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: $1,471 in Gavle versus $1,854 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Gavle versus $3,027 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,226 in Gavle versus $4,201 in Lund.

Living in Gavle costs roughly 21% less than in Lund, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 7% above, Lund 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.47 SEK 119

$13.54 SEK 129

-7.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 SEK 859

$94.6 SEK 904

-5.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 SEK 92.6

$12.34 SEK 118

-21.56%

Cappuccino

$5.26 SEK 50.3

$4.79 SEK 45.84

9.81%

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

$2.12 SEK 20.24

$2.78 SEK 26.62

-23.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.06

$2.12 SEK 20.31

13.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 SEK 79.6

$8.13 SEK 77.7

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 SEK 70.2

$7.51 SEK 71.9

-2.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.56

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 SEK 25.15

$2.74 SEK 26.22

-4.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 38.15

$3.77 SEK 36.06

5.84%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 37.28

$4.58 SEK 43.83

-14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 SEK 93.0

$13.16 SEK 126

-26.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 SEK 105

$12.10 SEK 116

-9.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 SEK 187

$17.47 SEK 167

11.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 SEK 29.79

$3.14 SEK 30.08

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.06

$2.98 SEK 28.53

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.63

$2.97 SEK 28.37

7.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 43.97

$4.82 SEK 46.13

-4.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.48

$1.86 SEK 17.81

-7.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.00

$1.43 SEK 13.72

31.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 SEK 24.51

$2.78 SEK 26.63

-7.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.77

$1.52 SEK 14.55

36.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.30 SEK 79.4

$8.29 SEK 79.3

0.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 SEK 110

$11.62 SEK 111

-0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SEK 16.15

$1.99 SEK 19.08

-15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.71

$2.76 SEK 26.43

-40.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.67

$3.25 SEK 31.13

5.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 SEK 596

$66.2 SEK 633

-5.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 SEK 45.22

$5.36 SEK 51.3

-11.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SEK 14.79

$1.16 SEK 11.05

33.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.03 SEK 335

$42.94 SEK 411

-18.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.26

$1.87 SEK 17.90

2.14%

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

$26.9K SEK 257.1K

$35.0K SEK 334.6K

-23.18%

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

$28.8K SEK 275.7K

$33.9K SEK 324.3K

-14.98%

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

$55.4 SEK 530

$82.2 SEK 786

-32.65%

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

$22.54 SEK 216

$32.06 SEK 307

-29.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.89 SEK 382

$43.65 SEK 418

-8.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.53 SEK 464

$38.47 SEK 368

26.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.42 SEK 272

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 SEK 150

$15.94 SEK 152

-1.44%

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

$138 SEK 1,316

$167 SEK 1,600

-17.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K SEK 147.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 SEK 711

$84.8 SEK 811

-12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 SEK 548

$60.7 SEK 580

-5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.1 SEK 499

$106 SEK 1,010

-50.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 SEK 905

$130 SEK 1,244

-27.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 SEK 5,575

$870 SEK 8,323

-33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 SEK 4,236

$715 SEK 6,844

-38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 SEK 7,814

$1,824 SEK 17.4K

-55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 SEK 6,553

$1,449 SEK 13.9K

-52.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 SEK 19.2K

$6,563 SEK 62.8K

-69.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,373 SEK 13.1K

$3,707 SEK 35.5K

-62.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,222 SEK 30.8K

$3,096 SEK 29.6K

4.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

3.03

9.24%

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

Last update for Gavle: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lund: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $583 in Gavle and $870 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Gavle vs $95.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $377 per month, with Gavle cheaper across the board.

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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,471 vs $1,854 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $583 in Gavle versus $870 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 6% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $138 in Gavle versus $167 in Lund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,471 in Gavle versus $1,854 in Lund, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Lund. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle 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 Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.