SE flag
Malmö

Sweden

vs
SE flag
Uppsala

Sweden

Climate

Malmö logs 39 frost days a year to Uppsala's 126 — Malmö wins by 87. Malmö also leads on sunny days by 12.

MalmöUppsala
Sunny days
146134
Hot days
00
Frost days
39126
Rain days
13699
Snow days
226
Outdoor dinner months
3/123/12
Avg wind
4.8 m/s3.4 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,8711,706
Darkest month sun
26 hrs/mo11 hrs/mo
UV peak month
5.14.3

Malmö

Feels-like °C

-10
-8
-3
4
11
19
16
19
13
4
-2
-7

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Uppsala

Feels-like °C

-11
-9
-4
3
13
22
20
19
12
4
-6
-12

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Malmö is $49/mo cheaper

Malmö runs about $2,036/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Uppsala's $2,085/mo — Malmö comes in $49 cheaper each month, roughly 2% less.

Malmö

$2,036

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,626Comfort $3,113
Top 54%in Among 217 Europe cities

Uppsala

$2,085

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,669Comfort $3,214
Top 57%in Among 217 Europe cities

Mobility

Malmö and Uppsala score neck-and-neck on mobility (3.4 vs 3.4, 0–5 scale).

3.4/5
vs
3.4/5
MalmöUppsala
WalkabilityTransitCyclingCar EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport
WalkabilityTransitCyclingCar EfficiencyAirport

Culture

Malmö's culture score of 3.8 sits well above Uppsala's 3.3, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

3.8/5
vs
3.3/5
MalmöUppsala
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
HistoryVenues
Malmö leads

Nature & Outdoors

Malmö and Uppsala score neck-and-neck on nature & outdoors (4.0 vs 3.8, 0–5 scale).

4.0/5
vs
3.8/5
MalmöUppsala
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingBeachSurfingDiving
ForestGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingClimbing
Malmö leads

Safety

Uppsala's safety score is ~1.4× Malmö's — near the top of our scale, while Malmö lands in the middle of the scale, with the biggest gap on walking safety. Malmö still holds an edge on wildfire safety.

3.4/5
vs
4.8/5
Uppsala leads

Career

Malmö's career score of 3.2 sits well above Uppsala's 2.7, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

3.2/5
vs
2.7/5
MalmöUppsala
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Coworking
Malmö leads

Social & Community

Malmö's social & community score of 3.3 sits well above Uppsala's 3.0, with the biggest gap on expat-first community.

3.3/5
vs
3.0/5
MalmöUppsala
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishMulticultural MixUrban EnergyLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Malmö leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Malmö scores 3.8 vs Uppsala's 2.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

3.8/5
vs
2.6/5
MalmöUppsala
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
VeganDelivery
Malmö leads

Family

On family, Malmö scores 3.3 vs Uppsala's 2.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on international schools. Uppsala still holds an edge on universities.

3.3/5
vs
2.8/5
MalmöUppsala
Intl SchoolsAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
UniversitiesAmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGymTennis
Malmö leads

Healthcare

Malmö and Uppsala score neck-and-neck on healthcare (3.4 vs 3.4, 0–5 scale).

3.4/5
vs
3.4/5
MalmöUppsala
Public Healthcare
Public Healthcare

Air Quality

Malmö averages 7.9 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Uppsala's 5.5 µg/m³ (good) — Uppsala breathes ~31% cleaner air (2.5 µg/m³ lower).

Malmö

Uppsala

7.9µg/m³
5.5µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Malmö (339K) and Uppsala (134K) are 2.5x in population — Malmö is the larger metro, Uppsala the smaller; on land area Malmö spans roughly 2.3x more ground.

2.4x

Malmö is roughly 2.4x the scale of Uppsala

Combined population & area comparison

SE flagMalmö
2.4x
SE flagUppsala
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.SE flagMalmö339K2.5x
2.SE flagUppsala134K1x
Area
1.SE flagMalmö84 km²2.3x
2.SE flagUppsala37 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
12 km11 km

SE flagMalmö

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
7.3 km10 km

SE flagUppsala

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Malmö vs Uppsala

Which is cheaper, Malmö or Uppsala?
Malmö and Uppsala have similar costs of living, both around $2,061 per month for a single person with a balanced lifestyle.
How does the climate compare between Malmö and Uppsala?
Sunny days: 146 vs 134 d — Malmö higher Annual sunshine: 1,871 vs 1,706 hrs — Malmö higher Winter sunshine: 26 vs 11 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 39 vs 126 d — Malmö lower Rainy days: 136 vs 99 d — Uppsala lower Snowy days: 2 vs 26 d — Malmö lower
Is Malmö or Uppsala safer?
Uppsala scores higher on safety. Malmö rates 3.4/5 while Uppsala rates 4.8/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Malmö or Uppsala?
Malmö and Uppsala are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Malmö is generally more affordable, while Uppsala may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Malmö and Uppsala stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

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