Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala, Sweden and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sala: $1,555 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Sala
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Sala Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
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Malmo Living Index

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Sala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,555

/mo nomad

Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sala and in Malmo

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

A single person spends $1,555 per month in Sala vs $2,092 in Malmo, rent included.

Sala $1,555
Malmo $2,092

A couple spends around $2,301 per month in Sala vs $3,149 in Malmo, rent included.

Sala $2,301
Malmo $3,149

A family of three spends $3,046 per month in Sala vs $4,206 in Malmo, rent included.

Sala $3,046
Malmo $4,206

Sala is about 26% cheaper than Malmo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sala and Malmo sit above the global median – Sala by 14%, Malmo by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 SEK 119

$15.17 SEK 149

-19.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 SEK 590

$76.1 SEK 746

-21.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 SEK 96.9

$12.18 SEK 120

-18.97%

Cappuccino

$3.04 SEK 29.84

$4.94 SEK 48.44

-38.46%

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

$1.74 SEK 17.05

$3.50 SEK 34.36

-50.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.97

$2.70 SEK 26.51

-17.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 SEK 70.5

$8.69 SEK 85.3

-17.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 SEK 71.1

$9.11 SEK 89.4

-20.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.89

$1.67 SEK 16.36

2.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 SEK 25.25

$2.84 SEK 27.91

-9.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.42 SEK 33.61

$3.44 SEK 33.76

-0.58%

Eggs

$5.26 SEK 51.6

$4.12 SEK 40.42

27.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 SEK 111

$13.17 SEK 129

-14.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.99 SEK 127

$11.85 SEK 116

9.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 SEK 221

$21.25 SEK 209

6.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.43

$2.97 SEK 29.11

-2.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 SEK 26.21

$2.63 SEK 25.76

1.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 SEK 26.32

$2.94 SEK 28.85

-8.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 45.05

$4.26 SEK 41.77

7.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 SEK 14.21

$1.63 SEK 15.97

-11.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 SEK 11.11

$1.55 SEK 15.26

-27.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 SEK 24.81

$2.51 SEK 24.65

0.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 SEK 10.14

$1.18 SEK 11.55

-12.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.96 SEK 68.3

$8.17 SEK 80.2

-14.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 SEK 59.0

$11.38 SEK 112

-47.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.70

$2.05 SEK 20.11

-1.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SEK 17.30

$2.37 SEK 23.29

-25.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 SEK 29.25

$3.22 SEK 31.65

-7.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.73 SEK 203

$63.9 SEK 627

-67.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 SEK 57.5

$6.05 SEK 59.4

-3.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 SEK 17.48

$2.48 SEK 24.37

-28.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$81.0 SEK 795

$49.44 SEK 485

63.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 SEK 16.70

$1.79 SEK 17.55

-5.03%

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

$33.9K SEK 332.6K

$32.6K SEK 320.3K

3.83%

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

$33.6K SEK 330.0K

$33.3K SEK 326.5K

1.08%

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

$178 SEK 1,742

$144 SEK 1,412

23.41%

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

$19.84 SEK 195

$25.21 SEK 247

-21.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 383

$40.19 SEK 394

-2.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.69 SEK 448

$39.31 SEK 386

16.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 SEK 196

$29.48 SEK 289

-32.33%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 SEK 160

$17.12 SEK 168

-4.61%

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

$221 SEK 2,164

$168 SEK 1,651

31.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,219 SEK 12.0K

$3,352 SEK 32.9K

-63.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.53 SEK 437

$102 SEK 1,001

-56.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 SEK 342

$45.62 SEK 448

-23.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 SEK 514

$111 SEK 1,086

-52.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.0 SEK 540

$156 SEK 1,533

-64.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 SEK 7,028

$1,100 SEK 10.8K

-34.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 SEK 5,065

$852 SEK 8,363

-39.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 SEK 9,035

$1,765 SEK 17.3K

-47.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 SEK 7,001

$1,343 SEK 13.2K

-46.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,986 SEK 39.1K

$4,098 SEK 40.2K

-2.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,798 SEK 27.5K

$3,158 SEK 31.0K

-11.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,432 SEK 23.9K

$2,979 SEK 29.2K

-18.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

3.05

-8.20%

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

Last update for Sala: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sala

$516 33.2%

Malmo

$852 40.8% 65.1% $336

Groceries & Markets

Sala

$363 23.4%

Malmo

$371 17.8% 2.3% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sala

$236 15.2%

Malmo

$209 10% 11.5% $27

Eating Out

Sala

$230 14.8%

Malmo

$304 14.5% 32.2% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Sala

$84 5.4%

Malmo

$187 8.9% 122% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Sala

$78 5%

Malmo

$74 3.5% 6.1% $4.8

Getting Around

Sala

$47 3.1%

Malmo

$95 4.6% 101% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Sala versus $1,100 in Malmo. 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 23% 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 $60 in Sala versus $76 in Malmo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $371 – making Sala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Sala

🇸🇪 Malmo

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

Same time as Sala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,994

316,588

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sala Malmo 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sala
Malmo

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

Sala vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malmo costs about 35% more than Sala, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,333 per month in Sala and $3,138 in Malmo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,100 in Malmo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Sala and $76 in Malmo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Sala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,555 in Sala and $2,092 in Malmo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Malmo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,555 in Sala to $2,092 in Malmo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malmo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.