How walkable is Malmö?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Malmö has a walkability score of 66 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it somewhat walkable: some errands can be done on foot. It is the least walkable of the 3 cities ranked in Sweden.
What's within walking distance of the centre
2,176 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Malmö. The nearest grocery is about 3 minutes away on foot. Every category earns full or nearly full points.
Groceries
- ICA Nära Gamla Väster, 4 min
- City Frukt AB, 5 min
Restaurants & bars
- Epicuré Bröd & Vin, 2 min
- Badrans Super Falafel, 2 min
Shopping
- Uniflex, 3 min
- QRIOS, 3 min
Coffee
- Novell, 4 min
- Vindstilla - Café & mötesplats, 4 min
Banks
- Nordea, 7 min
- Handelsbanken, 8 min
Parks
- Slottsparken, 2 min
- Kungsparken, 3 min
Schools
- Västra Skolan, 5 min
- St. Petri, 5 min
Books & libraries
- Universitetssjukhuset MAS, 4 min
- Stadsbiblioteket i Malmö, 4 min
Culture & entertainment
- SF Bio Royal, 4 min
- Klubb Play, 4 min
Measured from the centre at 55.6020, 12.9968, the point near Malmö's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 113 street intersections per km², and blocks average 83 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Malmö's score of 66 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 98 within 1 km of the centre, 72 from 1 to 3 km out and 55 from 3 to 5 km out. 26 of the 91 points within 5 km fall on water or on land without streets, such as hillsides, forest or farmland, and are left out, so the score describes only the built-up part. 54% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Malmö. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 100 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 98 | 100% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 72 | 71% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 55 | 32% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Copenhagen, Denmark | 28 km | 87 |
| Gothenburg, Sweden | 242 km | 74 |
| Szczecin, Poland | 262 km | 64 |
| Hamburg, Germany | 300 km | 80 |
| Berlin, Germany | 344 km | 90 |
Questions about walking in Malmö
Is Malmö a walkable city?
Partly. Malmö has a walkability score of 66 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it somewhat walkable: some errands can be done on foot. Its centre scores 100. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks 3rd of 3 cities in Sweden and joint 354th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Sweden?
Stockholm is the most walkable of the 3 cities ranked in Sweden, with a score of 79. Malmö ranks 3rd with 66.
How does Malmö compare with nearby cities?
Malmö sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 66, against Copenhagen (87, 28 km away), Gothenburg (74, 242 km away) and Szczecin (64, 262 km away).
Which part of Malmö is most walkable?
Malmö's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 100. Walkability averages 98 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the south-west (averaging 75) and falls most to the north (3).
How is Malmö's walkability score calculated?
For Malmö it is the average of 65 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 35 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
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