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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Sweden for 2026. Malmö leads with a cost index of 108 and rent of 9 500 kr/month.
Ranking of cities in Sweden for 2026. Malmö leads with a cost index of 108 and rent of 9 500 kr/month.
Malmö: cost index 108 (+7 vs national avg 101), rent 9 500 kr/month.
Skåne region average cost index: 106. Malmö is +2 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 66/100 — safety 60, healthcare 76, walkability 84.
Safety score: 60/100 (crime rate 75.4/1k). National average: 73/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malmö | 108 | 9 500 kr | 378 000 kr |
| 2 | Helsingborg | 103 | 9 000 kr | 368 000 kr |
One stat flips the usual narrative: Malmö has a cost index of 108 — 7 points above the Sweden national average of 101. Median income is 378 000 kr with rent at 9 500 kr/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 30%. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Malmö scores a composite score of 66/100 — reflecting its safety (60), healthcare (76), and walkability (84) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Sweden is a good example of that tension.
Malmö — cost index 108, rent 9 500 kr/mo, income 378 000 kr, QoL 66/100.
Helsingborg — cost index 103, rent 9 000 kr/mo, income 368 000 kr, QoL 65/100.
Malmö has a cost index of 108 (national avg: 101), rent 9 500 kr/mo, median income 378 000 kr/yr, and a quality of life score of 66/100.
The Skåne region of average QoL score is 66/100. Malmö leads with 66/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include SCB, Lantmäteriet, Skatteverket.
Malmö: cost index 108, rent 9 500 kr/mo, income 378 000 kr/yr, QoL 66/100. Helsingborg: cost index 103, rent 9 000 kr/mo, income 368 000 kr/yr, QoL 65/100.
This analysis uses data from SCB, Lantmäteriet, Skatteverket to rank cities in Sweden. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.