Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Bålsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bålsta: $1,563 a month against $1,859 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Lund
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Lund Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index

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Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,859

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lund and in Bålsta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lund and in Bålsta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,859 in Lund versus $1,563 in Bålsta.

Lund $1,859
Bålsta $1,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,013 in Lund versus $2,445 in Bålsta.

Lund $3,013
Bålsta $2,445

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,167 in Lund versus $3,328 in Bålsta.

Lund $4,167
Bålsta $3,328

Living in Lund is roughly 19% more expensive than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 37% above, Bålsta 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.19 SEK 131

$13.67 SEK 135

-3.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 SEK 897

$66.8 SEK 661

35.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 SEK 117

$8.80 SEK 87.2

34.43%

Cappuccino

$4.66 SEK 46.11

$3.95 SEK 39.14

17.97%

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

$2.81 SEK 27.86

$2.68 SEK 26.55

4.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.27

$2.24 SEK 22.19

-8.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 77.4

$7.16 SEK 70.9

9.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 SEK 67.7

$6.96 SEK 68.9

-1.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 16.63

$1.49 SEK 14.75

12.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 SEK 24.66

$2.00 SEK 19.84

24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 SEK 34.83

$3.51 SEK 34.73

0.28%

Eggs

$4.40 SEK 43.53

$3.71 SEK 36.78

18.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 SEK 125

$11.01 SEK 109

14.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 SEK 118

$12.21 SEK 121

-2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 SEK 155

$11.02 SEK 109

41.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 29.65

$2.50 SEK 24.74

19.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 SEK 24.92

$2.60 SEK 25.77

-3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 28.08

$2.07 SEK 20.50

37.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 SEK 44.87

$2.90 SEK 28.67

56.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.42

$1.50 SEK 14.88

10.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 SEK 13.61

$1.18 SEK 11.69

16.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 25.43

$1.55 SEK 15.33

65.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 15.27

$0.99 SEK 9.81

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 SEK 76.8

$7.26 SEK 71.9

6.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 SEK 109

$10.20 SEK 101

7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 SEK 19.01

$1.54 SEK 15.20

24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 SEK 27.36

$1.96 SEK 19.43

40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 32.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 SEK 622

$79.1 SEK 783

-20.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 SEK 50.4

$6.03 SEK 59.7

-15.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 SEK 10.54

$1.54 SEK 15.29

-31.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.02 SEK 406

$77.4 SEK 767

-47.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.25

$1.76 SEK 17.43

-1.14%

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

$32.7K SEK 323.5K

$33.2K SEK 328.5K

-1.53%

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

$34.3K SEK 340.1K

$33.8K SEK 334.6K

1.64%

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

$79.2 SEK 784

$50.1 SEK 496

58.23%

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

$28.76 SEK 285

$20.16 SEK 200

42.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 SEK 419

$39.59 SEK 392

6.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.09 SEK 357

$37.16 SEK 368

-2.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.83 SEK 276

$26.37 SEK 261

5.54%

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 SEK 149

$12.93 SEK 128

16.32%

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

$158 SEK 1,565

$121 SEK 1,200

30.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,046 SEK 50.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 SEK 782

$69.2 SEK 686

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 SEK 573

$9.93 SEK 98.3

482.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 SEK 1,012

$81.0 SEK 802

26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SEK 1,239

$113 SEK 1,117

10.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 SEK 8,942

$801 SEK 7,931

12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 SEK 7,599

$610 SEK 6,036

25.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 SEK 18.1K

$1,368 SEK 13.5K

33.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 SEK 14.7K

$1,030 SEK 10.2K

43.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,909 SEK 58.5K

$4,003 SEK 39.6K

47.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,688 SEK 36.5K

$2,823 SEK 27.9K

30.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 SEK 29.2K

$3,868 SEK 38.3K

-23.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

2.8

8.21%

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

Last update for Lund: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lund

$767 41.3%

Bålsta

$610 39% 20.6% $158

Groceries & Markets

Lund

$355 19.1%

Bålsta

$299 19.1% 15.9% $57

Eating Out

Lund

$269 14.5%

Bålsta

$253 16.2% 6.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Lund

$164 8.8%

Bålsta

$123 7.9% 25% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lund

$150 8.1%

Bålsta

$110 7% 26.9% $40

Getting Around

Lund

$86 4.7%

Bålsta

$106 6.8% 22.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Lund

$66 3.6%

Bålsta

$63 4% 4.8% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Lund and $801 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: $91 in Lund vs $67 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $299 per month, with Bålsta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lund

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

Same time as Lund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,800

13,138

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.1 USD

100 SEK = 9.07 EUR

100 SEK = 10.1 USD

100 SEK = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lund Bålsta 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lund
Bålsta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 16% 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, salaries run 24% lower in Lund. 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: $903 in Lund versus $801 in Bålsta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,859 per month in Lund versus $1,563 in Bålsta – Bålsta is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 21% less than in Bålsta. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bålsta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Lund and Bålsta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.