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: $1,854 in Lund versus $1,471 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,027 in Lund versus $2,348 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,201 in Lund versus $3,226 in Gavle.

Living in Lund is roughly 26% more expensive than in Gavle, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 35% above, Gavle 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 SEK 129

$12.47 SEK 119

8.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 SEK 904

$89.8 SEK 859

5.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.34 SEK 118

$9.68 SEK 92.6

27.48%

Cappuccino

$4.79 SEK 45.84

$5.26 SEK 50.3

-8.94%

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

$2.78 SEK 26.62

$2.12 SEK 20.24

31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SEK 20.31

$2.41 SEK 23.06

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 SEK 77.7

$8.32 SEK 79.6

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 SEK 71.9

$7.34 SEK 70.2

2.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.56

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 SEK 26.22

$2.63 SEK 25.15

4.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 SEK 36.06

$3.99 SEK 38.15

-5.51%

Eggs

$4.58 SEK 43.83

$3.90 SEK 37.28

17.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 SEK 126

$9.72 SEK 93.0

35.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 116

$10.92 SEK 105

10.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.47 SEK 167

$19.50 SEK 187

-10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 30.08

$3.11 SEK 29.79

0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 SEK 28.53

$2.83 SEK 27.06

5.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 28.37

$3.20 SEK 30.63

-7.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 SEK 46.13

$4.60 SEK 43.97

4.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 SEK 17.81

$1.72 SEK 16.48

8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 SEK 13.72

$1.88 SEK 18.00

-23.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 SEK 26.63

$2.56 SEK 24.51

8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SEK 14.55

$2.07 SEK 19.77

-26.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.29 SEK 79.3

$8.30 SEK 79.4

-0.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 SEK 111

$11.54 SEK 110

0.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SEK 19.08

$1.69 SEK 16.15

17.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 SEK 26.43

$1.64 SEK 15.71

68.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 SEK 31.13

$3.42 SEK 32.67

-4.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 SEK 633

$62.3 SEK 596

6.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 SEK 51.3

$4.73 SEK 45.22

13.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 SEK 11.05

$1.55 SEK 14.79

-25.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.94 SEK 411

$35.03 SEK 335

22.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 SEK 17.90

$1.91 SEK 18.26

-2.09%

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

$35.0K SEK 334.6K

$26.9K SEK 257.1K

30.17%

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

$33.9K SEK 324.3K

$28.8K SEK 275.7K

17.63%

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

$82.2 SEK 786

$55.4 SEK 530

48.48%

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

$32.06 SEK 307

$22.54 SEK 216

42.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.65 SEK 418

$39.89 SEK 382

9.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.47 SEK 368

$48.53 SEK 464

-20.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.42 SEK 272

Cinema Ticket

$15.94 SEK 152

$15.71 SEK 150

1.46%

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

$167 SEK 1,600

$138 SEK 1,316

21.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K SEK 147.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 SEK 811

$74.3 SEK 711

14.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 SEK 580

$57.3 SEK 548

5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SEK 1,010

$52.1 SEK 499

102.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SEK 1,244

$94.7 SEK 905

37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 SEK 8,323

$583 SEK 5,575

49.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 SEK 6,844

$443 SEK 4,236

61.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 SEK 17.4K

$817 SEK 7,814

123.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 SEK 13.9K

$685 SEK 6,553

111.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,563 SEK 62.8K

$2,005 SEK 19.2K

227.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,707 SEK 35.5K

$1,373 SEK 13.1K

170.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,096 SEK 29.6K

$3,222 SEK 30.8K

-3.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

3.31

-8.46%

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

Last update for Lund: August 31, 2026

Last update for Gavle: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $870 in Lund and $583 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Lund vs $90.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $365 per month, with Gavle 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 Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund and Gavle differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,854 vs $1,471 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $870 in Lund versus $583 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 $167 in Lund versus $138 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,471 in Gavle versus $1,854 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 26% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.