Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Malmo Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Malmo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,017 per month in Utrecht vs $2,083 in Malmo, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,313 per month in Utrecht vs $3,221 in Malmo, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,608 per month in Utrecht vs $4,359 in Malmo, rent included.

Utrecht costs about 45% more than Malmo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Utrecht and Malmo sit above the global median – Utrecht by 121%, Malmo by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.05 €20.09

$15.40 SEK 152

49.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €74.3

$76.7 SEK 756

11.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.69 €11.93

$12.22 SEK 120

12.03%

Cappuccino

$4.95 €4.32

$5.10 SEK 50.3

-2.94%

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

$4.01 €3.49

$3.37 SEK 33.24

18.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.88

$2.68 SEK 26.37

23.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.49 €6.53

$8.97 SEK 88.4

-16.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 €6.63

$8.97 SEK 88.4

-15.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.36

$1.75 SEK 17.24

-10.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 €2.60

$3.03 SEK 29.88

-1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.28

$3.58 SEK 35.27

-27.09%

Eggs

$4.84 €4.22

$4.23 SEK 41.71

14.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.80

$13.07 SEK 129

3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.58 €12.71

$12.22 SEK 120

19.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.49 €16.99

$22.01 SEK 217

-11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.44

$3.05 SEK 30.04

-8.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 €2.24

$2.62 SEK 25.85

-1.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.90

$3.18 SEK 31.30

-31.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.39

$4.44 SEK 43.75

-12.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.74 SEK 17.14

2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.52 SEK 14.99

30.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.41

$2.48 SEK 24.46

-34.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.31 SEK 12.89

12.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.23 €13.27

$7.79 SEK 76.7

95.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 €5.95

$11.80 SEK 116

-42.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.25

$2.00 SEK 19.72

-28.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.43

$2.32 SEK 22.85

19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 €3.30

$3.20 SEK 31.49

18.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 €121

$64.5 SEK 636

114.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 €3.29

$6.42 SEK 63.3

-41.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 €2.40

$2.44 SEK 24.00

13.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.67 €39.81

$51.8 SEK 510

-11.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.49 €2.17

$1.76 SEK 17.33

41.48%

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

$42.8K €37.3K

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

28.67%

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

$40.6K €35.4K

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

20.27%

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

$249 €217

$140 SEK 1,384

77.14%

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

$21.74 €18.95

$26.87 SEK 265

-19.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.62 €43.25

$37.50 SEK 370

32.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.54 €40.57

$43.40 SEK 428

7.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.08 €28.83

$29.75 SEK 293

11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 €14.06

$17.63 SEK 174

-8.51%

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

$3,177 €2,770

$172 SEK 1,695

1747.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,273 €7,211

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

142.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 €84.4

$103 SEK 1,012

-5.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 €47.27

$46.61 SEK 459

16.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.3

$114 SEK 1,120

-5.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €113

$156 SEK 1,542

-17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 €1,706

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

87.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 €1,312

$816 SEK 8,044

84.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,294 €2,871

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

88.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 €2,000

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

66.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,174 €6,254

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

70.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,929 €4,296

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

49.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,433 €3,864

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

42.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.21

3.02

6.29%

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

Last update for Utrecht: September 15, 2026

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,958 in Utrecht versus $1,044 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 42% higher in Utrecht, 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 $85.0 in Utrecht versus $77.0 in Malmo. Groceries tell a different story – $365 in Utrecht vs $383 in Malmo – so Utrecht 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

Utrecht vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Utrecht costs about 45% 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 $4,525 per month in Utrecht and $3,125 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 $3,177 per month in Utrecht and $172 in Malmo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Utrecht – 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 $2,083, than in Utrecht at $3,017. In Malmo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Utrecht it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malmo costs $2,083 versus $3,017 in Utrecht. 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, Utrecht makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.