Cost of Living: Gothenburg vs Malmo (2026)

Sweden vs Sweden — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Gothenburg

Malmo

$1,080/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,092/mo

$11k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$10k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

Freelance setup

Enskild firma

VAT-free under €7k
29% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Enskild firma

VAT-free under €7k
29% social
€1000/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRGothenburg and Malmo are surprisingly similar on the numbers. Both cities will charge you about the same to exist.

Gothenburg edges ahead 80 to 75. Malmo isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you.

How the livability score breaks down

Gothenburg

Malmo

18.5/25

💰 Affordability

18.4/25

13.9/15

🔒 Violent Crime

13.9/15

5.4/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

4.5/10

12.3/15

⚡ Internet

6.3/15

14.1/15

🗳️ Democracy

14.1/15

8.6/10

🗣️ English

8.6/10

7/10

☀️ Climate

7.5/10

7.2/10

📊 Stability

7.2/10

10/10

🚗 Road Safety

10/10

7.2/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

7.2/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇸🇪 Malmo

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Stockholm vs Gothenburg

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Gothenburg

Metric

Malmo

✓$631/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$692/mo

$3,302

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$2,979✓

85 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

84 / 100

1.1 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.1 / 100k

2.1 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

2.1 / 100k

✓54 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

45 / 100

66°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

68°F

27°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

30°F

✓163 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

84 Mbps

✓5.6 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

7.3 μg/m³

84 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

84 / 100

9.4 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

9.4 / 10

7.9 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

7.9 / 9

64 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

64 / 100

71/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

71/100

$72k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$72k

2.8% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.8% · Boringly steady

93/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

93/100 — Reliable

99/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

99/100

A median Software Engineer in Gothenburg takes home $3,686/mo under Standard employee. In Malmo: $3,686/mo under Standard employee.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$78k

💰

Gross income

$78k

−$28k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$28k

−$5k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$5k

$44k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$44k/yr

$4k/mo

−$34k

🏠

Cost of living

−$35k

✓$11k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$10k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

Sun

How much sky you actually get

41% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

43% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

6.5h

Shortest day

Dec

7.0h

18.1h

Longest day

Jun

17.5h

Sun clocks out before 5pm in both cities come December. Plan accordingly.

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

automotivemaritimecleantechfintech

Industries

biotechgamingictcleantech

active

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Complex

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

sambo

Partner pathway

Recognized

sambo

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

18 wk

Gestational limit

18 wk

On request up to 18 weeks. Between 18-22 weeks requires board approval.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Gothenburg vs Malmo — Common Questions

Is Gothenburg cheaper than Malmo?▾

Gothenburg is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1080/month there vs $1092/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Gothenburg or Malmo?▾

Malmo is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Gothenburg has a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 and Malmo has 1.10 per 100,000.

Should I move to Gothenburg or Malmo?▾

Gothenburg edges ahead 80 to 75. Malmo isn't far behind — it depends what matters to you. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Gothenburg or Malmo?▾

Gothenburg: Sweden Self-Employment Permit (complex process, 2 years (renewable)). Malmo: Sweden Self-Employment Permit (complex process, 2 years (renewable)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

What's the cost of rent in Gothenburg vs Malmo?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1080/month in Gothenburg, $1092/month in Malmo (Numbeo). That's 1% cheaper rent in Gothenburg.