Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Gavle Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Gavle

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in Lund versus $1,996 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Lund versus $2,963 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,117 in Lund versus $3,931 in Gavle.

Living in Lund costs roughly 2% less than in Gavle, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 45% above, Gavle 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 SEK 117

$12.89 SEK 121

-3.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 SEK 805

$96.5 SEK 906

-11.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 SEK 113

$10.55 SEK 99.1

13.55%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 47.09

$5.20 SEK 48.83

-3.65%

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

$2.83 SEK 26.57

$2.06 SEK 19.37

37.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.46

$2.38 SEK 22.37

-13.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 SEK 77.7

$8.59 SEK 80.7

-3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 SEK 70.7

$8.38 SEK 78.7

-10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.21

$1.72 SEK 16.18

-5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 SEK 20.94

$2.57 SEK 24.14

-13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 27.42

$3.90 SEK 36.63

-25.13%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.48

$4.18 SEK 39.29

5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 SEK 121

$9.25 SEK 86.9

39.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 SEK 107

$10.31 SEK 96.9

10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 SEK 163

$15.00 SEK 141

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.09

$3.33 SEK 31.28

-3.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 27.17

$2.86 SEK 26.90

1.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.23

$3.48 SEK 32.64

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 41.50

$4.46 SEK 41.86

-0.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.72

$1.88 SEK 17.68

-11.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 15.33

$1.82 SEK 17.09

-10.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.68

$2.60 SEK 24.45

1.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.09

$1.56 SEK 14.70

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SEK 76.1

$7.80 SEK 73.3

3.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 111

$11.95 SEK 112

-0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 19.11

$1.64 SEK 15.40

24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.17

$1.85 SEK 17.34

16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.13

$4.01 SEK 37.69

-14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SEK 631

$58.6 SEK 550

14.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 50.8

$4.69 SEK 44.04

15.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SEK 17.86

$1.34 SEK 12.56

41.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 588

$48.80 SEK 458

28.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.57

$1.82 SEK 17.09

8.79%

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

$32.8K SEK 308.3K

$29.5K SEK 276.8K

11.40%

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

$34.3K SEK 322.0K

$33.6K SEK 316.0K

1.90%

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

$123 SEK 1,155

$85.3 SEK 801

44.26%

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

$28.49 SEK 268

$28.10 SEK 264

1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 SEK 391

$41.37 SEK 389

0.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 SEK 368

$50.1 SEK 470

-21.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.29 SEK 228

$15.80 SEK 148

53.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.86 SEK 168

$13.89 SEK 130

28.58%

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

$176 SEK 1,649

$160 SEK 1,507

9.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,218 SEK 39.6K

$6,622 SEK 62.2K

-36.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 SEK 743

$95.4 SEK 896

-17.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 SEK 567

$48.67 SEK 457

23.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 977

$83.0 SEK 780

25.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,194

$157 SEK 1,473

-18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SEK 9,114

$835 SEK 7,844

16.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 SEK 7,107

$897 SEK 8,427

-15.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 SEK 15.4K

$1,737 SEK 16.3K

-5.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

$1,272 SEK 12.0K

3.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,660 SEK 62.6K

$2,020 SEK 19.0K

229.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,858 SEK 36.2K

$1,431 SEK 13.4K

169.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,140 SEK 29.5K

$3,285 SEK 30.9K

-4.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.1

17.07%

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

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Last update for Gavle: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Lund and $835 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Lund vs $96.0 in Gavle. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $344, with Gavle cheaper for home cooking.

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 Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund and Gavle differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,949 vs $1,996 including rent). Lund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Gavle earns 5% 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 $835 in Gavle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 15% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $176 in Lund versus $160 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,949 in Lund versus $1,996 in Gavle, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Gavle. 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 Gavle 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 2% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.