Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Lund Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Lund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,949 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $3,033 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $4,117 in Lund.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 6% more expensive than Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Lund 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 128

$12.42 SEK 116

10.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 876

$85.7 SEK 799

9.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 96.5

$11.98 SEK 112

-13.69%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.18

$5.01 SEK 46.78

-5.59%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.70

$2.83 SEK 26.39

4.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.64

$2.07 SEK 19.33

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 67.8

$8.27 SEK 77.2

-12.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.0

$7.53 SEK 70.3

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.67

$1.62 SEK 15.11

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.62

$2.23 SEK 20.80

27.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 30.95

$2.92 SEK 27.24

13.70%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.41

$4.42 SEK 41.20

5.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 110

$12.89 SEK 120

-8.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$11.41 SEK 106

10.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$17.35 SEK 162

9.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 28.92

$3.20 SEK 29.89

-3.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.54

$2.89 SEK 26.99

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.11

$2.90 SEK 27.05

0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 38.96

$4.42 SEK 41.23

-5.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.50

$1.67 SEK 15.61

-0.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.25

$1.63 SEK 15.23

13.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.22

$2.63 SEK 24.52

-13.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.46

$1.29 SEK 12.01

20.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.0

$8.10 SEK 75.6

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 143

$11.86 SEK 111

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.08

$2.04 SEK 18.99

10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.32

$2.15 SEK 20.04

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.45

$3.42 SEK 31.92

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 827

$67.2 SEK 627

31.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.3

$5.40 SEK 50.4

87.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.48

$1.90 SEK 17.74

-12.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 576

$62.6 SEK 584

-1.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.64

$1.98 SEK 18.44

-4.55%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.9K

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

-2.42%

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

$34.5K SEK 321.6K

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

0.54%

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

$138 SEK 1,292

$123 SEK 1,148

12.57%

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

$24.95 SEK 233

$28.49 SEK 266

-12.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 357

$41.60 SEK 388

-8.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 390

$39.20 SEK 366

6.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 236

$24.29 SEK 227

3.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 168

$17.86 SEK 167

0.67%

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

$175 SEK 1,637

$176 SEK 1,638

-0.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.3K

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

-0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 817

$79.1 SEK 738

10.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 376

$60.3 SEK 563

-33.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 904

$104 SEK 971

-6.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,458

$127 SEK 1,187

22.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.5K

$970 SEK 9,054

15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,148

$757 SEK 7,060

15.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 17.9K

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

16.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

9.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.5K

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

0.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.1K

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

-2.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 36.9K

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

25.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.8

-9.79%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $970 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 26% 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 Gothenburg vs $86.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $355 per month, with Lund 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

Gothenburg vs Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 26% 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $970 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $176 in Lund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,949 in Lund versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Lund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lund delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,949 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg 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 6% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.