Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lulea

For one person, living is cheaper in Lulea: $1,823 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Lulea
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Lulea Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Lulea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lulea

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Lulea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,823 in Lulea.

Austin, TX $2,704
Lulea $1,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,920 in Lulea.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lulea $2,920

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,016 in Lulea.

Austin, TX $5,562
Lulea $4,016

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 48% more expensive than in Lulea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Lulea 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$11.72 SEK 117

72.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$95.5 SEK 955

-10.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.95 SEK 109

12.79%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.36 SEK 43.52

25.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.51 SEK 25.10

52.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.87 SEK 18.66

33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$8.58 SEK 85.8

-6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$9.49 SEK 94.8

-5.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.77 SEK 17.71

-36.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.26 SEK 32.60

15.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.94 SEK 49.41

-34.21%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.65 SEK 46.43

-10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$12.25 SEK 122

6.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$13.21 SEK 132

8.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$26.18 SEK 262

-39.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.55 SEK 25.47

71.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.65 SEK 26.53

-45.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.49 SEK 24.87

82.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.11 SEK 41.10

1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.04 SEK 20.39

28.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.54 SEK 15.43

53.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.36 SEK 33.58

-47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.29 SEK 12.93

67.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.68 SEK 66.7

46.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.05 SEK 120

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.78 SEK 17.77

56.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.72 SEK 17.15

102.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.32 SEK 33.21

-55.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$55.4 SEK 554

-26.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$9.04 SEK 90.3

-70.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.05 SEK 20.52

-22.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$70.6 SEK 706

-50.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.77 SEK 17.65

-44.07%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K $35.8K

$31.9K SEK 318.5K

12.36%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.5K SEK 334.6K

-18.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$160 SEK 1,603

36.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.0 $58.0

$31.51 SEK 315

84.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$26.96 SEK 269

153.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$46.15 SEK 461

25.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$35.47 SEK 354

-58.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$12.94 SEK 129

9.20%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$153 SEK 1,528

886.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,466 SEK 54.6K

292.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$117 SEK 1,168

-55.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$31.97 SEK 320

37.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$120 SEK 1,202

-29.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$161 SEK 1,611

-34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$778 SEK 7,773

148.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$581 SEK 5,811

118.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,418 SEK 14.2K

158.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,098 SEK 11.0K

129.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,049 SEK 30.5K

149.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,254 SEK 22.5K

41.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,595 SEK 25.9K

96.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.85

76.36%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lulea: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Lulea

$581 32% 54.3% $691

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Lulea

$404 22.2% 0.2% $1

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Lulea

$258 14.2% 25.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Lulea

$219 12.1% 36.7% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Lulea

$194 10.7% 50.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Lulea

$72 4% 16.4% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Lulea

$88 4.9% 54.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $778 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 97% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $96.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $404 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇪 Lulea

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

06:56 6:56 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

73,864

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

SEK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lulea 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lulea

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lulea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $778 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,823 in Lulea – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lulea runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,823 in Lulea versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lulea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,823 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lulea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Lulea are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.