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: $1,949 in Lund versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Lund versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,117 in Lund versus $4,563 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 45% above, Barcelona 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 SEK 116

$17.58 €15.12

-29.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 SEK 799

$68.4 €58.9

25.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 SEK 112

$14.06 €12.09

-14.79%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 46.78

$2.78 €2.39

80.22%

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

$2.83 SEK 26.39

$2.80 €2.41

1.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.33

$2.06 €1.78

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 SEK 77.2

$4.46 €3.84

85.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 SEK 70.3

$4.61 €3.96

63.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.11

$1.24 €1.07

30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 SEK 20.80

$2.03 €1.74

9.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 27.24

$1.92 €1.65

52.08%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.20

$3.31 €2.85

33.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 SEK 120

$18.43 €15.85

-30.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 SEK 106

$9.49 €8.16

20.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 SEK 162

$19.16 €16.48

-9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 29.89

$2.64 €2.27

21.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 26.99

$2.45 €2.11

17.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.05

$2.12 €1.82

36.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 41.23

$2.85 €2.45

55.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.61

$2.04 €1.75

-18.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 15.23

$1.85 €1.59

-11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.52

$1.47 €1.26

78.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.01

$0.84 €0.73

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SEK 75.6

$7.14 €6.14

13.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 111

$7.88 €6.78

50.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 18.99

$1.38 €1.19

47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.04

$2.31 €1.99

-6.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 31.92

$2.98 €2.56

14.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SEK 627

$29.26 €25.17

129.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 50.4

$4.60 €3.95

17.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SEK 17.74

$2.07 €1.78

-8.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 584

$29.18 €25.10

114.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.44

$1.84 €1.58

7.61%

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

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

$39.0K €33.6K

-15.86%

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

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

$32.7K €28.1K

4.85%

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

$123 SEK 1,148

$188 €162

-34.51%

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

$28.49 SEK 266

$22.93 €19.73

24.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 SEK 388

$36.71 €31.58

13.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 SEK 366

$57.4 €49.35

-31.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.29 SEK 227

$20.70 €17.80

17.34%

Cinema Ticket

$17.86 SEK 167

$11.19 €9.63

59.61%

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

$176 SEK 1,638

$721 €620

-75.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

$15.0K €12.9K

-71.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 SEK 738

$86.2 €74.2

-8.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 SEK 563

$37.07 €31.89

62.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 971

$102 €87.8

1.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,187

$116 €99.7

9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SEK 9,054

$1,534 €1,319

-36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 SEK 7,060

$1,220 €1,050

-38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

$2,696 €2,319

-39.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

$2,013 €1,732

-34.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

$7,220 €6,211

-7.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

$5,189 €4,463

-25.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

$2,359 €2,029

33.08%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Lund and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 33% 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 Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $318 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,949 vs $2,367 including rent). Lund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lund pays 33% more on average, 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: $970 in Lund versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Lund versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,949 in Lund versus $2,367 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 21% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.