Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Sala Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Sala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Lund versus $1,619 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,994 in Lund versus $2,351 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,141 in Lund versus $3,083 in Sala.

Living in Lund is roughly 14% more expensive than in Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 35% above, Sala 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.13 SEK 129

$12.46 SEK 123

5.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 SEK 924

$61.7 SEK 608

52.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 120

$10.06 SEK 99.2

21.47%

Cappuccino

$4.90 SEK 48.32

$3.30 SEK 32.50

48.48%

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

$2.76 SEK 27.25

$1.87 SEK 18.44

47.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SEK 21.38

$2.33 SEK 23.01

-6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.24 SEK 81.2

$7.12 SEK 70.2

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 SEK 71.9

$7.32 SEK 72.2

-0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.37

$1.81 SEK 17.88

-2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 SEK 26.57

$2.62 SEK 25.85

3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 SEK 35.98

$3.64 SEK 35.85

0.27%

Eggs

$4.69 SEK 46.21

$5.00 SEK 49.28

-6.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 SEK 125

$11.89 SEK 117

6.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.13 SEK 119

$13.80 SEK 136

-12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 SEK 168

$22.79 SEK 225

-25.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 30.58

$3.08 SEK 30.39

0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 30.11

$2.68 SEK 26.39

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.61

$2.72 SEK 26.85

6.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 46.35

$4.92 SEK 48.51

-4.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.89

$1.54 SEK 15.16

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 SEK 14.25

$1.22 SEK 12.06

18.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 SEK 27.17

$2.72 SEK 26.82

1.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.34

$1.02 SEK 10.05

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.11 SEK 80.0

$7.33 SEK 72.2

10.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 SEK 110

$6.30 SEK 62.1

76.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 SEK 18.69

$2.01 SEK 19.80

-5.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 SEK 27.18

$1.93 SEK 19.00

43.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 SEK 33.17

$3.11 SEK 30.65

8.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 SEK 647

$21.82 SEK 215

200.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 SEK 50.2

$6.03 SEK 59.4

-15.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 SEK 10.85

$1.84 SEK 18.17

-40.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.79 SEK 422

$83.3 SEK 820

-48.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.44

$1.76 SEK 17.31

0.57%

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

$34.5K SEK 339.5K

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

-0.07%

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

$33.2K SEK 327.6K

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

-2.99%

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

$80.6 SEK 794

$186 SEK 1,835

-56.72%

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

$30.82 SEK 304

$21.01 SEK 207

46.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.87 SEK 422

$39.07 SEK 385

9.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.93 SEK 374

$47.16 SEK 465

-19.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 SEK 280

$20.57 SEK 203

37.92%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 SEK 150

$16.44 SEK 162

-7.66%

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

$160 SEK 1,577

$164 SEK 1,618

-2.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 SEK 818

$45.96 SEK 453

80.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 SEK 581

$36.55 SEK 360

61.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 SEK 1,005

$55.3 SEK 544

84.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SEK 1,235

$57.8 SEK 570

116.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 8,396

$757 SEK 7,464

12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 SEK 6,676

$536 SEK 5,285

26.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 SEK 17.1K

$967 SEK 9,533

79.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 SEK 14.1K

$714 SEK 7,040

99.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,299 SEK 62.1K

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

50.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,696 SEK 36.4K

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

26.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,988 SEK 29.4K

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

20.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

3.2

-5.31%

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

Last update for Lund: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Lund and $757 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 20% 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: $94.0 in Lund vs $62.0 in Sala. Groceries flip the comparison at $372 vs $376, with Lund 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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sala wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Lund. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Lund, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $852 in Lund versus $757 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,848 per month in Lund versus $1,619 in Sala – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sala runs roughly 201% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,619 in Sala versus $1,848 in Lund, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Lund. The gap between the two cities makes Sala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,619 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lund and Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.