Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Kalmar Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Kalmar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,157 per month in Middlesbrough vs $1,981 in Kalmar, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,127 per month in Middlesbrough vs $2,973 in Kalmar, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,097 per month in Middlesbrough vs $3,966 in Kalmar, rent included.

Middlesbrough costs about 9% more than Kalmar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Middlesbrough and Kalmar sit above the global median – Middlesbrough by 57%, Kalmar by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.11 £17.82

$15.61 SEK 149

54.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 £54.4

$73.1 SEK 697

0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £7.98

$11.08 SEK 106

-2.53%

Cappuccino

$4.82 £3.56

$4.86 SEK 46.38

-0.82%

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

$2.43 £1.80

$2.92 SEK 27.83

-16.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$2.65 SEK 25.24

-28.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 £5.07

$9.82 SEK 93.7

-30.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 £5.45

$7.25 SEK 69.2

1.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.52 SEK 14.47

-13.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.98 SEK 28.37

-51.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 £1.85

$3.20 SEK 30.48

-21.88%

Eggs

$3.60 £2.66

$4.95 SEK 47.23

-27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 £5.73

$11.66 SEK 111

-33.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 £5.34

$11.64 SEK 111

-37.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 £10.94

$23.58 SEK 225

-37.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 £1.80

$2.65 SEK 25.28

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 £1.79

$2.83 SEK 26.98

-14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$3.42 SEK 32.59

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$4.11 SEK 39.22

-35.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.54 SEK 14.64

14.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.17

$1.57 SEK 14.98

1.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.87

$2.02 SEK 19.29

-41.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 £2.31

$1.83 SEK 17.41

71.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.42 £17.31

$8.12 SEK 77.4

188.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 £9.18

$9.32 SEK 88.9

33.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.31 £3.19

$2.02 SEK 19.29

113.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 £4.63

$2.57 SEK 24.49

143.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.64 £4.17

$3.55 SEK 33.87

58.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.4 £69.8

$81.1 SEK 773

16.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 £3.24

$10.03 SEK 95.6

-56.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SEK 16.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.56 £20.37

$50.3 SEK 479

-45.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.81 SEK 17.30

12.71%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$31.6K SEK 301.2K

23.71%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$30.2K SEK 287.7K

34.71%

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

$358 £264

$152 SEK 1,446

135.92%

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

$17.30 £12.79

$27.98 SEK 267

-38.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 £31.39

$33.50 SEK 319

26.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 £38.70

$32.39 SEK 309

61.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.53 £24.79

$26.98 SEK 257

24.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 £11.08

$15.39 SEK 147

-2.60%

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

$816 £603

$146 SEK 1,396

457.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.2K £29.7K

$5,205 SEK 49.6K

672.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 £77.2

$52.6 SEK 502

98.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 £40.54

$45.15 SEK 430

21.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £84.5

$85.3 SEK 813

34.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £79.7

$106 SEK 1,008

1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 £714

$945 SEK 9,007

2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 £518

$812 SEK 7,738

-13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 £838

$1,368 SEK 13.0K

-17.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 £731

$1,213 SEK 11.6K

-18.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,269 SEK 40.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,887 SEK 27.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,318 £1,713

$3,037 SEK 29.0K

-23.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

3.93

43.51%

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

Last update for Middlesbrough: September 1, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $966 in Middlesbrough versus $945 in Kalmar. 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 31% higher in Kalmar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Middlesbrough versus $73.0 in Kalmar. Groceries tell a different story – $316 in Middlesbrough vs $378 in Kalmar – so Middlesbrough 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

Middlesbrough vs Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,157 in Middlesbrough, $1,981 in Kalmar – roughly 9% apart. Middlesbrough costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,235 per month in Middlesbrough and $2,971 in Kalmar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $816 per month in Middlesbrough and $146 in Kalmar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Middlesbrough – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalmar, where all-in costs run around $1,981, than in Middlesbrough at $2,157. In Kalmar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Middlesbrough it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kalmar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kalmar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Middlesbrough makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.