Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Malmo

For one person, living is cheaper in Lund: $1,754 a month against $2,031 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Lund
Learn more

Lund Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
Learn more

Malmo Living Index

Jump to prices

Lund

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,754

/mo nomad

Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,031

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lund and in Malmo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,754 in Lund versus $2,031 in Malmo.

Lund $1,754
Malmo $2,031

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,901 in Lund versus $3,108 in Malmo.

Lund $2,901
Malmo $3,108

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,049 in Lund versus $4,185 in Malmo.

Lund $4,049
Malmo $4,185

Living in Lund costs roughly 14% less than in Malmo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 30% above, Malmo 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 SEK 127

$15.01 SEK 149

-14.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 SEK 883

$74.8 SEK 741

19.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 SEK 118

$12.13 SEK 120

-1.81%

Cappuccino

$4.78 SEK 47.40

$4.98 SEK 49.36

-4.02%

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

$2.80 SEK 27.72

$3.44 SEK 34.07

-18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 20.18

$2.65 SEK 26.24

-23.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.74 SEK 76.7

$8.49 SEK 84.1

-8.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 SEK 67.5

$9.01 SEK 89.3

-24.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 16.76

$1.65 SEK 16.38

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SEK 25.28

$2.80 SEK 27.74

-8.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 33.66

$3.44 SEK 34.08

-1.16%

Eggs

$4.54 SEK 45.03

$3.98 SEK 39.43

14.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 SEK 122

$12.86 SEK 127

-4.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 SEK 114

$12.07 SEK 120

-4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.45 SEK 153

$21.13 SEK 209

-26.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 SEK 30.62

$2.98 SEK 29.53

3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 SEK 25.60

$2.59 SEK 25.63

-0.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 27.71

$2.98 SEK 29.50

-6.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 SEK 45.94

$4.29 SEK 42.46

8.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.82

$1.63 SEK 16.12

4.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 SEK 14.08

$1.52 SEK 15.03

-6.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 SEK 25.55

$2.44 SEK 24.20

5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SEK 15.18

$1.17 SEK 11.56

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SEK 77.8

$7.83 SEK 77.6

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 SEK 109

$11.49 SEK 114

-3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 SEK 18.26

$1.94 SEK 19.21

-5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 SEK 26.47

$2.33 SEK 23.04

14.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 SEK 31.46

$3.12 SEK 30.89

1.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 SEK 631

$64.3 SEK 637

-0.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 SEK 50.1

$6.36 SEK 63.1

-20.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 SEK 10.52

$2.47 SEK 24.48

-57.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.70 SEK 403

$49.15 SEK 487

-17.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.11

$1.78 SEK 17.68

-2.81%

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

$32.5K SEK 322.1K

$32.7K SEK 323.9K

-0.55%

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

$32.9K SEK 326.2K

$33.3K SEK 330.1K

-1.18%

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

$78.3 SEK 776

$139 SEK 1,377

-43.66%

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

$28.05 SEK 278

$25.01 SEK 248

12.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.44 SEK 411

$38.88 SEK 385

6.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.30 SEK 370

$40.60 SEK 402

-8.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.43 SEK 272

$29.04 SEK 288

-5.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 SEK 146

$16.99 SEK 168

-13.30%

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

$157 SEK 1,553

$168 SEK 1,667

-6.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,337 SEK 33.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.6 SEK 789

$97.8 SEK 969

-18.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SEK 563

$44.17 SEK 438

28.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 SEK 996

$111 SEK 1,097

-9.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 SEK 1,192

$151 SEK 1,493

-20.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 SEK 8,194

$1,059 SEK 10.5K

-21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 SEK 6,647

$806 SEK 7,989

-16.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 SEK 17.3K

$1,720 SEK 17.0K

1.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 SEK 13.7K

$1,354 SEK 13.4K

2.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,176 SEK 61.2K

$4,083 SEK 40.5K

51.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,468 SEK 34.4K

$3,100 SEK 30.7K

11.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,918 SEK 28.9K

$2,978 SEK 29.5K

-2.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

3.05

-0.66%

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

Last update for Lund: October 10, 2026

Last update for Malmo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lund

$671 38.2%

Malmo

$806 39.7% 20.2% $136

Groceries & Markets

Lund

$353 20.2%

Malmo

$369 18.2% 4.5% $16

Eating Out

Lund

$268 15.3%

Malmo

$301 14.8% 12.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Lund

$161 9.2%

Malmo

$181 8.9% 12.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lund

$148 8.4%

Malmo

$203 10% 37.2% $55

Getting Around

Lund

$87 5%

Malmo

$96 4.7% 10% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Lund

$67 3.8%

Malmo

$75 3.7% 11.7% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $827 in Lund and $1,059 in Malmo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 2% 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: $89.0 in Lund vs $75.0 in Malmo. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $369, with Lund cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Lund

🇸🇪 Malmo

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

Same time as Lund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,800

316,588

💱 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 Malmo 16 km

From you

Lund
Malmo

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 Malmo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Malmo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Malmo. 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: $827 in Lund versus $1,059 in Malmo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,754 per month in Lund versus $2,031 in Malmo – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 1% less than in Malmo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,754 in Lund versus $2,031 in Malmo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Malmo. The gap between the two cities makes Lund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lund delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,754 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lund and Malmo 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 16% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.