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: $1,949 in Lund versus $1,476 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Lund versus $2,228 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,117 in Lund versus $2,979 in Sala.

Living in Lund is roughly 32% more expensive than Sala, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 45% above, Sala 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 SEK 116

$12.50 SEK 117

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 SEK 799

$63.4 SEK 592

35.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 SEK 112

$10.33 SEK 96.4

15.97%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 46.78

$3.18 SEK 29.63

57.55%

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

$2.83 SEK 26.39

$1.90 SEK 17.72

48.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.33

$2.49 SEK 23.25

-16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 SEK 77.2

$7.53 SEK 70.2

9.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 SEK 70.3

$7.45 SEK 69.5

1.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.11

$1.77 SEK 16.52

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 SEK 20.80

$2.72 SEK 25.34

-18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 27.24

$3.69 SEK 34.46

-20.87%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.20

$4.07 SEK 37.93

8.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 SEK 120

$11.89 SEK 111

8.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 SEK 106

$11.88 SEK 111

-3.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 SEK 162

$15.55 SEK 145

11.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 29.89

$3.13 SEK 29.23

2.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 26.99

$2.62 SEK 24.49

10.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.05

$2.84 SEK 26.47

2.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 41.23

$5.05 SEK 47.14

-12.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.61

$1.50 SEK 13.96

11.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 15.23

$1.18 SEK 11.04

38.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.52

$2.64 SEK 24.63

-0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.01

$1.08 SEK 10.09

19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SEK 75.6

$7.19 SEK 67.1

12.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 111

$6.40 SEK 59.7

85.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 18.99

$2.58 SEK 24.03

-20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.04

$1.95 SEK 18.17

10.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 31.92

$3.11 SEK 29.07

9.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SEK 627

$21.95 SEK 205

206.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 50.4

$6.14 SEK 57.3

-12.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SEK 17.74

$1.63 SEK 15.25

16.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 584

$21.03 SEK 196

197.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.44

$1.93 SEK 18.05

2.59%

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

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

$42.3K SEK 394.7K

-22.40%

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

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

$34.2K SEK 318.8K

0.34%

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

$123 SEK 1,148

$91.5 SEK 854

34.46%

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

$28.49 SEK 266

$20.77 SEK 194

37.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 SEK 388

$37.21 SEK 347

11.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 SEK 366

$46.99 SEK 438

-16.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.29 SEK 227

$20.86 SEK 195

16.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.86 SEK 167

$19.06 SEK 178

-6.30%

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

$176 SEK 1,638

$147 SEK 1,370

19.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

$1,242 SEK 11.6K

239.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 SEK 738

$46.61 SEK 435

69.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 SEK 563

$37.07 SEK 346

62.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 971

$56.3 SEK 525

84.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,187

$58.0 SEK 542

119.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SEK 9,054

$767 SEK 7,159

26.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 SEK 7,060

$536 SEK 4,999

41.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

$959 SEK 8,946

71.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

$738 SEK 6,885

78.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

$3,734 SEK 34.8K

78.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

$2,919 SEK 27.2K

32.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

$2,549 SEK 23.8K

23.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.53

5.96%

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

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Last update for Sala: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Lund and $767 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 23% 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: $86.0 in Lund vs $63.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $346 per month, with Sala cheaper across the board.

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 32% 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.

Lund pays 23% more on average, 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: $970 in Lund versus $767 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,949 per month in Lund versus $1,476 in Sala – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sala runs roughly 206% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,476 in Sala versus $1,949 in Lund, a $1,000 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 $1,476 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 32% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.