Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Bålsta Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Bålsta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in Lund versus $1,640 in Bålsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Lund versus $2,500 in Bålsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,117 in Lund versus $3,359 in Bålsta.

Living in Lund is roughly 19% more expensive than Bålsta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 45% above, Bålsta 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 SEK 116

$13.33 SEK 124

-6.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 SEK 799

$68.3 SEK 637

25.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 SEK 112

$9.44 SEK 88.1

26.91%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 46.78

$4.10 SEK 38.27

22.20%

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

$2.83 SEK 26.39

$2.78 SEK 25.92

1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.33

$2.40 SEK 22.43

-13.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 SEK 77.2

$7.35 SEK 68.6

12.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 SEK 70.3

$7.51 SEK 70.1

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.11

$1.62 SEK 15.16

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 SEK 20.80

$2.08 SEK 19.41

7.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 27.24

$3.79 SEK 35.36

-22.96%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.20

$3.91 SEK 36.51

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 SEK 120

$11.38 SEK 106

13.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 SEK 106

$11.86 SEK 111

-3.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 SEK 162

$11.38 SEK 106

52.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 29.89

$2.72 SEK 25.37

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 26.99

$2.65 SEK 24.76

9.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.05

$2.38 SEK 22.20

21.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 41.23

$2.92 SEK 27.27

51.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.61

$1.56 SEK 14.56

7.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 15.23

$1.30 SEK 12.14

25.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.52

$1.60 SEK 14.97

64.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.01

$1.04 SEK 9.68

24.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SEK 75.6

$7.52 SEK 70.2

7.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 111

$10.83 SEK 101

9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 18.99

$1.55 SEK 14.49

31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.04

$1.95 SEK 18.23

10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 31.92

$3.41 SEK 31.82

0.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SEK 627

$73.0 SEK 681

-7.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 50.4

$6.20 SEK 57.9

-12.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SEK 17.74

$1.19 SEK 11.14

59.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 584

$81.6 SEK 761

-23.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.44

$1.93 SEK 18.05

2.59%

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

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

$32.0K SEK 298.3K

2.69%

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

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

$34.4K SEK 320.8K

-0.29%

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

$123 SEK 1,148

$53.1 SEK 495

131.64%

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

$28.49 SEK 266

$20.82 SEK 194

36.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 SEK 388

$36.89 SEK 344

12.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 SEK 366

$39.85 SEK 372

-1.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.29 SEK 227

$25.53 SEK 238

-4.86%

Cinema Ticket

$17.86 SEK 167

$13.50 SEK 126

32.30%

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

$176 SEK 1,638

$125 SEK 1,165

40.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

$748 SEK 6,978

463.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 SEK 738

$75.3 SEK 703

5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 SEK 563

$10.66 SEK 99.5

465.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 971

$84.6 SEK 789

23.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,187

$115 SEK 1,074

10.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SEK 9,054

$842 SEK 7,860

15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 SEK 7,060

$664 SEK 6,199

13.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

16.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

$1,074 SEK 10.0K

22.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

$4,129 SEK 38.5K

61.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

$2,918 SEK 27.2K

32.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

$4,120 SEK 38.4K

-23.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

60.00%

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

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Lund and $842 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86.0 in Lund vs $68.0 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $309 per month, with Bålsta 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

Lund vs Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Lund. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bålsta earns 31% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Lund versus $842 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,949 per month in Lund versus $1,640 in Bålsta – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 9% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,640 in Bålsta versus $1,949 in Lund, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Lund. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,640 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lund and Bålsta 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.