Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Malmo Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Malmo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,582 per month in Stockholm vs $2,081 in Malmo, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,840 per month in Stockholm vs $3,224 in Malmo, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,098 per month in Stockholm vs $4,368 in Malmo, rent included.

Stockholm costs about 24% more than Malmo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Stockholm and Malmo sit above the global median – Stockholm by 93%, Malmo by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 SEK 155

$13.74 SEK 132

17.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 SEK 1,062

$83.5 SEK 804

32.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 SEK 113

$12.74 SEK 123

-8.32%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 50.1

$5.15 SEK 49.58

0.97%

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

$3.28 SEK 31.64

$2.68 SEK 25.84

22.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 23.78

$2.10 SEK 20.23

17.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 SEK 82.0

$7.81 SEK 75.3

8.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 SEK 80.1

$8.01 SEK 77.2

3.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.33

$1.73 SEK 16.71

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 SEK 32.84

$3.08 SEK 29.64

10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 39.19

$3.48 SEK 33.56

16.95%

Eggs

$4.70 SEK 45.33

$4.53 SEK 43.67

3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 SEK 123

$12.41 SEK 120

2.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 SEK 127

$13.01 SEK 125

1.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 SEK 187

$26.83 SEK 259

-27.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 SEK 34.66

$3.40 SEK 32.73

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.93

$2.94 SEK 28.35

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 SEK 32.54

$3.29 SEK 31.73

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 SEK 44.21

$4.83 SEK 46.54

-4.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 SEK 18.92

$1.87 SEK 18.04

4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 18.17

$1.94 SEK 18.70

-2.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 SEK 24.24

$2.55 SEK 24.61

-1.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.55

$1.34 SEK 12.96

20.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 SEK 77.7

$7.88 SEK 76.0

2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.53 SEK 121

$11.67 SEK 112

7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 21.08

$2.40 SEK 23.17

-8.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 22.76

$2.73 SEK 26.30

-13.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 SEK 43.89

$3.46 SEK 33.30

31.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 SEK 1,080

$71.0 SEK 684

57.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 SEK 61.7

$6.76 SEK 65.1

-5.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$2.64 SEK 25.41

-37.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.3 SEK 610

$57.1 SEK 550

10.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.92

$1.90 SEK 18.35

-2.11%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.3K

$33.0K SEK 317.6K

0.22%

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

$34.5K SEK 332.9K

$33.9K SEK 327.1K

1.76%

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

$227 SEK 2,189

$155 SEK 1,491

46.80%

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

$29.59 SEK 285

$29.60 SEK 285

-0.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.03 SEK 405

$39.55 SEK 381

6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 SEK 443

$39.29 SEK 379

17.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.09 SEK 367

$23.47 SEK 226

62.29%

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 SEK 171

$17.81 SEK 172

-0.17%

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

$164 SEK 1,582

$157 SEK 1,516

4.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,573 SEK 63.3K

$4,884 SEK 47.1K

34.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 SEK 941

$105 SEK 1,010

-6.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 SEK 480

$45.70 SEK 440

8.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 SEK 1,159

$124 SEK 1,195

-3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 SEK 1,945

$166 SEK 1,602

21.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 SEK 15.1K

$916 SEK 8,829

70.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 SEK 10.5K

$791 SEK 7,619

37.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 SEK 26.5K

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

61.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 SEK 17.4K

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

30.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K SEK 113.3K

$4,179 SEK 40.3K

181.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.6K

$3,318 SEK 32.0K

95.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,643 SEK 35.1K

$3,148 SEK 30.3K

15.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.86

-14.40%

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

Last update for Stockholm: July 13, 2026

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,566 in Stockholm versus $916 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 16% higher in Stockholm, 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 $110 in Stockholm versus $83.0 in Malmo. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Stockholm vs $412 in Malmo – so Stockholm 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

Stockholm vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stockholm costs about 24% more than Malmo, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,873 per month in Stockholm and $3,121 in Malmo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $164 per month in Stockholm and $157 in Malmo. 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 Stockholm – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malmo, where all-in costs run around $2,081, than in Stockholm at $2,582. In Malmo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malmo costs $2,081 versus $2,582 in Stockholm. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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