Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Uppsala Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Uppsala

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,081 per month in Malmo vs $1,972 in Uppsala, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,224 per month in Malmo vs $2,967 in Uppsala, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,368 per month in Malmo vs $3,962 in Uppsala, rent included.

Malmo costs about 6% more than Uppsala, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Malmo and Uppsala sit above the global median – Malmo by 56%, Uppsala by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$16.00 SEK 155

-14.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 808

$68.7 SEK 665

21.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$11.72 SEK 113

8.70%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.81

$4.89 SEK 47.37

5.32%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.96

$2.68 SEK 25.91

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.32

$2.26 SEK 21.87

-7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.6

$8.31 SEK 80.5

-6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.6

$8.53 SEK 82.6

-6.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.79

$1.63 SEK 15.81

6.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.78

$2.89 SEK 27.97

6.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.72

$4.67 SEK 45.21

-25.48%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.87

$5.19 SEK 50.2

-12.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$12.16 SEK 118

2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 126

$13.90 SEK 135

-6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 260

$17.40 SEK 168

54.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.89

$3.89 SEK 37.69

-12.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.48

$2.83 SEK 27.40

3.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.88

$3.61 SEK 34.94

-8.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.76

$5.18 SEK 50.2

-6.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.66 SEK 16.10

12.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.79

$1.86 SEK 18.01

4.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.72

$2.70 SEK 26.17

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.02

$1.31 SEK 12.73

2.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.3

$8.15 SEK 78.9

-3.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 113

$10.44 SEK 101

11.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.28

$2.47 SEK 23.88

-2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.43

$2.63 SEK 25.50

3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.46

$4.17 SEK 40.38

-17.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 687

$108 SEK 1,050

-34.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.4

$5.64 SEK 54.6

19.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.53

$1.20 SEK 11.60

120.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 553

$64.2 SEK 621

-11.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.44

$1.99 SEK 19.26

-4.52%

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

$33.0K SEK 319.1K

$32.1K SEK 310.4K

2.81%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.7K

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

0.18%

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

$155 SEK 1,498

$110 SEK 1,063

40.92%

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

$29.60 SEK 287

$28.97 SEK 280

2.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 383

$42.96 SEK 416

-7.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 380

$39.06 SEK 378

0.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 227

$27.76 SEK 269

-15.45%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$20.37 SEK 197

-12.57%

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

$157 SEK 1,523

$145 SEK 1,406

8.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.3K

$5,535 SEK 53.6K

-11.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,015

$87.8 SEK 850

19.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 442

$41.63 SEK 403

9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,201

$99.6 SEK 964

24.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,609

$157 SEK 1,517

6.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,870

$928 SEK 8,982

-1.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,655

$756 SEK 7,323

4.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.5K

$1,500 SEK 14.5K

13.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

26.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.5K

$5,452 SEK 52.8K

-23.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

$2,626 SEK 25.4K

26.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.5K

$3,066 SEK 29.7K

2.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.8

1.25%

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

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $916 in Malmo versus $928 in Uppsala. 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 3% 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 $83.0 in Malmo versus $69.0 in Uppsala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $393 – making Uppsala 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 Uppsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 6% more than Uppsala, 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 $3,121 per month in Malmo and $2,958 in Uppsala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Uppsala, 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 $145 in Uppsala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Uppsala, where all-in costs run around $1,972, than in Malmo at $2,081. In Uppsala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Uppsala costs $1,972 versus $2,081 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 Uppsala. 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.