Cost of Living Comparison Between Gavle and Lund Cost of Living Comparison Between Gavle and Lund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,060 in Gavle versus $1,904 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Gavle versus $3,030 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Gavle versus $4,156 in Lund.

Living in Gavle is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 54% above, Lund 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.88 SEK 125

$12.55 SEK 121

2.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 SEK 911

$85.3 SEK 825

10.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 SEK 101

$12.20 SEK 118

-14.10%

Cappuccino

$5.07 SEK 48.98

$4.85 SEK 46.92

4.54%

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

$2.14 SEK 20.72

$2.81 SEK 27.13

-23.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SEK 23.76

$2.05 SEK 19.79

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 SEK 79.2

$8.22 SEK 79.5

-0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 SEK 83.5

$7.32 SEK 70.8

17.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.64

$1.60 SEK 15.43

7.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 SEK 24.39

$2.21 SEK 21.34

14.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 SEK 37.68

$3.02 SEK 29.15

29.14%

Eggs

$4.02 SEK 38.83

$4.55 SEK 44.02

-11.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 SEK 90.8

$13.12 SEK 127

-28.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 SEK 99.1

$11.78 SEK 114

-12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 SEK 143

$17.28 SEK 167

-14.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 SEK 31.93

$3.18 SEK 30.70

3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 SEK 27.62

$2.77 SEK 26.81

3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 SEK 33.47

$2.77 SEK 26.75

24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 SEK 44.20

$4.55 SEK 43.94

0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.87

$1.66 SEK 16.01

11.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.04

$1.58 SEK 15.25

18.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 25.46

$2.60 SEK 25.14

1.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.10

$1.27 SEK 12.29

22.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 SEK 77.2

$8.18 SEK 79.1

-2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 SEK 112

$11.23 SEK 109

2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.05

$1.96 SEK 18.98

-15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.85

$2.24 SEK 21.64

-17.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 SEK 37.95

$3.34 SEK 32.33

17.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 SEK 555

$67.4 SEK 652

-14.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 SEK 45.27

$5.40 SEK 52.3

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 SEK 12.77

$1.88 SEK 18.21

-29.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.27 SEK 476

$63.0 SEK 609

-21.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 SEK 18.14

$1.90 SEK 18.40

-1.05%

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

$29.1K SEK 281.7K

$32.7K SEK 316.0K

-10.87%

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

$33.6K SEK 324.8K

$34.1K SEK 329.9K

-1.56%

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

$112 SEK 1,082

$122 SEK 1,179

-8.19%

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

$28.71 SEK 278

$28.99 SEK 280

-0.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.73 SEK 403

$41.22 SEK 398

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 SEK 485

$38.68 SEK 374

29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 SEK 157

$24.09 SEK 233

-32.75%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 SEK 137

$18.17 SEK 176

-21.90%

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

$159 SEK 1,534

$179 SEK 1,730

-11.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,129 SEK 39.9K

-0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 958

$80.3 SEK 776

23.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.72 SEK 471

$60.1 SEK 581

-18.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 SEK 810

$104 SEK 1,002

-19.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 SEK 1,544

$130 SEK 1,259

22.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 SEK 8,106

$981 SEK 9,483

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 SEK 8,666

$763 SEK 7,371

17.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 SEK 16.6K

$1,615 SEK 15.6K

6.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 SEK 12.1K

$1,307 SEK 12.6K

-4.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,990 SEK 19.2K

$6,408 SEK 61.9K

-68.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,398 SEK 13.5K

$3,682 SEK 35.6K

-62.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,214 SEK 31.1K

$2,972 SEK 28.7K

8.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

4.8

-14.58%

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

Last update for Gavle: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lund: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Gavle and $981 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 8% 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: $94.0 in Gavle vs $85.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $355, with Gavle cheaper for home cooking.

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

Gavle vs Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gavle and Lund differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,060 vs $1,904 including rent). Lund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Gavle, 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: $839 in Gavle versus $981 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 17% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $159 in Gavle versus $179 in Lund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,904 in Lund versus $2,060 in Gavle, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Gavle. The gap between the two cities makes Lund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gavle and Lund 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 Lund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.