Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varberg and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Varberg: $1,635 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Varberg, Sweden
Malmo, Sweden
Varberg
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,635
/mo nomad
Malmo
🇸🇪 Sweden
$2,092
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,635 per month in Varberg vs $2,092 in Malmo, rent included.

  • Varberg $1,635
  • Malmo $2,092

A couple spends around $2,623 per month in Varberg vs $3,149 in Malmo, rent included.

  • Varberg $2,623
  • Malmo $3,149

A family of three spends $3,610 per month in Varberg vs $4,206 in Malmo, rent included.

  • Varberg $3,610
  • Malmo $4,206

Varberg is about 22% cheaper than Malmo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Varberg and Malmo sit above the global median – Varberg by 20%, Malmo by 54%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.35 SEK 153
$15.17 SEK 151
1.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.3 SEK 760
$76.1 SEK 757
0.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.20 SEK 102
$12.18 SEK 121
-16.26%
Cappuccino
$3.83 SEK 38.12
$4.94 SEK 49.12
-22.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 SEK 11.84
$3.50 SEK 34.85
-66.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 SEK 10.15
$2.70 SEK 26.88
-62.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.18 SEK 61.5
$8.69 SEK 86.5
-28.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.42 SEK 73.9
$9.11 SEK 90.7
-18.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 SEK 14.20
$1.67 SEK 16.59
-14.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.96 SEK 29.49
$2.84 SEK 28.31
4.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 SEK 34.23
$3.44 SEK 34.23
-
Eggs
$4.13 SEK 41.08
$4.12 SEK 40.99
0.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.77 SEK 127
$13.17 SEK 131
-3.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.88 SEK 108
$11.85 SEK 118
-8.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.85 SEK 198
$21.25 SEK 211
-6.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 SEK 29.56
$2.97 SEK 29.52
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.53 SEK 25.15
$2.63 SEK 26.12
-3.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 SEK 29.31
$2.94 SEK 29.26
0.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 SEK 41.88
$4.26 SEK 42.37
-1.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 SEK 14.63
$1.63 SEK 16.20
-9.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.49 SEK 14.78
$1.55 SEK 15.47
-3.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.53 SEK 25.21
$2.51 SEK 25.00
0.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 SEK 9.67
$1.18 SEK 11.71
-17.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.77 SEK 67.4
$8.17 SEK 81.3
-17.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.24 SEK 102
$11.38 SEK 113
-10.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 SEK 20.59
$2.05 SEK 20.40
0.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 SEK 11.74
$2.37 SEK 23.62
-50.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.94 SEK 29.22
$3.22 SEK 32.09
-8.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.8 SEK 774
$63.9 SEK 636
21.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.93 SEK 49.11
$6.05 SEK 60.2
-18.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.41 SEK 23.94
$2.48 SEK 24.72
-2.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.63 SEK 494
$49.44 SEK 492
0.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 SEK 18.04
$1.79 SEK 17.80
1.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K SEK 328.3K
$32.6K SEK 324.8K
1.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K SEK 334.2K
$33.3K SEK 331.1K
0.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 SEK 1,403
$144 SEK 1,432
-2.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.92 SEK 198
$25.21 SEK 251
-20.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.69 SEK 295
$40.19 SEK 400
-26.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.37 SEK 402
$39.31 SEK 391
2.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.39 SEK 402
$29.48 SEK 293
37.01%
Cinema Ticket
$15.84 SEK 158
$17.12 SEK 170
-7.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$149 SEK 1,481
$168 SEK 1,675
-11.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,455 SEK 34.4K
$3,352 SEK 33.4K
3.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.9 SEK 705
$102 SEK 1,015
-30.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.23 SEK 400
$45.62 SEK 454
-11.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 SEK 1,079
$111 SEK 1,101
-2.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 SEK 1,482
$156 SEK 1,555
-4.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$798 SEK 7,943
$1,100 SEK 10.9K
-27.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$495 SEK 4,926
$852 SEK 8,482
-41.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,221 SEK 12.1K
$1,765 SEK 17.6K
-30.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$915 SEK 9,106
$1,343 SEK 13.4K
-31.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,532 SEK 65.0K
$4,098 SEK 40.8K
59.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,568 SEK 35.5K
$3,158 SEK 31.4K
12.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Varberg
Malmo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,103 SEK 30.9K
$2,979 SEK 29.6K
4.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.9
3.05
-37.70%

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

Last update for Varberg: 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
Varberg
$495
Malmo
$852 72.2% $357
Groceries & Markets
Varberg
$352
Malmo
$371 5.6% $20
Eating Out
Varberg
$254
Malmo
$304 19.6% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varberg
$191
Malmo
$209 9.8% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Varberg
$166
Malmo
$187 12.5% $21
Getting Around
Varberg
$107
Malmo
$95 10.5% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Varberg
$72
Malmo
$74 2.1% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in Varberg 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 4% higher in Varberg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Varberg versus $76 in Malmo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $371 – making Varberg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Varberg
🇸🇪 Malmo
🕒 Local time
11:05 11:05 AM
11:05 11:05 AM
Same time as Varberg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,602
316,588
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Varberg Malmo 170 km
From you
  • Varberg
  • 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
Varberg vs Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Varberg or Malmo?
Malmo costs about 28% more than Varberg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Varberg and in Malmo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,453 per month in Varberg and $3,138 in Malmo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Varberg or Malmo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Varberg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,100 in Malmo.
How expensive is transport in Varberg compared to Malmo?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Malmo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Are groceries more expensive in Varberg or in Malmo?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Malmo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Varberg or in Malmo?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Varberg, where all-in costs run around $1,635, than in Malmo at $2,092. In Varberg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Varberg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Varberg vs other spots: cost of living compared

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