Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Sala Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Sala

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,083 per month in Malmo vs $1,619 in Sala, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Malmo vs $2,351 in Sala, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,359 per month in Malmo vs $3,083 in Sala, rent included.

Malmo costs about 29% more than Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Malmo and Sala sit above the global median – Malmo by 52%, Sala by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 SEK 152

$12.46 SEK 123

23.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 SEK 756

$61.7 SEK 608

24.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 120

$10.06 SEK 99.2

21.47%

Cappuccino

$5.10 SEK 50.3

$3.30 SEK 32.50

54.55%

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

$3.37 SEK 33.24

$1.87 SEK 18.44

80.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 26.37

$2.33 SEK 23.01

15.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.12 SEK 70.2

25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.32 SEK 72.2

22.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.24

$1.81 SEK 17.88

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 SEK 29.88

$2.62 SEK 25.85

15.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 SEK 35.27

$3.64 SEK 35.85

-1.65%

Eggs

$4.23 SEK 41.71

$5.00 SEK 49.28

-15.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 SEK 129

$11.89 SEK 117

9.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 SEK 120

$13.80 SEK 136

-11.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 SEK 217

$22.79 SEK 225

-3.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.04

$3.08 SEK 30.39

-0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$2.68 SEK 26.39

-2.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.30

$2.72 SEK 26.85

16.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 43.75

$4.92 SEK 48.51

-9.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.14

$1.54 SEK 15.16

12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.99

$1.22 SEK 12.06

24.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 SEK 24.46

$2.72 SEK 26.82

-8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.89

$1.02 SEK 10.05

28.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 SEK 76.7

$7.33 SEK 72.2

6.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 116

$6.30 SEK 62.1

87.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.72

$2.01 SEK 19.80

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.85

$1.93 SEK 19.00

20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 31.49

$3.11 SEK 30.65

2.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 SEK 636

$21.82 SEK 215

195.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 SEK 63.3

$6.03 SEK 59.4

6.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$1.84 SEK 18.17

32.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 SEK 510

$83.3 SEK 820

-37.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.33

$1.76 SEK 17.31

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

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

-3.64%

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

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

-1.59%

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

$140 SEK 1,384

$186 SEK 1,835

-24.59%

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

$26.87 SEK 265

$21.01 SEK 207

27.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 SEK 370

$39.07 SEK 385

-4.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 SEK 428

$47.16 SEK 465

-7.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.75 SEK 293

$20.57 SEK 203

44.63%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 SEK 174

$16.44 SEK 162

7.24%

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

$172 SEK 1,695

$164 SEK 1,618

4.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

169.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,012

$45.96 SEK 453

123.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 SEK 459

$36.55 SEK 360

27.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 SEK 1,120

$55.3 SEK 544

105.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,542

$57.8 SEK 570

170.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

$757 SEK 7,464

37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 SEK 8,044

$536 SEK 5,285

52.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

$967 SEK 9,533

80.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

$714 SEK 7,040

92.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

0.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

12.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

25.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.2

-5.63%

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

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Malmo versus $757 in Sala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Malmo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Malmo versus $62.0 in Sala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $376 – making Sala 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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 29% more than Sala, 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 $3,125 per month in Malmo and $2,429 in Sala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sala, 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 $164 in Sala. 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sala, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Malmo at $2,083. In Sala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sala costs $1,619 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 Sala. 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.