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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,961 per month in Middlesbrough vs $1,926 in Kalmar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,844 per month in Middlesbrough vs $2,839 in Kalmar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,727 per month in Middlesbrough vs $3,751 in Kalmar, rent included.

Middlesbrough costs about 2% more than Kalmar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Middlesbrough and Kalmar sit above the global median – Middlesbrough by 47%, Kalmar by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.43

$15.76 SEK 153

31.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 £56.2

$74.7 SEK 723

1.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 £7.50

$10.34 SEK 100

-2.51%

Cappuccino

$4.47 £3.32

$4.68 SEK 45.26

-4.49%

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

$1.95 £1.45

$2.81 SEK 27.23

-30.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.01

$2.73 SEK 26.46

-50.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 £3.98

$9.90 SEK 95.9

-45.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 £4.13

$7.59 SEK 73.5

-26.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.50 SEK 14.57

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.48 SEK 23.99

-30.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 £1.95

$2.71 SEK 26.27

-3.32%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.96

$4.88 SEK 47.26

-18.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.92 £5.15

$10.18 SEK 98.6

-32.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.51 £5.59

$11.54 SEK 112

-34.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 £7.23

$16.07 SEK 156

-39.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 £1.93

$2.67 SEK 25.84

-2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 £1.71

$2.73 SEK 26.48

-15.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 £1.65

$3.17 SEK 30.68

-30.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 £2.01

$3.78 SEK 36.60

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.49 SEK 14.38

21.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 £0.97

$2.33 SEK 22.52

-43.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 £1.02

$2.07 SEK 20.04

-33.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.68 SEK 16.24

11.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.99 £13.40

$7.12 SEK 68.9

152.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 £10.01

$9.11 SEK 88.2

47.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.73 £2.78

$2.00 SEK 19.40

86.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 £3.96

$1.72 SEK 16.61

208.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 £2.98

$2.98 SEK 28.86

34.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.0 £70.7

$87.1 SEK 843

9.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 £4.51

$7.08 SEK 68.6

-14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.59 SEK 15.43

-24.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.25 £12.10

$52.6 SEK 509

-69.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.91 SEK 18.45

2.09%

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

$30.3K £22.6K

$27.6K SEK 266.9K

10.06%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$28.1K SEK 272.0K

36.18%

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

$288 £214

$117 SEK 1,131

146.37%

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

$17.19 £12.80

$28.56 SEK 277

-39.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.61 £31.72

$30.64 SEK 297

39.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 £40.79

$29.77 SEK 288

84.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 £15.94

$15.73 SEK 152

36.17%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 £9.74

$14.39 SEK 139

-9.10%

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

$942 £701

$146 SEK 1,412

545.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K £15.2K

$4,077 SEK 39.5K

400.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 £59.2

$64.2 SEK 622

23.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 £31.86

$21.00 SEK 203

103.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 £64.8

$60.4 SEK 585

43.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 £53.3

$75.9 SEK 735

-5.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$904 £673

$947 SEK 9,168

-4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 £530

$812 SEK 7,857

-12.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 £761

$1,363 SEK 13.2K

-25.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 £725

$1,203 SEK 11.6K

-19.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,667 £1,986

$4,262 SEK 41.3K

-37.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 £1,658

$2,835 SEK 27.5K

-21.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,225 £1,656

$2,928 SEK 28.3K

-24.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

4.66

20.17%

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

Last update for Middlesbrough: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $904 in Middlesbrough versus $947 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 32% 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 $75.0 in Middlesbrough versus $75.0 in Kalmar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $337 – making Middlesbrough 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

Middlesbrough vs Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,961 in Middlesbrough, $1,926 in Kalmar – roughly 2% apart. Middlesbrough costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,942 per month in Middlesbrough and $2,889 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 $942 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 17% 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 $1,926, than in Middlesbrough at $1,961. 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.