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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,988 per month in Middlesbrough vs $1,926 in Kalmar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,839 per month in Middlesbrough vs $2,872 in Kalmar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,689 per month in Middlesbrough vs $3,818 in Kalmar, rent included.

Middlesbrough costs about 3% more than Kalmar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Middlesbrough and Kalmar sit above the global median – Middlesbrough by 48%, Kalmar by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.07

$15.99 SEK 147

27.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 £54.5

$73.3 SEK 673

0.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 £7.53

$10.50 SEK 96.5

-3.14%

Cappuccino

$4.26 £3.16

$4.67 SEK 42.93

-8.78%

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

$1.93 £1.43

$2.79 SEK 25.63

-30.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.06

$2.67 SEK 24.55

-46.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 £4.10

$9.85 SEK 90.5

-43.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 £3.96

$7.53 SEK 69.2

-28.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.46 SEK 13.37

10.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.46 SEK 22.60

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 £1.95

$2.66 SEK 24.41

-1.13%

Eggs

$4.11 £3.04

$4.89 SEK 44.98

-15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 £5.05

$10.30 SEK 94.7

-33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 £5.66

$11.58 SEK 106

-34.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 £7.01

$16.22 SEK 149

-41.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 £1.90

$2.69 SEK 24.69

-4.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 £1.67

$2.71 SEK 24.92

-16.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 £1.65

$3.17 SEK 29.10

-29.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 £2.06

$3.68 SEK 33.82

-24.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.49 SEK 13.67

17.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$2.45 SEK 22.52

-44.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 £1.07

$2.01 SEK 18.48

-28.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.65 SEK 15.12

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.25 £13.52

$7.25 SEK 66.6

151.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.07 £9.69

$11.95 SEK 110

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 £2.80

$2.08 SEK 19.10

81.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 £3.98

$1.67 SEK 15.35

221.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 £3.06

$2.88 SEK 26.49

43.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 £71.5

$88.0 SEK 809

9.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 £4.57

$7.43 SEK 68.3

-16.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 £0.88

$1.54 SEK 14.12

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.42 £12.17

$53.7 SEK 493

-69.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.97 SEK 18.14

-5.08%

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

$30.7K £22.8K

$26.8K SEK 246.6K

14.45%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$28.1K SEK 258.2K

39.35%

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

$286 £212

$117 SEK 1,075

144.60%

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

$16.87 £12.50

$28.59 SEK 263

-40.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.36 £31.39

$31.33 SEK 288

35.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.74

$29.18 SEK 268

83.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.90 £15.48

$15.76 SEK 145

32.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 £9.50

$14.37 SEK 132

-10.79%

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

$932 £691

$148 SEK 1,365

527.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K £15.2K

$4,071 SEK 37.4K

404.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.4 £60.4

$65.3 SEK 600

24.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.84 £31.75

$21.51 SEK 198

99.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 £64.4

$60.3 SEK 555

43.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 £54.1

$75.5 SEK 694

-3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 £675

$954 SEK 8,770

-4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 £530

$813 SEK 7,471

-12.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £767

$1,360 SEK 12.5K

-23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 £717

$1,179 SEK 10.8K

-17.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,621 £1,942

$4,429 SEK 40.7K

-40.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 £1,657

$2,945 SEK 27.1K

-24.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,655 £1,967

$3,144 SEK 28.9K

-15.56%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $911 in Middlesbrough versus $954 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 18% 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 in Middlesbrough versus $73 in Kalmar. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Middlesbrough vs $342 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: $1,988 in Middlesbrough, $1,926 in Kalmar – roughly 3% apart. Middlesbrough costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,983 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 $932 per month in Middlesbrough and $148 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 $1,926, than in Middlesbrough at $1,988. 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.