Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Vernon, WA and Kalmar

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalmar: $1,907 a month against $2,794 in Mount Vernon, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Mount Vernon, WA
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Mount Vernon, WA Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
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Kalmar Living Index

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Mount Vernon, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,794

/mo nomad

Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mount Vernon, WA and in Kalmar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mount Vernon, WA and in Kalmar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Mount Vernon, WA vs $1,907 in Kalmar, rent included.

Mount Vernon, WA $2,794
Kalmar $1,907

A couple spends around $3,966 per month in Mount Vernon, WA vs $2,844 in Kalmar, rent included.

Mount Vernon, WA $3,966
Kalmar $2,844

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Mount Vernon, WA vs $3,781 in Kalmar, rent included.

Mount Vernon, WA $5,139
Kalmar $3,781

Mount Vernon, WA costs about 46% more than Kalmar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Mount Vernon, WA and Kalmar sit above the global median – Mount Vernon, WA by 107%, Kalmar by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.40 $22.40

$14.70 SEK 146

52.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 $58.8

$71.0 SEK 704

-17.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.78 $12.78

$10.27 SEK 102

24.44%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$4.65 SEK 46.09

25.59%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$2.82 SEK 27.99

-19.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.59 SEK 25.71

-37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 $6.83

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-29.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.68 $9.68

$7.03 SEK 69.7

37.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.47 SEK 14.61

-25.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.01 SEK 29.83

35.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.92 SEK 28.97

-5.14%

Eggs

$5.55 $5.55

$4.59 SEK 45.43

20.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$16.24 SEK 161

-32.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$10.97 SEK 109

-38.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.34 $8.34

$21.76 SEK 216

-61.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.46 SEK 24.38

119.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.63 SEK 26.06

-9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.40 SEK 33.69

59.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$4.27 SEK 42.33

3.51%

Potato (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.63 SEK 16.12

199.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.30 SEK 22.82

-16.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.84 SEK 18.19

10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.66 SEK 16.43

16.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.08 $6.08

$7.97 SEK 79.0

-23.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.69 $19.69

$9.19 SEK 91.1

114.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.96 SEK 19.44

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.51 SEK 24.87

1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 SEK 33.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.56 $29.56

$76.6 SEK 759

-61.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.70 SEK 96.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.98 SEK 466

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.70 SEK 16.81

-31.76%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

23.19%

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

$19.4K $19.4K

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

-32.54%

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

$154 $154

$142 SEK 1,403

8.76%

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

$45.73 $45.73

$26.84 SEK 266

70.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$31.79 SEK 315

103.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 $71.0

$30.76 SEK 305

130.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.42 SEK 262

Cinema Ticket

$13.25 $13.25

$14.67 SEK 145

-9.68%

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

$1,974 $1,974

$138 SEK 1,367

1331.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$49.8K $49.8K

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

912.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.30 $39.30

$50.5 SEK 501

-22.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.93 $29.93

$42.32 SEK 419

-29.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 $80.5

$79.8 SEK 791

0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 $79.8

$101 SEK 998

-20.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 $1,523

$914 SEK 9,056

66.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$751 SEK 7,440

109.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 $2,500

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

93.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,498 $2,498

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

125.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,917 $3,917

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

-3.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,048 $4,048

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

50.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,782 $3,782

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

31.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

3.93

63.36%

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

Last update for Mount Vernon, WA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mount Vernon, WA

$1.6K 56.4%

Kalmar

$751 39.4% 52.3% $825

Groceries & Markets

Mount Vernon, WA

$367 13.1%

Kalmar

$377 19.8% 2.7% $10

Eating Out

Mount Vernon, WA

$357 12.8%

Kalmar

$288 15.1% 19.2% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Vernon, WA

$264 9.5%

Kalmar

$200 10.5% 24.3% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Vernon, WA

$103 3.7%

Kalmar

$123 6.5% 19.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Vernon, WA

$98 3.5%

Kalmar

$60 3.2% 38.4% $37

Getting Around

Mount Vernon, WA

$30 * 1.1%

Kalmar

$108 5.7% 265% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,523 in Mount Vernon, WA versus $914 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 Mount Vernon, WA, 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 $59.0 in Mount Vernon, WA versus $71.0 in Kalmar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $377 – making Mount Vernon, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mount Vernon, WA

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🕒 Local time

16:53 4:53 PM

01:53 1:53 AM

9 h ahead of Mount Vernon, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,893

35,170

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

SEK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mount Vernon, WA Kalmar 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mount Vernon, WA
Kalmar

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Mount Vernon, WA vs Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,794 in Mount Vernon, WA, $1,907 in Kalmar – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,190 per month in Mount Vernon, WA and $2,861 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 $1,974 per month in Mount Vernon, WA and $138 in Kalmar. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Mount Vernon, WA – 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 $1,907, than in Mount Vernon, WA at $2,794. In Kalmar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mount Vernon, WA 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, Mount Vernon, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.