Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Utrecht and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Malmo: $2,092 a month against $2,987 in Utrecht, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Utrecht
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Utrecht Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
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Malmo Living Index

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Utrecht

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,987

/mo nomad

Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Utrecht 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 Utrecht and in Malmo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,987 per month in Utrecht vs $2,092 in Malmo, rent included.

Utrecht $2,987
Malmo $2,092

A couple spends around $4,205 per month in Utrecht vs $3,149 in Malmo, rent included.

Utrecht $4,205
Malmo $3,149

A family of three spends $5,423 per month in Utrecht vs $4,206 in Malmo, rent included.

Utrecht $5,423
Malmo $4,206

Utrecht costs about 43% more than Malmo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Utrecht and Malmo sit above the global median – Utrecht by 120%, Malmo by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.74 €20.36

$15.17 SEK 149

49.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 €75.3

$76.1 SEK 746

10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 €12.14

$12.18 SEK 120

11.25%

Cappuccino

$4.78 €4.29

$4.94 SEK 48.44

-3.24%

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

$3.84 €3.44

$3.50 SEK 34.36

9.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €3.03

$2.70 SEK 26.51

25.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 €5.91

$8.69 SEK 85.3

-24.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 €6.41

$9.11 SEK 89.4

-21.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.35

$1.67 SEK 16.36

-9.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 €2.67

$2.84 SEK 27.91

4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.27

$3.44 SEK 33.76

-26.16%

Eggs

$4.68 €4.19

$4.12 SEK 40.42

13.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 €11.96

$13.17 SEK 129

1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.92 €12.47

$11.85 SEK 116

17.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 €16.73

$21.25 SEK 209

-12.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.45

$2.97 SEK 29.11

-7.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.15

$2.63 SEK 25.76

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.94 SEK 28.85

-29.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.39

$4.26 SEK 41.77

-11.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.63 SEK 15.97

6.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.69

$1.55 SEK 15.26

21.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.43

$2.51 SEK 24.65

-36.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.18 SEK 11.55

16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.42 €12.92

$8.17 SEK 80.2

76.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 €6.11

$11.38 SEK 112

-40.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.21

$2.05 SEK 20.11

-34.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.40

$2.37 SEK 23.29

13.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 €3.18

$3.22 SEK 31.65

10.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 €118

$63.9 SEK 627

106.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.34

$6.05 SEK 59.4

-38.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.44

$2.48 SEK 24.37

10.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.56 €40.80

$49.44 SEK 485

-7.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.59 €2.32

$1.79 SEK 17.55

44.69%

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

$41.0K €36.7K

$32.6K SEK 320.3K

25.70%

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

$40.1K €35.9K

$33.3K SEK 326.5K

20.52%

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

$245 €219

$144 SEK 1,412

70.35%

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

$21.75 €19.48

$25.21 SEK 247

-13.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.16 €43.13

$40.19 SEK 394

19.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.24 €39.62

$39.31 SEK 386

12.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.25 €27.99

$29.48 SEK 289

6.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 €13.49

$17.12 SEK 168

-12.03%

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

$3,274 €2,932

$168 SEK 1,651

1845.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,994 €7,160

$3,352 SEK 32.9K

138.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 €83.4

$102 SEK 1,001

-8.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 €46.11

$45.62 SEK 448

12.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.9

$111 SEK 1,086

-7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €112

$156 SEK 1,533

-19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 €1,742

$1,100 SEK 10.8K

76.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 €1,395

$852 SEK 8,363

82.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,128 €2,802

$1,765 SEK 17.3K

77.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 €1,996

$1,343 SEK 13.2K

65.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,109 €6,367

$4,098 SEK 40.2K

73.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,877 €4,368

$3,158 SEK 31.0K

54.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,245 €3,801

$2,979 SEK 29.2K

42.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.23

3.05

5.90%

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

Last update for Utrecht: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Utrecht

$1.6K 52.2%

Malmo

$852 40.8% 45.3% $706

Eating Out

Utrecht

$356 11.9%

Malmo

$304 14.5% 14.8% $53

Groceries & Markets

Utrecht

$352 11.8%

Malmo

$371 17.8% 5.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Utrecht

$315 10.5%

Malmo

$209 10% 33.6% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Utrecht

$168 5.6%

Malmo

$187 8.9% 11.2% $19

Getting Around

Utrecht

$164 5.5%

Malmo

$95 4.6% 41.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Utrecht

$74 2.5%

Malmo

$74 3.5% 1.1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,945 in Utrecht 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 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 $84 in Utrecht versus $76 in Malmo. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Utrecht vs $371 in Malmo – so Utrecht wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Utrecht

🇸🇪 Malmo

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

Same time as Utrecht

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,947

316,588

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Utrecht Malmo 650 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Utrecht
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

Utrecht vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Utrecht costs about 43% more than Malmo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,481 per month in Utrecht 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 Malmo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,100 there versus $1,945 in Utrecht.

Kindergarten costs $3,274 per month in Utrecht and $168 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,987 in Utrecht and $2,092 in Malmo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Malmo costs $2,092 versus $2,987 in Utrecht. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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