in Malmo versus $825 in Ostersund. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Malmo versus $73.0 in Ostersund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $408 vs $386 – making Ostersund the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ostersund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 13% more than Ostersund, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,118 per month in Malmo and $2,762 in Ostersund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ostersund, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $157 per month in Malmo and $129 in Ostersund. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Malmo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ostersund, where all-in costs run around $1,842, than in Malmo at $2,078. In Ostersund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ostersund costs $1,842 versus $2,078 in Malmo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ostersund. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malmo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.