Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,727 a month against $1,859 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lund outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

90

Cost of Living Index in Lund
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Lund Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index

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Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,859

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lund and in Karlstad

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

A single person spends $1,859 per month in Lund vs $1,727 in Karlstad, rent included.

Lund $1,859
Karlstad $1,727

A couple spends around $3,013 per month in Lund vs $2,665 in Karlstad, rent included.

Lund $3,013
Karlstad $2,665

A family of three spends $4,167 per month in Lund vs $3,603 in Karlstad, rent included.

Lund $4,167
Karlstad $3,603

Lund costs about 8% more than Karlstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Lund and Karlstad sit above the global median – Lund by 37%, Karlstad by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.19 SEK 130

$15.14 SEK 149

-12.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.6 SEK 890

$80.5 SEK 791

12.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 SEK 116

$10.07 SEK 98.9

17.48%

Cappuccino

$4.66 SEK 45.73

$4.86 SEK 47.71

-4.12%

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

$2.81 SEK 27.63

$2.45 SEK 24.02

14.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.11

$2.16 SEK 21.26

-5.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 76.7

$8.08 SEK 79.3

-3.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 SEK 67.1

$6.60 SEK 64.8

3.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 16.50

$1.45 SEK 14.23

15.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 SEK 24.45

$2.83 SEK 27.82

-12.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 SEK 34.55

$3.68 SEK 36.16

-4.35%

Eggs

$4.40 SEK 43.17

$4.37 SEK 42.88

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 SEK 124

$10.17 SEK 99.9

24.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 SEK 117

$13.96 SEK 137

-14.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 SEK 153

$17.73 SEK 174

-11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 29.40

$2.95 SEK 28.93

1.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 SEK 24.72

$2.68 SEK 26.36

-5.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 27.85

$3.03 SEK 29.73

-6.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 SEK 44.50

$5.40 SEK 53.0

-16.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.29

$1.92 SEK 18.81

-13.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 SEK 13.49

$1.72 SEK 16.85

-20.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 25.22

$2.64 SEK 25.89

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SEK 15.14

$1.30 SEK 12.75

18.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 SEK 76.2

$6.96 SEK 68.3

11.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 SEK 108

$10.17 SEK 99.9

7.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 SEK 18.86

$2.42 SEK 23.81

-20.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 SEK 27.14

$2.04 SEK 19.99

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 32.19

$3.13 SEK 30.72

4.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 SEK 617

$80.4 SEK 789

-21.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 SEK 50.0

$5.46 SEK 53.6

-6.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 SEK 10.45

$1.29 SEK 12.68

-17.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.02 SEK 403

$60.4 SEK 593

-32.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.11

$1.72 SEK 16.91

1.16%

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

$32.7K SEK 320.8K

$32.6K SEK 320.6K

0.07%

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

$34.3K SEK 337.3K

$33.8K SEK 331.4K

1.77%

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

$79.2 SEK 778

$99.4 SEK 976

-20.30%

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

$28.76 SEK 282

$15.73 SEK 154

82.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.32 SEK 416

$43.76 SEK 430

-3.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.09 SEK 354

$45.27 SEK 445

-20.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.83 SEK 273

$16.66 SEK 164

67.05%

Cinema Ticket

$15.04 SEK 148

$14.08 SEK 138

6.82%

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

$158 SEK 1,552

$126 SEK 1,237

25.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 SEK 776

$106 SEK 1,038

-25.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 SEK 568

$39.85 SEK 391

45.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 SEK 1,003

$75.9 SEK 745

34.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SEK 1,229

$141 SEK 1,385

-11.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 SEK 8,869

$868 SEK 8,524

4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 SEK 7,536

$575 SEK 5,642

33.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 SEK 18.0K

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

54.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 SEK 14.6K

$867 SEK 8,510

71.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,909 SEK 58.0K

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

53.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,688 SEK 36.2K

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

32.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 SEK 28.9K

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

-7.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

4.09

-25.92%

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

Last update for Lund: October 25, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lund

$767 41.3%

Karlstad

$575 33.3% 25.1% $193

Groceries & Markets

Lund

$355 19.1%

Karlstad

$370 21.4% 4.2% $15

Eating Out

Lund

$269 14.5%

Karlstad

$282 16.3% 4.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Lund

$164 8.8%

Karlstad

$163 9.5% 0.5% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lund

$150 8.1%

Karlstad

$159 9.2% 5.7% $8.6

Getting Around

Lund

$86 4.7%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 21.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Lund

$66 3.6%

Karlstad

$73 4.3% 11% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Lund versus $868 in Karlstad. 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 9% higher in Karlstad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Lund versus $81 in Karlstad. Groceries tell a different story – $355 in Lund vs $370 in Karlstad – so Lund wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lund

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

Same time as Lund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,800

62,797

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lund Karlstad 410 km

From you

Lund
Karlstad

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lund is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,788 per month in Lund and $2,590 in Karlstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $903 in Lund and $868 in Karlstad. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Lund and $81 in Karlstad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,859 in Lund and $1,727 in Karlstad. That makes Karlstad about 7% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,859 in Lund and $1,727 in Karlstad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karlstad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.