---
title: "Leiden vs Malmö for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/leiden-vs-malmo
description: "Under balanced weights Malmö edges it, 73 to 72, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Leiden is stronger on nothing outright; Malmö on cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Leiden vs Malmö for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Malmö edges it, 73 to 72, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Leiden is stronger on nothing outright; Malmö on cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Leiden | Malmö | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 21 | 34 | Malmö |
| Safety | 81 | 83 | Malmö |
| Healthcare | 86 | 88 | Malmö |
| Internet | 87 | 86 | Leiden |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 91 | 88 | Leiden |
| Climate | 33 | 25 | Leiden |
| Air quality | 93 | 95 | Malmö |
| Quality of life | 96 | 97 | Malmö |

## Cost

| Metric | Leiden | Malmö | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,750 | $1,957 | Malmö |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,009 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Leiden | Malmö | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.66 | 0.87 | Leiden |
| Political stability (0–100) | 75 | 80.5 | Malmö |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 | 85 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 81.1 yrs | 82.7 yrs | Malmö |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Leiden | Malmö | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 90.8 Mbps | 84.9 Mbps | Leiden |
| Upload | 39.1 Mbps | 41.3 Mbps | Malmö |

## Visa

| Metric | Leiden | Malmö | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Leiden | Malmö | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 289 | 203 | Leiden |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Leiden | Malmö | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 3 | Leiden |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.3 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ | Malmö |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Leiden or Malmö?

Malmö is cheaper: about $1,957 per month versus $2,750 for one person.

### Is Leiden or Malmö safer?

Malmö scores higher on safety (83 vs 81), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Leiden or Malmö?

Leiden: a measured median of 90.8 Mbps versus 84.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Leiden](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/leiden) · [Malmö](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/malmo). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/leiden-vs-malmo