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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,083 per month in Malmo vs $1,776 in Ostersund, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Malmo vs $2,833 in Ostersund, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,359 per month in Malmo vs $3,890 in Ostersund, rent included.

Malmo costs about 17% more than Ostersund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Malmo and Ostersund sit above the global median – Malmo by 52%, Ostersund by 30%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 SEK 152

$14.02 SEK 138

9.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 SEK 756

$78.4 SEK 773

-2.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 120

$10.49 SEK 103

16.49%

Cappuccino

$5.10 SEK 50.3

$4.84 SEK 47.68

5.37%

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

$3.37 SEK 33.24

$2.81 SEK 27.68

19.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 26.37

$2.25 SEK 22.13

19.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.36 SEK 72.6

21.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.10 SEK 70.0

26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.24

$1.54 SEK 15.18

13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 SEK 29.88

$2.98 SEK 29.36

1.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 SEK 35.27

$4.93 SEK 48.60

-27.38%

Eggs

$4.23 SEK 41.71

$3.46 SEK 34.08

22.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 SEK 129

$14.28 SEK 141

-8.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 SEK 120

$11.84 SEK 117

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 SEK 217

$15.74 SEK 155

39.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.04

$4.46 SEK 43.94

-31.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$2.96 SEK 29.13

-11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.30

$3.55 SEK 34.97

-10.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 43.75

$4.28 SEK 42.21

3.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.14

$1.65 SEK 16.23

5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.99

$1.62 SEK 15.94

-6.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 SEK 24.46

$2.39 SEK 23.53

3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.89

$1.54 SEK 15.20

-14.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 SEK 76.7

$8.08 SEK 79.6

-3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 116

$10.53 SEK 104

12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.72

$1.99 SEK 19.65

0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.85

$2.23 SEK 21.99

4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 31.49

$3.40 SEK 33.55

-5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 SEK 636

$81.2 SEK 801

-20.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 SEK 63.3

$6.26 SEK 61.7

2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$1.72 SEK 16.96

41.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 SEK 510

$61.2 SEK 603

-15.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.33

$1.88 SEK 18.55

-6.38%

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

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

$34.9K SEK 344.2K

-4.88%

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

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

$34.3K SEK 338.2K

-1.76%

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

$140 SEK 1,384

$107 SEK 1,054

31.27%

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

$26.87 SEK 265

$27.13 SEK 267

-0.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 SEK 370

$39.47 SEK 389

-4.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 SEK 428

$39.68 SEK 391

9.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.75 SEK 293

$26.20 SEK 258

13.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 SEK 174

$15.27 SEK 150

15.46%

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

$172 SEK 1,695

$131 SEK 1,291

31.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

$5,237 SEK 51.6K

-34.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,012

$94.6 SEK 932

8.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 SEK 459

$43.68 SEK 430

6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 SEK 1,120

$97.9 SEK 965

16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,542

$144 SEK 1,424

8.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

$844 SEK 8,316

23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 SEK 8,044

$604 SEK 5,955

35.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

$1,420 SEK 14.0K

23.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

$1,061 SEK 10.5K

29.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

$4,145 SEK 40.8K

1.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

$2,859 SEK 28.2K

14.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.42

-11.70%

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

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Malmo versus $844 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 $77.0 in Malmo versus $78.0 in Ostersund. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Malmo vs $375 in Ostersund – so Ostersund wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 17% more than Ostersund, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,125 per month in Malmo and $2,664 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 $172 per month in Malmo and $131 in Ostersund. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% 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 $1,776, than in Malmo at $2,083. 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 $1,776 versus $2,083 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.