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: $1,904 in Lund versus $2,060 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,030 in Lund versus $3,021 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,156 in Lund versus $3,982 in Gavle.

Living in Lund costs roughly 8% less than in Gavle, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 43% above, Gavle 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.55 SEK 121

$12.88 SEK 125

-2.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 SEK 826

$94.2 SEK 912

-9.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 SEK 118

$10.48 SEK 101

16.41%

Cappuccino

$4.85 SEK 46.99

$5.07 SEK 49.06

-4.34%

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

$2.81 SEK 27.17

$2.14 SEK 20.75

31.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 19.83

$2.46 SEK 23.80

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 SEK 79.6

$8.19 SEK 79.3

0.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 SEK 70.9

$8.63 SEK 83.6

-15.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 15.45

$1.72 SEK 16.67

-6.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 SEK 21.37

$2.52 SEK 24.43

-12.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 29.20

$3.90 SEK 37.74

-22.56%

Eggs

$4.55 SEK 44.09

$4.02 SEK 38.89

13.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 SEK 127

$9.39 SEK 90.9

39.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 SEK 114

$10.25 SEK 99.2

14.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 SEK 167

$14.76 SEK 143

17.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 30.75

$3.30 SEK 31.98

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 26.86

$2.86 SEK 27.66

-3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 26.80

$3.46 SEK 33.53

-19.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 SEK 44.01

$4.57 SEK 44.27

-0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.03

$1.85 SEK 17.89

-10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.27

$1.87 SEK 18.07

-15.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 25.18

$2.63 SEK 25.50

-1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 SEK 12.31

$1.56 SEK 15.12

-18.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 SEK 79.2

$7.98 SEK 77.3

2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 SEK 109

$11.55 SEK 112

-2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 19.01

$1.66 SEK 16.08

18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.67

$1.85 SEK 17.88

21.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 SEK 32.38

$3.93 SEK 38.01

-15.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 SEK 653

$57.4 SEK 556

17.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 52.3

$4.68 SEK 45.34

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SEK 18.24

$1.32 SEK 12.79

42.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 610

$49.27 SEK 477

27.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.43

$1.88 SEK 18.17

1.06%

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

$32.7K SEK 316.5K

$29.1K SEK 282.1K

12.19%

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

$34.1K SEK 330.5K

$33.6K SEK 325.3K

1.58%

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

$122 SEK 1,181

$112 SEK 1,084

8.92%

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

$28.99 SEK 281

$28.71 SEK 278

0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.22 SEK 399

$41.73 SEK 404

-1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.68 SEK 374

$50.2 SEK 486

-22.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 SEK 233

$16.20 SEK 157

48.70%

Cinema Ticket

$18.17 SEK 176

$14.19 SEK 137

28.05%

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

$179 SEK 1,733

$159 SEK 1,536

12.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,129 SEK 40.0K

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 SEK 778

$99.1 SEK 959

-18.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 SEK 582

$48.72 SEK 472

23.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 1,004

$83.8 SEK 811

23.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SEK 1,261

$160 SEK 1,547

-18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 SEK 9,498

$839 SEK 8,119

16.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 SEK 7,383

$897 SEK 8,680

-14.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 SEK 15.6K

$1,716 SEK 16.6K

-5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 SEK 12.7K

$1,248 SEK 12.1K

4.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,408 SEK 62.0K

$1,990 SEK 19.3K

222.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 SEK 35.6K

$1,398 SEK 13.5K

163.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,972 SEK 28.8K

$3,214 SEK 31.1K

-7.52%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gavle: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Lund and $839 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 8% 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: $85.0 in Lund vs $94.0 in Gavle. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $342, 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,904 vs $2,060 including rent). Lund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $981 in Lund versus $839 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 17% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $179 in Lund versus $159 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,904 in Lund versus $2,060 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 8% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.