Cost of Living: Malmo vs Vienna (2026)

Sweden vs Austria — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Malmo

Vienna

$1,092/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,303/mo

$10k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$7k/yr

5 yr

PR path

5 yr

—

Tax breaks

Open incentive regimes for newcomers

Zuzugsfreibetrag (Researcher Relocation Allowance), Flat-Rate Foreign Income Tax (Zuzugsbegünstigung)

Freelance setup

Enskild firma

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

WiseStripe

EPU

VAT-free under €42k
27% social
€1400/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRMalmo is 16% cheaper on rent ($1,092/mo vs $1,303/mo). Malmo scores 9.4 vs 8.3 on democracy. Both cities require a personal relationship with your winter coat.

Too close to call — 78 vs 75. Vienna has a slight edge, but Malmo might suit you better depending on your priorities.

How the livability score breaks down

Malmo

Vienna

18.4/25

💰 Affordability

16.3/25

13.9/15

🔒 Violent Crime

14/15

4.5/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

7.2/10

6.3/15

⚡ Internet

7.6/15

14.1/15

🗳️ Democracy

12.4/15

8.6/10

🗣️ English

8.9/10

7.5/10

☀️ Climate

9.7/10

7.2/10

📊 Stability

7.1/10

10/10

🚗 Road Safety

9.1/10

7.2/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

8.8/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇹 Vienna

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇸🇪 Malmo

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Stockholm vs Malmo

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Malmo

Metric

Vienna

✓$692/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$877/mo

✓$2,979

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$7,164

84 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

87 / 100

1.1 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

1.0 / 100k✓

✓2.1 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.6 / 100k

45 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

72 / 100✓

68°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

75°F

30°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

28°F

84 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

101 Mbps✓

✓7.3 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

12.6 μg/m³

84 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

85 / 100

✓9.4 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.3 / 10

✓7.9 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

6.1 / 9

✓64 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

50 / 100

71/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

74/100

$72k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$74k

2.8% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

2.9% · Boringly steady

93/100 — Reliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

92/100 — Reliable

✓99/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

93/100

A median Software Engineer in Malmo takes home $3,686/mo under Standard employee. In Vienna: $3,986/mo under Standard employee.

$300/mo more in Vienna

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

$94k

−$28k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$29k

−$5k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$17k

$44k/yr

$4k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$48k/yr✓

$4k/mo

−$35k

🏠

Cost of living

−$41k

✓$10k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$7k/yr

Swap the local medians for your actual number

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

💰

Cost of Living

Malmo

$212/mo cheaper on rent alone

🗳️

Democracy

Malmo

9.4/10 EIU index

☀️

Weather

—

68°F vs 75°F summers

🗣️

English

Vienna

higher proficiency score

Sun

How much sky you actually get

43% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

50% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

7.0h

Shortest day

Dec

8.3h

17.5h

Longest day

Jun

16.1h

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 ↑

biotechgamingictcleantech

Industries

life-sciencesfintechict-softwarecreative

active

Startup ecosystem

active

Moderate

🇺🇸 Your visa

Moderate

Easy

EU visa

Easy

Complex

RU visa

Moderate

UA visa

Moderate

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

✅ Partner can work immediately

Recognized

sambo

Partner pathway

Not recognized

eingetragene Partnerschaft

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

14 wk

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

Legal within first trimester. Counseling required.

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

Malmo vs Vienna — Common Questions

Is Malmo cheaper than Vienna?▾

Malmo is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1092/month there vs $1303/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Malmo or Vienna?▾

Vienna is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Malmo has a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 and Vienna has 1.01 per 100,000.

Should I move to Malmo or Vienna?▾

Too close to call — 78 vs 75. Vienna has a slight edge, but Malmo might suit you better depending on your priorities. 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 Malmo or Vienna?▾

Malmo: Sweden Self-Employment Permit (complex process, 2 years (renewable)). Vienna: EU Blue Card (Austria) (complex process, Up to 4 years). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Which has better weather, Malmo or Vienna?▾

Vienna is warmer in summer (75°F vs 68°F). Malmo has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1092/month in Malmo, $1303/month in Vienna (Numbeo). That's 16% cheaper rent in Malmo.

Is Malmo or Vienna better for democracy and rule of law?▾

Malmo scores 9.4/10 on the EIU Democracy Index vs 8.3/10 for Vienna. That puts it in 'full democracy' territory — free press, independent courts, the works.