Savona vs Malmo
Single · Comfortable · $3,000/mo
Savona is approximately 72% less expensive than Malmo based on cost of living including rent. This makes Savona a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Savona has a FIRE Score of 66/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 48.57, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Savona is best suited for digital nomads who prioritize experience over savings.
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Best in rowItaly
Savona
Sweden
Malmo
Estimates from published local prices. N/A means no figure is published for that city.
About these cities
About Malmo
Malmo is the rare city where a $1,059/mo city center one-bedroom does not wreck your budget, especially with an average net salary of $3,016/mo and a cost of living index of 63/100. The trade-off is climate and scale: 327 thousand people, a temperate but gray winter, and a flat 6 m elevation that makes biking the obvious move on a $63/mo transit pass. With an 85/100 expat score, 87/100 digital nomad score, and English widely spoken, it beats most of Scandinavia on value. Come for the tech and startup scene, stay for Västra Hamnen and Möllevången, and accept that you are paying northern European prices for a mid-sized city.
About Sweden
Skip Sweden for retirement or digital nomad visas, which aren't offered: neither exists, and the top tax rate reaches 52.1%. This fits high earners chasing a clear citizenship path and top-tier healthcare (68.3 index, 82.7-year life expectancy) over near-term savings or easy entry.
Savona costs roughly 1% less than Malmo. Malmo leads on digital nomad infrastructure, with faster average internet speeds. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Savona is approximately 72% less expensive than Malmo based on cost of living including rent. This makes Savona a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Savona has a FIRE Score of 66/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 48.57, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Savona is best suited for digital nomads who prioritize experience over savings.
About Savona
Savona is a solid pick if you want a small, safe Italian coastal city without big-city prices, and a 62/100 cost of living index against a $1,750/mo average net salary keeps a single budget lifestyle within reach. The catch is the rental market: a one-bedroom outside the center costs $672/mo while the same place in the center runs $616/mo, and a three-bedroom jumps to $1,400/mo centrally versus $840/mo outside, so the numbers reward anyone willing to look past Centro and Fornaci. With limited English, a small expat community, and a retiree score of 55/100, this is a place for people who will learn Italian and settle in slowly, not for those chasing an instant social scene.
About Italy
Retirees with steady income fare better here than remote workers chasing savings. Rent outside the center runs $660.88/mo, cheap by European standards, but income tax climbing to 43% erodes any freelance upside fast. The Elective Residence Visa requires $2,895/mo in passive income, and citizenship stays complex even after years of residency.
$1,214/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Malmo
Malmo is the rare city where a $1,059/mo city center one-bedroom does not wreck your budget, especially with an average net salary of $3,016/mo and a cost of living index of 63/100. The trade-off is climate and scale: 327 thousand people, a temperate but gray winter, and a flat 6 m elevation that makes biking the obvious move on a $63/mo transit pass. With an 85/100 expat score, 87/100 digital nomad score, and English widely spoken, it beats most of Scandinavia on value. Come for the tech and startup scene, stay for Västra Hamnen and Möllevången, and accept that you are paying northern European prices for a mid-sized city.
About Sweden
Skip Sweden for retirement or digital nomad visas, which aren't offered: neither exists, and the top tax rate reaches 52.1%. This fits high earners chasing a clear citizenship path and top-tier healthcare (68.3 index, 82.7-year life expectancy) over near-term savings or easy entry.
$1,381/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
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| Metric | Savona | Malmo |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $615.85 | $1058.59 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $671.84 | $818.37 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $1399.67 | $1736.17 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $839.8 | $1358.61 |
| Safety Index | 48.57 | 45.12 |
| Internet Speed | 52.3Mbps | 200Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Savona | Malmo |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | N/A | $1,622/mo |
| Excluding rent | N/A | $804/mo |
| Rent | N/A | $818/mo |
| Groceries | N/A | $254/mo |
| Dining out | N/A | $150/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | N/A | $136/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | N/A | $201/mo |
| Transport | N/A | $63.00/mo |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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