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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,047 per month in Malmo vs $1,999 in Uppsala, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in Malmo vs $3,014 in Uppsala, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,292 per month in Malmo vs $4,028 in Uppsala, rent included.

Malmo costs about 2% more than Uppsala, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Malmo and Uppsala sit above the global median – Malmo by 53%, Uppsala by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 SEK 127

$15.78 SEK 148

-14.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 804

$69.9 SEK 656

22.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 SEK 119

$11.40 SEK 107

11.14%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 47.48

$5.00 SEK 47.00

1.00%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.24

$2.67 SEK 25.05

0.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.21

$2.19 SEK 20.56

-1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 75.2

$8.39 SEK 78.8

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 77.1

$8.66 SEK 81.4

-5.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.72

$1.63 SEK 15.33

2.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 29.19

$2.75 SEK 25.83

13.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.93

$4.53 SEK 42.59

-20.31%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.49

$5.10 SEK 47.92

-13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 SEK 113

$11.89 SEK 112

1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 SEK 120

$13.97 SEK 131

-8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 SEK 258

$16.80 SEK 158

63.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.69

$3.74 SEK 35.09

-12.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 26.12

$2.79 SEK 26.21

-0.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 30.45

$3.57 SEK 33.51

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 44.97

$5.18 SEK 48.69

-7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.19

$1.58 SEK 14.82

15.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.34

$1.79 SEK 16.81

8.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 24.14

$2.63 SEK 24.72

-2.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.58

$1.32 SEK 12.41

1.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 76.4

$8.14 SEK 76.4

-0.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 SEK 114

$10.81 SEK 102

11.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.75

$2.41 SEK 22.62

4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.96

$2.57 SEK 24.13

3.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.58

$4.01 SEK 37.63

-16.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 SEK 651

$109 SEK 1,023

-36.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 60.5

$5.69 SEK 53.4

13.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 24.80

$1.19 SEK 11.17

121.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 SEK 528

$63.5 SEK 597

-11.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 18.04

$2.01 SEK 18.84

-4.48%

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

$33.1K SEK 310.7K

$33.2K SEK 311.7K

-0.31%

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

$33.8K SEK 317.4K

$33.8K SEK 317.6K

-0.05%

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

$154 SEK 1,442

$111 SEK 1,040

38.65%

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

$30.36 SEK 285

$29.67 SEK 279

2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 379

$43.81 SEK 412

-7.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 SEK 360

$38.15 SEK 358

0.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 SEK 223

$28.06 SEK 264

-15.25%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 167

$19.76 SEK 186

-9.87%

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

$162 SEK 1,518

$149 SEK 1,400

8.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 SEK 45.8K

$5,570 SEK 52.3K

-12.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 983

$88.7 SEK 833

18.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 429

$41.94 SEK 394

8.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,166

$98.7 SEK 927

25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,552

$157 SEK 1,471

5.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 SEK 8,751

$943 SEK 8,862

-1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 SEK 7,264

$755 SEK 7,087

2.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 SEK 16.2K

$1,503 SEK 14.1K

14.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 12.6K

$1,075 SEK 10.1K

24.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 SEK 40.5K

$5,511 SEK 51.8K

-21.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 SEK 31.6K

$2,972 SEK 27.9K

13.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,353 SEK 31.5K

$3,097 SEK 29.1K

8.26%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in Malmo versus $943 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 8% 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 $86.0 in Malmo versus $70.0 in Uppsala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $387 – 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 2% 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 $3,071 per month in Malmo and $2,999 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 $162 per month in Malmo and $149 in Uppsala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $1,999, than in Malmo at $2,047. 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 $1,999 versus $2,047 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.