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: $1,996 in Gavle versus $1,949 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,963 in Gavle versus $3,033 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Gavle versus $4,117 in Lund.

Living in Gavle is roughly 2% more expensive than Lund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 49% above, Lund 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$12.42 SEK 116

3.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 SEK 900

$85.7 SEK 799

12.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 SEK 98.4

$11.98 SEK 112

-11.94%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 48.51

$5.01 SEK 46.78

3.79%

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

$2.06 SEK 19.24

$2.83 SEK 26.39

-27.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.22

$2.07 SEK 19.33

14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 SEK 80.2

$8.27 SEK 77.2

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 SEK 78.2

$7.53 SEK 70.3

11.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.07

$1.62 SEK 15.11

6.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 SEK 23.98

$2.23 SEK 20.80

15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 SEK 36.38

$2.92 SEK 27.24

33.56%

Eggs

$4.18 SEK 39.03

$4.42 SEK 41.20

-5.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 SEK 86.3

$12.89 SEK 120

-28.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 SEK 96.2

$11.41 SEK 106

-9.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 SEK 140

$17.35 SEK 162

-13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.08

$3.20 SEK 29.89

4.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 SEK 26.72

$2.89 SEK 26.99

-1.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 32.43

$2.90 SEK 27.05

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 SEK 41.58

$4.42 SEK 41.23

0.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.56

$1.67 SEK 15.61

12.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.63 SEK 15.23

11.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.29

$2.63 SEK 24.52

-1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 14.60

$1.29 SEK 12.01

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 SEK 72.8

$8.10 SEK 75.6

-3.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 SEK 111

$11.86 SEK 111

0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.30

$2.04 SEK 18.99

-19.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.22

$2.15 SEK 20.04

-13.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 SEK 37.44

$3.42 SEK 31.92

17.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 SEK 547

$67.2 SEK 627

-12.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 SEK 43.74

$5.40 SEK 50.4

-13.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 SEK 12.48

$1.90 SEK 17.74

-29.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.80 SEK 455

$62.6 SEK 584

-22.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.98 SEK 18.44

-8.08%

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

$29.5K SEK 274.9K

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

-10.24%

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

$33.6K SEK 313.9K

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

-1.86%

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

$85.3 SEK 796

$123 SEK 1,148

-30.68%

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

$28.10 SEK 262

$28.49 SEK 266

-1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.37 SEK 386

$41.60 SEK 388

-0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 SEK 467

$39.20 SEK 366

27.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 SEK 147

$24.29 SEK 227

-34.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 SEK 130

$17.86 SEK 167

-22.23%

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

$160 SEK 1,497

$176 SEK 1,638

-8.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,622 SEK 61.8K

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

57.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 SEK 890

$79.1 SEK 738

20.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.67 SEK 454

$60.3 SEK 563

-19.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 SEK 774

$104 SEK 971

-20.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,463

$127 SEK 1,187

23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 SEK 7,792

$970 SEK 9,054

-13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 SEK 8,372

$757 SEK 7,060

18.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 SEK 16.2K

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

5.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 SEK 11.9K

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

-3.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,020 SEK 18.8K

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

-69.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,431 SEK 13.4K

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

-62.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 SEK 30.7K

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

4.63%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $835 in Gavle and $970 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 5% 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: $96.0 in Gavle vs $86.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $344 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,996 vs $1,949 including rent). Lund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Gavle pays 5% more on average, 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: $835 in Gavle versus $970 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 15% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $160 in Gavle versus $176 in Lund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,949 in Lund versus $1,996 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 2% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.