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: $2,081 in Malmo versus $1,904 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Malmo versus $3,030 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Malmo versus $4,156 in Lund.

Living in Malmo is roughly 9% more expensive than in Lund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 56% above, Lund 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$12.55 SEK 121

9.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 807

$85.3 SEK 825

-2.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$12.20 SEK 118

4.43%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.73

$4.85 SEK 46.92

6.19%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.92

$2.81 SEK 27.13

-4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.29

$2.05 SEK 19.79

2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.5

$8.22 SEK 79.5

-4.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.4

$7.32 SEK 70.8

9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.76

$1.60 SEK 15.43

8.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.73

$2.21 SEK 21.34

39.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.67

$3.02 SEK 29.15

15.23%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.80

$4.55 SEK 44.02

-0.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$13.12 SEK 127

-5.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 126

$11.78 SEK 114

10.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 259

$17.28 SEK 167

55.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.84

$3.18 SEK 30.70

6.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.43

$2.77 SEK 26.81

6.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.83

$2.77 SEK 26.75

18.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.69

$4.55 SEK 43.94

6.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$1.66 SEK 16.01

12.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.76

$1.58 SEK 15.25

22.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.68

$2.60 SEK 25.14

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.00

$1.27 SEK 12.29

5.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.2

$8.18 SEK 79.1

-3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 113

$11.23 SEK 109

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.25

$1.96 SEK 18.98

22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.39

$2.24 SEK 21.64

21.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.40

$3.34 SEK 32.33

3.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 686

$67.4 SEK 652

5.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.3

$5.40 SEK 52.3

25.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.49

$1.88 SEK 18.21

40.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 552

$63.0 SEK 609

-9.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.41

$1.90 SEK 18.40

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

$33.0K SEK 318.6K

$32.7K SEK 316.0K

0.83%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

$34.1K SEK 329.9K

-0.55%

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

$155 SEK 1,496

$122 SEK 1,179

26.90%

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

$29.60 SEK 286

$28.99 SEK 280

2.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 382

$41.22 SEK 398

-4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 380

$38.68 SEK 374

1.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 227

$24.09 SEK 233

-2.57%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$18.17 SEK 176

-1.98%

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

$157 SEK 1,520

$179 SEK 1,730

-12.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.2K

$4,129 SEK 39.9K

18.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,013

$80.3 SEK 776

30.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 442

$60.1 SEK 581

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,199

$104 SEK 1,002

19.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,607

$130 SEK 1,259

27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,856

$981 SEK 9,483

-6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,642

$763 SEK 7,371

3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

$1,615 SEK 15.6K

5.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$1,307 SEK 12.6K

5.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.4K

$6,408 SEK 61.9K

-34.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

$3,682 SEK 35.6K

-9.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.4K

$2,972 SEK 28.7K

5.91%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lund: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Malmo and $981 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 6% 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: $83.0 in Malmo vs $85.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $412 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 9% 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.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Malmo, 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: $916 in Malmo versus $981 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,081 per month in Malmo versus $1,904 in Lund – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 5% less than in Malmo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,904 in Lund versus $2,081 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 $1,904 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 9% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.