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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,904 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $3,030 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $4,156 in Lund.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$12.55 SEK 121

9.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$85.3 SEK 826

6.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$12.20 SEK 118

-14.59%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$4.85 SEK 46.99

0.21%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$2.81 SEK 27.17

9.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$2.05 SEK 19.83

24.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$8.22 SEK 79.6

-9.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$7.32 SEK 70.9

5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.60 SEK 15.45

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$2.21 SEK 21.37

29.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$3.02 SEK 29.20

10.60%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$4.55 SEK 44.09

1.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$13.12 SEK 127

-11.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$11.78 SEK 114

5.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$17.28 SEK 167

7.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$3.18 SEK 30.75

-3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$2.77 SEK 26.86

-4.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$2.77 SEK 26.80

5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$4.55 SEK 44.01

-5.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$1.66 SEK 16.03

6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.58 SEK 15.27

18.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$2.60 SEK 25.18

-14.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.27 SEK 12.31

25.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$8.18 SEK 79.2

-2.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$11.23 SEK 109

27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$1.96 SEK 19.01

12.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$2.24 SEK 21.67

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$3.34 SEK 32.38

17.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$67.4 SEK 653

34.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$5.40 SEK 52.3

88.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$1.88 SEK 18.24

-11.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$63.0 SEK 610

-2.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.90 SEK 18.43

3.16%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$32.7K SEK 316.5K

-1.57%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$34.1K SEK 330.5K

4.18%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$122 SEK 1,181

15.06%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$28.99 SEK 281

-13.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$41.22 SEK 399

-6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$38.68 SEK 374

6.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$24.09 SEK 233

2.99%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$18.17 SEK 176

-0.72%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$179 SEK 1,733

-0.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$4,129 SEK 40.0K

1.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$80.3 SEK 778

11.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$60.1 SEK 582

-34.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$104 SEK 1,004

-8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$130 SEK 1,261

17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$981 SEK 9,498

11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$763 SEK 7,383

12.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,615 SEK 15.6K

16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,307 SEK 12.7K

7.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$6,408 SEK 62.0K

1.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$3,682 SEK 35.6K

-4.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$2,972 SEK 28.8K

20.77%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lund: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $981 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 21% 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: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $85.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 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 8% 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.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $981 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $179 in Lund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,904 in Lund versus $2,063 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 $1,904 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 8% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.