Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Karlstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Karlstad

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,926 per month in Lund vs $1,779 in Karlstad, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,992 per month in Lund vs $2,685 in Karlstad, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,058 per month in Lund vs $3,592 in Karlstad, rent included.

Lund costs about 8% more than Karlstad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lund and Karlstad sit above the global median – Lund by 45%, Karlstad by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.53 SEK 119

$15.58 SEK 148

-19.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 SEK 837

$68.9 SEK 655

27.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 SEK 112

$10.97 SEK 104

7.84%

Cappuccino

$5.10 SEK 48.41

$4.83 SEK 45.88

5.59%

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

$2.93 SEK 27.88

$2.58 SEK 24.54

13.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SEK 19.83

$2.21 SEK 20.98

-5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 SEK 78.9

$8.25 SEK 78.4

0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.42 SEK 70.5

$8.26 SEK 78.5

-10.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.93

$1.39 SEK 13.17

20.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 SEK 21.11

$2.84 SEK 27.01

-21.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.67

$3.87 SEK 36.72

-24.81%

Eggs

$4.45 SEK 42.26

$4.78 SEK 45.44

-6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 SEK 122

$12.16 SEK 116

5.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 SEK 111

$14.28 SEK 136

-18.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 SEK 163

$16.93 SEK 161

1.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 SEK 31.40

$2.98 SEK 28.28

11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.51

$2.55 SEK 24.21

13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 SEK 27.38

$3.26 SEK 30.95

-11.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 SEK 41.74

$5.08 SEK 48.24

-13.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.90

$1.65 SEK 15.68

1.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.15

$1.78 SEK 16.87

-10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 25.04

$2.69 SEK 25.58

-1.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.25

$1.30 SEK 12.36

-0.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 SEK 77.6

$7.30 SEK 69.4

11.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 SEK 107

$10.32 SEK 98.1

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.69

$1.75 SEK 16.62

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SEK 20.69

$1.70 SEK 16.16

28.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 SEK 31.61

$3.28 SEK 31.18

1.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 SEK 630

$83.6 SEK 794

-20.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 SEK 54.2

$5.82 SEK 55.3

-2.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SEK 17.35

$1.34 SEK 12.75

36.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.0 SEK 608

$65.1 SEK 619

-1.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.97

$1.94 SEK 18.45

-2.58%

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

$33.2K SEK 314.9K

$33.1K SEK 314.9K

0.02%

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

$34.8K SEK 330.9K

$34.6K SEK 328.2K

0.82%

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

$123 SEK 1,166

$104 SEK 992

17.56%

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

$28.46 SEK 270

$29.68 SEK 282

-4.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.07 SEK 390

$42.68 SEK 406

-3.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 SEK 369

$46.46 SEK 441

-16.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 SEK 228

$17.05 SEK 162

40.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 SEK 168

$14.44 SEK 137

22.30%

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

$179 SEK 1,697

$150 SEK 1,422

19.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,216 SEK 40.0K

$3,150 SEK 29.9K

33.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SEK 756

$88.1 SEK 837

-9.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 SEK 584

$41.71 SEK 396

47.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 SEK 983

$83.2 SEK 790

24.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 SEK 1,219

$147 SEK 1,401

-12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 SEK 9,067

$1,056 SEK 10.0K

-9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 SEK 7,360

$589 SEK 5,599

31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 SEK 15.7K

$1,245 SEK 11.8K

32.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 SEK 12.5K

$906 SEK 8,604

44.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,215 SEK 59.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,577 SEK 34.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 SEK 28.8K

$3,148 SEK 29.9K

-3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

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

Last update for Lund: July 26, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Lund versus $1,056 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 4% 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 $88.0 in Lund versus $69.0 in Karlstad. Groceries tell a different story – $355 in Lund vs $372 in Karlstad – so Lund wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,890 per month in Lund and $2,668 in Karlstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlstad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Lund and $69.0 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 $1,926 in Lund and $1,779 in Karlstad. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Karlstad, where all-in costs run around $1,779, than in Lund at $1,926. In Karlstad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lund it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Karlstad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.