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: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,854 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $3,027 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $4,201 in Lund.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 15% more expensive than in Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Lund 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 131

$13.54 SEK 129

1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 876

$94.6 SEK 901

-2.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 122

$12.34 SEK 118

4.05%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.28

$4.79 SEK 45.69

5.64%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.04

$2.78 SEK 26.53

5.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.87

$2.12 SEK 20.24

3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 68.5

$8.13 SEK 77.5

-11.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 74.9

$7.51 SEK 71.6

4.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.13

$1.73 SEK 16.51

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.41

$2.74 SEK 26.14

1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.19

$3.77 SEK 35.94

-15.92%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.06

$4.58 SEK 43.69

-10.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 115

$13.16 SEK 125

-8.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 111

$12.10 SEK 115

-3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 169

$17.47 SEK 167

1.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.78

$3.14 SEK 29.98

2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.17

$2.98 SEK 28.44

-11.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 30.69

$2.97 SEK 28.27

8.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.69

$4.82 SEK 45.98

-9.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.35

$1.86 SEK 17.76

-2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 15.97

$1.43 SEK 13.67

17.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.32

$2.78 SEK 26.55

-26.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 16.95

$1.52 SEK 14.50

17.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.0

$8.29 SEK 79.0

2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 139

$11.62 SEK 111

25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 20.95

$1.99 SEK 19.02

10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.68

$2.76 SEK 26.35

-13.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 36.69

$3.25 SEK 31.03

18.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 847

$66.2 SEK 631

34.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.5

$5.36 SEK 51.1

20.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.45

$1.16 SEK 11.02

49.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 584

$42.94 SEK 409

42.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.16

$1.87 SEK 17.84

1.60%

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

$34.0K SEK 323.8K

$35.0K SEK 333.5K

-2.92%

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

$34.4K SEK 327.6K

$33.9K SEK 323.3K

1.33%

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

$110 SEK 1,049

$82.2 SEK 784

33.84%

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

$19.66 SEK 187

$32.06 SEK 306

-38.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 346

$43.65 SEK 416

-16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 362

$38.47 SEK 367

-1.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 247

$28.42 SEK 271

-8.90%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 184

$15.94 SEK 152

21.33%

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

$230 SEK 2,189

$167 SEK 1,594

37.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 867

$84.8 SEK 808

7.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 328

$60.7 SEK 579

-43.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 897

$106 SEK 1,007

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,290

$130 SEK 1,240

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.1K

$870 SEK 8,296

21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,162

$715 SEK 6,821

34.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.6K

$1,824 SEK 17.4K

1.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.7K

$1,449 SEK 13.8K

-0.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 61.9K

$6,563 SEK 62.6K

-1.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.5K

$3,707 SEK 35.3K

-2.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 34.7K

$3,096 SEK 29.5K

17.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.03

0.99%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lund: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $870 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 18% 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: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $95.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $377 per month, with Gothenburg 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 15% 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 18% 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $870 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $167 in Lund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Gothenburg pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,854 in Lund versus $2,128 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 $1,854 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 15% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.