Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Tumba Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Tumba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,121 per month in Malmo vs $1,960 in Tumba, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,239 per month in Malmo vs $3,030 in Tumba, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,357 per month in Malmo vs $4,099 in Tumba, rent included.

Malmo costs about 8% more than Tumba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Malmo and Tumba sit above the global median – Malmo by 56%, Tumba by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.86 SEK 150

$14.56 SEK 138

8.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 SEK 759

$67.5 SEK 640

18.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 SEK 117

$10.63 SEK 101

16.18%

Cappuccino

$4.83 SEK 45.81

$4.40 SEK 41.65

9.77%

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

$3.51 SEK 33.23

$2.70 SEK 25.63

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 SEK 27.31

$2.33 SEK 22.10

23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.99 SEK 85.2

$7.26 SEK 68.8

23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 SEK 87.6

$7.43 SEK 70.4

24.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 16.49

$1.80 SEK 17.09

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 SEK 28.57

$3.23 SEK 30.65

-6.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 SEK 33.12

$3.96 SEK 37.51

-11.62%

Eggs

$4.31 SEK 40.86

$5.17 SEK 48.96

-16.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 SEK 132

$13.79 SEK 131

0.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 118

$13.89 SEK 132

-10.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.45 SEK 203

$17.63 SEK 167

21.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 SEK 29.51

$3.25 SEK 30.81

-4.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 26.00

$2.70 SEK 25.54

1.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.64

$2.14 SEK 20.25

50.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 SEK 41.51

$4.71 SEK 44.64

-7.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.70

$1.56 SEK 14.80

19.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 15.96

$1.88 SEK 17.79

-10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 SEK 25.18

$2.39 SEK 22.61

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.08

$1.96 SEK 18.56

-34.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.30 SEK 78.6

$7.30 SEK 69.2

13.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 SEK 111

$10.62 SEK 101

10.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.77

$1.98 SEK 18.72

10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 SEK 22.29

$2.32 SEK 22.01

1.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.85

$4.47 SEK 42.32

-24.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 SEK 626

$108 SEK 1,023

-38.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 SEK 60.3

$6.11 SEK 57.9

4.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 SEK 23.90

$1.53 SEK 14.49

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.4 SEK 505

$60.8 SEK 576

-12.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.17

$1.84 SEK 17.43

-1.63%

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

$33.9K SEK 321.1K

$34.4K SEK 325.5K

-1.35%

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

$35.1K SEK 333.1K

$34.6K SEK 327.9K

1.58%

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

$142 SEK 1,350

$184 SEK 1,743

-22.57%

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

$27.42 SEK 260

$23.04 SEK 218

19.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.75 SEK 358

$49.34 SEK 468

-23.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.95 SEK 426

$41.85 SEK 397

7.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.25 SEK 287

$28.69 SEK 272

5.44%

Cinema Ticket

$18.55 SEK 176

$16.63 SEK 158

11.55%

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

$177 SEK 1,681

$173 SEK 1,642

2.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,518 SEK 33.3K

$5,213 SEK 49.4K

-32.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 971

$119 SEK 1,132

-14.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.77 SEK 443

$56.8 SEK 538

-17.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 SEK 1,123

$98.9 SEK 937

19.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 SEK 1,529

$197 SEK 1,862

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 SEK 9,928

$732 SEK 6,932

43.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 SEK 7,993

$570 SEK 5,399

48.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 SEK 17.2K

$1,468 SEK 13.9K

23.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 SEK 13.8K

$941 SEK 8,913

54.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,277 SEK 40.5K

$4,404 SEK 41.7K

-2.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,341 SEK 31.7K

$3,164 SEK 30.0K

5.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,216 SEK 30.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.19

3.2

-0.31%

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

Last update for Malmo: August 1, 2026

Last update for Tumba: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,048 in Malmo versus $732 in Tumba. 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 $80.0 in Malmo versus $67.0 in Tumba. Groceries tell a different story – $388 in Malmo vs $392 in Tumba – so Malmo 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 Tumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 8% more than Tumba, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,181 per month in Malmo and $2,940 in Tumba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $177 per month in Malmo and $173 in Tumba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Malmo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tumba, where all-in costs run around $1,960, than in Malmo at $2,121. In Tumba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tumba costs $1,960 versus $2,121 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 Tumba. 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.