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: $2,093 in Malmo versus $1,854 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,234 in Malmo versus $3,027 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,376 in Malmo versus $4,201 in Lund.

Living in Malmo is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Malmo 52% above, Lund 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.36 SEK 148

$13.54 SEK 130

13.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 SEK 768

$94.6 SEK 911

-15.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 SEK 118

$12.34 SEK 119

-0.49%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 46.91

$4.79 SEK 46.16

1.67%

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

$3.55 SEK 34.19

$2.78 SEK 26.80

27.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 SEK 27.31

$2.12 SEK 20.45

33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.09 SEK 87.6

$8.13 SEK 78.3

11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 SEK 90.0

$7.51 SEK 72.4

24.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.66

$1.73 SEK 16.68

5.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 SEK 28.89

$2.74 SEK 26.40

9.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 SEK 35.06

$3.77 SEK 36.31

-3.45%

Eggs

$4.18 SEK 40.28

$4.58 SEK 44.13

-8.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 SEK 128

$13.16 SEK 127

0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.35 SEK 119

$12.10 SEK 117

2.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.05 SEK 212

$17.47 SEK 168

26.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 30.06

$3.14 SEK 30.28

-0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 24.72

$2.98 SEK 28.73

-13.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.58

$2.97 SEK 28.56

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 42.61

$4.82 SEK 46.44

-8.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.98

$1.86 SEK 17.94

-5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 SEK 15.39

$1.43 SEK 13.81

11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 SEK 25.44

$2.78 SEK 26.82

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.38

$1.52 SEK 14.65

-15.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.95 SEK 76.6

$8.29 SEK 79.8

-4.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 114

$11.62 SEK 112

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 SEK 20.64

$1.99 SEK 19.21

7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 23.39

$2.76 SEK 26.61

-11.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 SEK 31.47

$3.25 SEK 31.34

0.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 SEK 641

$66.2 SEK 638

0.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 SEK 60.6

$5.36 SEK 51.7

17.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 SEK 24.12

$1.16 SEK 11.13

115.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.8 SEK 508

$42.94 SEK 414

22.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.39

$1.87 SEK 18.02

-3.21%

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

$34.1K SEK 328.5K

$35.0K SEK 336.9K

-2.48%

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

$35.1K SEK 338.4K

$33.9K SEK 326.5K

3.64%

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

$143 SEK 1,376

$82.2 SEK 792

73.83%

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

$27.75 SEK 267

$32.06 SEK 309

-13.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.07 SEK 376

$43.65 SEK 420

-10.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.75 SEK 441

$38.47 SEK 371

18.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.43 SEK 293

$28.42 SEK 274

7.07%

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 SEK 175

$15.94 SEK 153

13.74%

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

$176 SEK 1,692

$167 SEK 1,610

5.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,485 SEK 33.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 SEK 1,000

$84.8 SEK 816

22.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 SEK 447

$60.7 SEK 584

-23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 SEK 1,150

$106 SEK 1,017

13.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 SEK 1,535

$130 SEK 1,252

22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SEK 10.2K

$870 SEK 8,380

21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 SEK 8,142

$715 SEK 6,891

18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 SEK 16.7K

$1,824 SEK 17.6K

-5.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 SEK 13.7K

$1,449 SEK 14.0K

-1.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,223 SEK 40.7K

$6,563 SEK 63.2K

-35.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,338 SEK 32.1K

$3,707 SEK 35.7K

-9.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,200 SEK 30.8K

$3,096 SEK 29.8K

3.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

3.03

-0.33%

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

Last update for Malmo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lund: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,054 in Malmo and $870 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malmo pays 3% 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: $80.0 in Malmo vs $95.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $387 vs $377, 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 13% 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 3% 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: $1,054 in Malmo versus $870 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,093 per month in Malmo versus $1,854 in Lund – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 0% less than in Malmo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,854 in Lund versus $2,093 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 $1,854 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 13% less than in Malmo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.