Malmö vs Stockholm
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Malmö edges it, 73 to 71, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Malmö is stronger on cost of living; Stockholm on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Malmö | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 38 ✓ | 20 |
| Safety | 82 | 82 |
| Healthcare | 88 | 88 |
| Internet | 83 ✓ | 78 |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 |
| Getting there & around | 59 | 59 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 | 25 |
| Air quality | 95 | 100 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 97 | 97 |
Cost
| Metric | Malmö | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,957 ✓ | $2,955 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,009 ✓ | $1,608 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Malmö | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 76.2 | 76.2 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 | 85 |
| Life expectancy | 82.7 yrs | 82.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Malmö | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 84.9 Mbps ✓ | 69.8 Mbps |
| Upload | 41.3 Mbps ✓ | 25.6 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Malmö | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Malmö | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 166 | 167 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 5 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Malmö | Stockholm |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.3 µg/m³ | 4.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Malmö or Stockholm?
- Malmö is cheaper: about $1,957 per month versus $2,955 for one person.
- Is Malmö or Stockholm safer?
- Malmö scores higher on safety (82 vs 82), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Malmö or Stockholm?
- Malmö: a measured median of 84.9 Mbps versus 69.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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); 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). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.