Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,904 in Lund versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,030 in Lund versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,156 in Lund versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Lund costs roughly 18% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 43% above, Barcelona 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.55 SEK 121

$17.66 €15.45

-28.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 SEK 825

$69.7 €61.0

22.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 SEK 118

$14.16 €12.39

-13.84%

Cappuccino

$4.85 SEK 46.92

$2.80 €2.45

73.21%

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

$2.81 SEK 27.13

$2.81 €2.46

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 19.79

$2.06 €1.81

-0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 SEK 79.5

$4.60 €4.02

78.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 SEK 70.8

$4.69 €4.10

56.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 15.43

$1.23 €1.08

30.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 SEK 21.34

$2.03 €1.78

8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 29.15

$1.98 €1.73

52.53%

Eggs

$4.55 SEK 44.02

$3.49 €3.05

30.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 SEK 127

$18.33 €16.04

-28.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 SEK 114

$9.83 €8.60

19.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 SEK 167

$19.13 €16.73

-9.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 30.70

$2.73 €2.38

16.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 26.81

$2.38 €2.09

16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 26.75

$2.08 €1.82

33.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 SEK 43.94

$2.75 €2.41

65.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.01

$1.96 €1.72

-15.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.25

$1.79 €1.57

-11.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 25.14

$1.48 €1.29

75.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 SEK 12.29

$0.91 €0.80

39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 SEK 79.1

$7.13 €6.24

14.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 SEK 109

$7.88 €6.89

42.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.38 €1.21

42.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.64

$2.39 €2.09

-6.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 SEK 32.33

$3.01 €2.63

10.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 SEK 652

$29.35 €25.68

129.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 52.3

$4.36 €3.82

23.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SEK 18.21

$2.13 €1.86

-11.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 609

$29.60 €25.90

112.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.40

$1.82 €1.59

4.40%

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

$32.7K SEK 316.0K

$37.9K €33.1K

-13.72%

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

$34.1K SEK 329.9K

$32.4K €28.3K

5.41%

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

$122 SEK 1,179

$189 €165

-35.49%

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

$28.99 SEK 280

$22.29 €19.50

30.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.22 SEK 398

$37.16 €32.51

10.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.68 SEK 374

$58.0 €50.8

-33.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 SEK 233

$20.66 €18.08

16.60%

Cinema Ticket

$18.17 SEK 176

$10.87 €9.51

67.16%

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

$179 SEK 1,730

$706 €618

-74.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,129 SEK 39.9K

$14.9K €13.0K

-72.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 SEK 776

$89.4 €78.3

-10.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 SEK 581

$36.60 €32.02

64.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 1,002

$104 €91.0

-0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SEK 1,259

$119 €104

9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 SEK 9,483

$1,579 €1,381

-37.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 SEK 7,371

$1,238 €1,083

-38.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 SEK 15.6K

$2,712 €2,373

-40.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 SEK 12.6K

$2,039 €1,784

-35.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,408 SEK 61.9K

$7,527 €6,585

-14.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 SEK 35.6K

$5,239 €4,584

-29.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,972 SEK 28.7K

$2,364 €2,068

25.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

3.39

41.59%

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

Last update for Lund: July 13, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Lund and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Lund vs $70.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $320 per month, with Barcelona 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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund and Barcelona differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,904 vs $2,320 including rent). Lund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Lund, 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: $981 in Lund versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $179 in Lund versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,904 in Lund versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Lund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Barcelona 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 22% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.