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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,061 per month in Malmo vs $1,909 in Tumba, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,145 per month in Malmo vs $2,894 in Tumba, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,229 per month in Malmo vs $3,879 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 53%, Tumba by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.38 SEK 153

$14.13 SEK 140

8.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 SEK 769

$65.1 SEK 647

18.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 SEK 119

$10.15 SEK 101

18.33%

Cappuccino

$4.88 SEK 48.42

$4.33 SEK 42.98

12.70%

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

$3.46 SEK 34.32

$2.73 SEK 27.14

26.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 SEK 26.82

$2.16 SEK 21.44

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.54 SEK 84.8

$7.20 SEK 71.5

18.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 SEK 88.7

$7.24 SEK 71.9

23.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 16.80

$1.70 SEK 16.89

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 SEK 29.38

$3.04 SEK 30.17

-2.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 33.62

$3.80 SEK 37.76

-10.79%

Eggs

$4.09 SEK 40.62

$5.03 SEK 49.92

-18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 SEK 131

$12.80 SEK 127

2.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.32 SEK 122

$12.98 SEK 129

-5.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.71 SEK 216

$17.14 SEK 170

26.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 29.93

$3.19 SEK 31.68

-5.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.78

$2.73 SEK 27.10

-8.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 31.29

$2.01 SEK 19.99

56.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 SEK 42.85

$4.47 SEK 44.41

-3.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 SEK 17.36

$1.45 SEK 14.42

20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 15.06

$1.73 SEK 17.23

-12.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 SEK 24.45

$2.25 SEK 22.37

9.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.96

$1.85 SEK 18.37

-29.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SEK 77.9

$7.04 SEK 69.9

11.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 SEK 115

$10.29 SEK 102

12.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 20.46

$2.02 SEK 20.08

1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SEK 22.82

$2.35 SEK 23.33

-2.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.24 SEK 32.15

$4.37 SEK 43.40

-25.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 SEK 634

$103 SEK 1,019

-37.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 63.9

$5.97 SEK 59.3

7.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 SEK 24.10

$1.50 SEK 14.88

62.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.4 SEK 500

$57.2 SEK 568

-11.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.56

$1.76 SEK 17.49

0.57%

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

$33.9K SEK 336.5K

$33.4K SEK 331.6K

1.45%

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

$34.0K SEK 337.5K

$32.9K SEK 326.5K

3.39%

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

$143 SEK 1,420

$180 SEK 1,789

-20.63%

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

$27.20 SEK 270

$21.87 SEK 217

24.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.90 SEK 376

$47.36 SEK 470

-19.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.70 SEK 424

$40.85 SEK 406

4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.88 SEK 297

$28.65 SEK 284

4.29%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 SEK 174

$16.54 SEK 164

6.17%

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

$174 SEK 1,731

$160 SEK 1,589

8.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,480 SEK 34.6K

$5,015 SEK 49.8K

-30.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 SEK 1,006

$112 SEK 1,108

-9.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.33 SEK 450

$54.4 SEK 540

-16.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SEK 1,117

$95.8 SEK 951

17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 SEK 1,541

$191 SEK 1,900

-18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 SEK 10.1K

$804 SEK 7,989

27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 SEK 7,969

$578 SEK 5,745

38.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 SEK 16.9K

$1,520 SEK 15.1K

11.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 SEK 13.4K

$988 SEK 9,807

36.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,142 SEK 41.1K

$3,551 SEK 35.3K

16.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,184 SEK 31.6K

$2,923 SEK 29.0K

8.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,201 SEK 31.8K

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 21, 2026

Last update for Tumba: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,022 in Malmo versus $804 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 $77.0 in Malmo versus $65.0 in Tumba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $375 – making Tumba 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 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 $3,092 per month in Malmo and $2,864 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 $174 per month in Malmo and $160 in Tumba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 Tumba, where all-in costs run around $1,909, than in Malmo at $2,061. 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 $1,909 versus $2,061 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.