Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Gavle

For one person, living is cheaper in Gavle: $1,439 a month against $1,783 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Lund
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Lund Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Gavle
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Gavle Living Index

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Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,783

/mo nomad

Gavle

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lund and in Gavle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,783 in Lund versus $1,439 in Gavle.

Lund $1,783
Gavle $1,439

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,943 in Lund versus $2,286 in Gavle.

Lund $2,943
Gavle $2,286

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,103 in Lund versus $3,134 in Gavle.

Lund $4,103
Gavle $3,134

Living in Lund is roughly 24% more expensive than in Gavle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 32% above, Gavle 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.36 SEK 132

$13.69 SEK 136

-2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.8 SEK 900

$79.4 SEK 786

14.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 SEK 121

$9.31 SEK 92.2

30.72%

Cappuccino

$4.69 SEK 46.51

$4.42 SEK 43.79

6.11%

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

$2.82 SEK 27.92

$2.07 SEK 20.51

36.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SEK 20.66

$1.91 SEK 18.95

9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 SEK 79.2

$7.79 SEK 77.2

2.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 SEK 71.0

$7.75 SEK 76.8

-7.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SEK 16.34

$1.63 SEK 16.12

1.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 SEK 25.42

$2.61 SEK 25.84

-1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 SEK 34.03

$3.73 SEK 36.95

-8.04%

Eggs

$4.56 SEK 45.23

$3.81 SEK 37.80

19.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 SEK 124

$9.13 SEK 90.4

37.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 SEK 119

$10.29 SEK 102

16.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 SEK 155

$18.73 SEK 186

-16.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 30.74

$3.05 SEK 30.25

1.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 SEK 25.20

$2.74 SEK 27.16

-7.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 SEK 28.51

$3.27 SEK 32.43

-11.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 SEK 45.81

$4.35 SEK 43.07

6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.63

$1.73 SEK 17.12

-2.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SEK 13.63

$1.82 SEK 17.99

-24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 SEK 26.33

$2.55 SEK 25.26

4.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SEK 14.81

$2.05 SEK 20.35

-27.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.86 SEK 77.9

$7.99 SEK 79.1

-1.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 SEK 111

$11.13 SEK 110

0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 SEK 18.83

$1.64 SEK 16.23

15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 26.53

$1.55 SEK 15.34

72.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 31.66

$3.25 SEK 32.22

-1.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 SEK 632

$60.4 SEK 598

5.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 SEK 50.3

$4.52 SEK 44.83

12.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 SEK 10.64

$1.53 SEK 15.16

-30.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.27 SEK 419

$33.87 SEK 336

24.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 SEK 17.69

$1.81 SEK 17.90

-1.66%

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

$33.8K SEK 334.7K

$25.8K SEK 255.2K

31.13%

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

$34.1K SEK 337.6K

$28.1K SEK 278.1K

21.37%

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

$77.4 SEK 767

$55.6 SEK 551

39.14%

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

$29.06 SEK 288

$21.93 SEK 217

32.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.26 SEK 409

$39.60 SEK 392

4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 SEK 382

$47.32 SEK 469

-18.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.41 SEK 272

Cinema Ticket

$15.08 SEK 149

$15.22 SEK 151

-0.92%

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

$157 SEK 1,551

$133 SEK 1,321

17.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K SEK 151.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 SEK 799

$70.6 SEK 699

14.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 SEK 583

0.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 SEK 1,017

$50.9 SEK 505

101.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 SEK 1,208

$89.5 SEK 887

36.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 SEK 8,402

$579 SEK 5,738

46.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 SEK 6,783

$425 SEK 4,208

61.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,755 SEK 17.4K

$762 SEK 7,546

130.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 SEK 13.9K

$665 SEK 6,593

110.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,119 SEK 60.6K

$1,945 SEK 19.3K

214.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,638 SEK 36.1K

$1,333 SEK 13.2K

172.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,950 SEK 29.2K

$3,144 SEK 31.1K

-6.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

3.37

-10.09%

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

Last update for Lund: October 18, 2026

Last update for Gavle: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lund

$685 38.4%

Gavle

$425 29.5% 38% $260

Groceries & Markets

Lund

$358 20.1%

Gavle

$351 24.4% 1.8% $6.3

Eating Out

Lund

$274 15.4%

Gavle

$261 18.1% 4.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Lund

$164 9.2%

Gavle

$121 8.4% 25.9% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lund

$148 8.3%

Gavle

$117 8.1% 20.7% $31

Getting Around

Lund

$87 4.9%

Gavle

$86 6% 1.7% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lund

$69 3.9%

Gavle

$78 5.4% 13.1% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $848 in Lund and $579 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Lund vs $79.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $351 per month, with Gavle cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lund

🇸🇪 Gavle

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

Same time as Lund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,800

100,000

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lund Gavle 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lund
Gavle

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 Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund and Gavle differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,783 vs $1,439 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Gavle. 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: $848 in Lund versus $579 in Gavle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 6% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $157 in Lund versus $133 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,439 in Gavle versus $1,783 in Lund, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Lund. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle 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 Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.