Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Lund Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Lund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,047 in Malmo versus $1,949 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,170 in Malmo versus $3,033 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Malmo versus $4,117 in Lund.

Living in Malmo is roughly 5% more expensive than Lund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 53% above, Lund 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.48 SEK 126

$12.42 SEK 116

8.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 SEK 799

$85.7 SEK 799

-0.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.67 SEK 118

$11.98 SEK 112

5.76%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 47.16

$5.01 SEK 46.78

0.80%

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

$2.69 SEK 25.07

$2.83 SEK 26.39

-4.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.07

$2.07 SEK 19.33

3.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 74.7

$8.27 SEK 77.2

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 SEK 76.5

$7.53 SEK 70.3

8.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 15.62

$1.62 SEK 15.11

3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 SEK 28.99

$2.23 SEK 20.80

39.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 33.71

$2.92 SEK 27.24

23.63%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.22

$4.42 SEK 41.20

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 SEK 112

$12.89 SEK 120

-6.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 SEK 119

$11.41 SEK 106

12.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.50 SEK 257

$17.35 SEK 162

58.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.49

$3.20 SEK 29.89

2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 25.94

$2.89 SEK 26.99

-3.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 SEK 30.25

$2.90 SEK 27.05

11.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 SEK 44.68

$4.42 SEK 41.23

8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 SEK 17.07

$1.67 SEK 15.61

9.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 SEK 18.22

$1.63 SEK 15.23

19.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 23.98

$2.63 SEK 24.52

-2.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 12.50

$1.29 SEK 12.01

3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 SEK 75.9

$8.10 SEK 75.6

0.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 SEK 113

$11.86 SEK 111

2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.59

$2.04 SEK 18.99

24.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 SEK 24.80

$2.15 SEK 20.04

23.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.37

$3.42 SEK 31.92

-1.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 SEK 647

$67.2 SEK 627

3.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.44 SEK 60.1

$5.40 SEK 50.4

19.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 24.63

$1.90 SEK 17.74

38.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.2 SEK 524

$62.6 SEK 584

-10.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 SEK 17.92

$1.98 SEK 18.44

-3.03%

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

$33.1K SEK 308.6K

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

0.76%

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

$33.8K SEK 315.3K

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

-1.43%

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

$154 SEK 1,433

$123 SEK 1,148

24.85%

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

$30.36 SEK 283

$28.49 SEK 266

6.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 377

$41.60 SEK 388

-2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.30 SEK 357

$39.20 SEK 366

-2.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.78 SEK 222

$24.29 SEK 227

-2.10%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 166

$17.86 SEK 167

-0.28%

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

$162 SEK 1,508

$176 SEK 1,638

-7.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,876 SEK 45.5K

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

15.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 977

$79.1 SEK 738

32.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 426

$60.3 SEK 563

-24.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,159

$104 SEK 971

19.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 SEK 1,542

$127 SEK 1,187

29.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 SEK 8,693

$970 SEK 9,054

-3.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 SEK 7,215

$757 SEK 7,060

2.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 SEK 16.1K

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

4.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 12.5K

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

2.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,311 SEK 40.2K

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

-35.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 SEK 31.3K

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

-12.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,353 SEK 31.3K

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

6.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

4.8

1.25%

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

Last update for Malmo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Malmo and $970 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 7% 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 Malmo vs $86.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $355, 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

Malmo vs Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 5% 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.

Malmo pays 7% 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: $932 in Malmo versus $970 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,047 per month in Malmo versus $1,949 in Lund – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 3% less than in Malmo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,949 in Lund versus $2,047 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 $1,949 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Malmo and Lund 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 5% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.