Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $1,897 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Lund
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Lund Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,897

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lund and in Cape Town

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 Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,897 per month in Lund vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Lund $1,897
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $3,069 per month in Lund vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Lund $3,069
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $4,241 per month in Lund vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Lund $4,241
Cape Town $3,306

Lund costs about 24% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lund and Cape Town sit above the global median – Lund by 40%, Cape Town by 13%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.51 SEK 133

$12.01 R 198

12.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 SEK 892

$42.92 R 707

111.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.40 SEK 122

$6.15 R 101

101.63%

Cappuccino

$4.64 SEK 45.48

$2.37 R 39.04

95.78%

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

$2.74 SEK 26.84

$1.27 R 20.96

115.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 21.13

$0.94 R 15.46

128.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 SEK 78.4

$2.96 R 48.77

169.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 SEK 68.8

$3.69 R 60.8

90.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.72

$1.32 R 21.73

37.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 SEK 25.56

$1.21 R 19.87

115.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 SEK 34.87

$2.20 R 36.26

61.36%

Eggs

$4.74 SEK 46.46

$3.10 R 51.1

52.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 SEK 125

$8.73 R 144

45.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 SEK 116

$6.89 R 114

72.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.64 SEK 153

$9.26 R 153

68.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 29.96

$1.83 R 30.08

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 26.51

$1.95 R 32.12

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 28.67

$1.66 R 27.32

75.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 SEK 45.20

$2.14 R 35.19

115.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.35

$1.58 R 26.01

12.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 SEK 13.81

$1.47 R 24.29

-4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 SEK 26.54

$1.35 R 22.18

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SEK 14.64

$1.14 R 18.85

30.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.15 SEK 80.0

$3.58 R 59.0

127.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 SEK 109

$6.05 R 99.7

83.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 SEK 18.80

$1.39 R 22.95

38.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 SEK 27.66

$2.18 R 35.90

29.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 SEK 32.49

$1.40 R 23.02

136.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 SEK 639

$60.8 R 1,001

7.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 SEK 49.17

$0.93 R 15.26

438.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 SEK 11.13

$0.90 R 14.83

25.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.87 SEK 421

$4.96 R 81.7

764.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.54 R 25.37

18.83%

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

$33.3K SEK 326.7K

$35.4K R 582.8K

-5.84%

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

$34.7K SEK 340.2K

$33.4K R 549.9K

3.89%

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

$78.8 SEK 773

$117 R 1,929

-32.73%

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

$29.39 SEK 288

$25.71 R 424

14.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 SEK 408

$39.41 R 649

5.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 SEK 351

$51.6 R 850

-30.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.75 SEK 272

$11.35 R 187

144.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 SEK 150

$8.89 R 146

71.77%

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

$162 SEK 1,587

$308 R 5,069

-47.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 134.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 SEK 815

$57.4 R 946

44.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 SEK 574

$31.75 R 523

84.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 1,016

$116 R 1,911

-10.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SEK 1,209

$101 R 1,660

22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 SEK 8,876

$1,047 R 17.2K

-13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 SEK 7,744

$669 R 11.0K

17.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 SEK 17.8K

$1,861 R 30.7K

-2.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 SEK 14.9K

$1,407 R 23.2K

7.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,094 SEK 59.8K

$2,410 R 39.7K

152.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,783 SEK 37.1K

$1,570 R 25.9K

141.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,981 SEK 29.2K

$1,630 R 26.9K

82.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

10.89

-72.18%

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

Last update for Lund: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lund

$789 41.6%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 15.2% $120

Groceries & Markets

Lund

$362 19.1%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 38.4% $139

Eating Out

Lund

$274 14.5%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 36.6% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Lund

$166 8.7%

Cape Town

$138 9% 17% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lund

$150 7.9%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 21.7% $32

Getting Around

Lund

$89 4.7%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 19.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lund

$66 3.5%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 4.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Lund versus $1,047 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 83% higher in Lund. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Lund versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lund

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

1 h ahead of Lund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,800

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.08 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 11.01 SEK (100 SEK = 9.08 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lund Cape Town 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Lund
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund costs about 24% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,845 per month in Lund and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lund, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $905 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,897 in Lund and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Cape Town about 19% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,897 in Lund and $1,527 in Cape Town. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,527 versus $1,897 in Lund. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.