Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Varnamo Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Varnamo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,083 per month in Malmo vs $1,788 in Varnamo, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Malmo vs $2,849 in Varnamo, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,359 per month in Malmo vs $3,910 in Varnamo, rent included.

Malmo costs about 16% more than Varnamo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Malmo and Varnamo sit above the global median – Malmo by 52%, Varnamo by 31%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 SEK 152

$13.63 SEK 134

12.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 SEK 756

$94.6 SEK 932

-18.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 120

$12.37 SEK 122

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$5.10 SEK 50.3

$4.93 SEK 48.62

3.45%

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

$3.37 SEK 33.24

$2.76 SEK 27.22

22.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 26.37

$2.23 SEK 21.94

20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$8.28 SEK 81.6

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$7.34 SEK 72.4

22.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.24

$1.71 SEK 16.84

2.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 SEK 29.88

$2.73 SEK 26.91

10.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 SEK 35.27

$3.92 SEK 38.63

-8.67%

Eggs

$4.23 SEK 41.71

$4.70 SEK 46.33

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 SEK 129

$13.11 SEK 129

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 SEK 120

$12.30 SEK 121

-0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 SEK 217

$17.53 SEK 173

25.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.04

$3.13 SEK 30.89

-2.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$3.00 SEK 29.57

-12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.30

$2.89 SEK 28.44

10.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 43.75

$4.68 SEK 46.08

-5.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.14

$1.79 SEK 17.66

-2.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.99

$1.49 SEK 14.70

2.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 SEK 24.46

$2.74 SEK 27.00

-9.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.89

$1.60 SEK 15.81

-18.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 SEK 76.7

$8.02 SEK 79.0

-2.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 116

$11.67 SEK 115

1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.72

$2.03 SEK 19.96

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.85

$2.79 SEK 27.45

-16.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 31.49

$3.41 SEK 33.57

-6.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 SEK 636

$80.1 SEK 789

-19.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 SEK 63.3

$5.14 SEK 50.6

24.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$1.16 SEK 11.45

110.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 SEK 510

$43.03 SEK 424

20.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.33

$1.80 SEK 17.72

-2.22%

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

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

$34.1K SEK 336.2K

-2.62%

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

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

$34.4K SEK 338.5K

-1.84%

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

$140 SEK 1,384

$81.5 SEK 803

72.42%

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

$26.87 SEK 265

$32.13 SEK 317

-16.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 SEK 370

$42.81 SEK 422

-12.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 SEK 428

$39.50 SEK 389

9.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.75 SEK 293

$26.42 SEK 260

12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 SEK 174

$15.50 SEK 153

13.74%

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

$172 SEK 1,695

$165 SEK 1,628

4.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

$5,125 SEK 50.5K

-33.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,012

$83.1 SEK 819

23.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 SEK 459

$60.5 SEK 596

-22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 SEK 1,120

$106 SEK 1,043

7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,542

$129 SEK 1,271

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

$844 SEK 8,319

23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 SEK 8,044

$621 SEK 6,118

31.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

$1,410 SEK 13.9K

24.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

$1,038 SEK 10.2K

32.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

$4,235 SEK 41.7K

-0.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

$2,859 SEK 28.2K

14.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

$2,104 SEK 20.7K

48.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.03

-0.33%

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

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Malmo versus $844 in Varnamo. 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 48% 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 $95.0 in Varnamo. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Malmo vs $379 in Varnamo – so Varnamo 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 Varnamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 16% more than Varnamo, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. 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 $2,682 in Varnamo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varnamo, 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 $165 in Varnamo. 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Varnamo, where all-in costs run around $1,788, than in Malmo at $2,083. In Varnamo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Varnamo costs $1,788 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 Varnamo. 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.