Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Umea Cost of Living Comparison Between Lund and Umea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Lund versus $1,644 in Umea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,994 in Lund versus $2,662 in Umea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,141 in Lund versus $3,680 in Umea.

Living in Lund is roughly 12% more expensive than in Umea, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lund 35% above, Umea 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.13 SEK 128

$15.43 SEK 151

-14.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 SEK 917

$83.2 SEK 813

12.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 119

$12.21 SEK 119

0.08%

Cappuccino

$4.90 SEK 47.95

$4.05 SEK 39.63

20.99%

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

$2.76 SEK 27.04

$3.34 SEK 32.66

-17.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SEK 21.22

$2.52 SEK 24.66

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.24 SEK 80.6

$8.67 SEK 84.8

-4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 SEK 71.4

$7.38 SEK 72.2

-1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.24

$1.77 SEK 17.29

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 SEK 26.37

$3.40 SEK 33.23

-20.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 SEK 35.71

$4.03 SEK 39.42

-9.43%

Eggs

$4.69 SEK 45.86

$3.99 SEK 39.00

17.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 SEK 124

$11.50 SEK 112

10.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.13 SEK 119

$10.85 SEK 106

11.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 SEK 166

$17.73 SEK 173

-4.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 30.35

$2.54 SEK 24.85

22.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 SEK 29.88

$2.23 SEK 21.79

37.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 28.39

$2.75 SEK 26.94

5.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 SEK 46.00

$4.26 SEK 41.62

10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.75

$1.69 SEK 16.50

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 SEK 14.14

$1.78 SEK 17.41

-18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 SEK 26.96

$2.45 SEK 23.91

12.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.23

$1.36 SEK 13.32

14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.11 SEK 79.4

$7.27 SEK 71.1

11.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 SEK 109

$10.44 SEK 102

6.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 SEK 18.54

$2.32 SEK 22.71

-18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 SEK 26.98

$2.41 SEK 23.58

14.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 SEK 32.92

$2.96 SEK 28.92

13.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 SEK 642

$59.2 SEK 579

10.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 SEK 49.77

$7.31 SEK 71.5

-30.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 SEK 10.77

$1.70 SEK 16.61

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.79 SEK 418

$63.1 SEK 617

-32.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.31

$1.71 SEK 16.76

3.51%

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

$34.5K SEK 336.9K

$34.3K SEK 335.1K

0.56%

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

$33.2K SEK 325.1K

$34.4K SEK 336.8K

-3.50%

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

$80.6 SEK 788

$88.3 SEK 863

-8.70%

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

$30.82 SEK 301

$34.13 SEK 334

-9.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.87 SEK 419

$27.20 SEK 266

57.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.93 SEK 371

$50.8 SEK 497

-25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.37 SEK 277

$35.17 SEK 344

-19.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 SEK 148

$16.76 SEK 164

-9.43%

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

$160 SEK 1,565

$143 SEK 1,397

12.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,993 SEK 48.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 SEK 811

$103 SEK 1,008

-19.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 SEK 576

$37.63 SEK 368

56.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 SEK 998

$119 SEK 1,165

-14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 SEK 1,226

$144 SEK 1,413

-13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 8,332

$782 SEK 7,646

8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 SEK 6,626

$529 SEK 5,170

28.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 SEK 17.0K

$1,161 SEK 11.4K

49.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 SEK 14.0K

$855 SEK 8,361

67.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,299 SEK 61.6K

$4,710 SEK 46.1K

33.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,696 SEK 36.1K

$3,119 SEK 30.5K

18.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,988 SEK 29.2K

$2,718 SEK 26.6K

9.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

3.65

-16.99%

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

Last update for Lund: September 12, 2026

Last update for Umea: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Lund and $782 in Umea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 10% 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 $83.0 in Umea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $356 per month, with Umea 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 Umea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umea wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Lund. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Umea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 10% 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 $782 in Umea. 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 $1,644 in Umea – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Umea runs roughly 11% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,644 in Umea versus $1,848 in Lund, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Umea but tight or insufficient in Lund. The gap between the two cities makes Umea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Umea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,644 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Umea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lund and Umea 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 Umea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.