Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Lund

For one person, living is cheaper in Lund: $1,754 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Montreal outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Lund
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,754
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Lund

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Lund actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Montreal versus $1,754 in Lund.

  • Montreal $2,018
  • Lund $1,754

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,085 in Montreal versus $2,901 in Lund.

  • Montreal $3,085
  • Lund $2,901

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,152 in Montreal versus $4,049 in Lund.

  • Montreal $4,152
  • Lund $4,049

Living in Montreal is roughly 15% more expensive than in Lund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 49% above, Lund 30% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montreal
Lund
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.82 CA$26.61
$12.84 SEK 127
46.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.3 CA$99.4
$89.1 SEK 883
-21.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 CA$15.06
$11.91 SEK 118
-10.50%
Cappuccino
$3.84 CA$5.43
$4.78 SEK 47.40
-19.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 CA$2.71
$2.80 SEK 27.72
-31.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 CA$2.18
$2.04 SEK 20.18
-24.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.23 CA$8.81
$7.74 SEK 76.7
-19.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.10 CA$10.03
$6.82 SEK 67.5
4.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montreal
Lund
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.27
$1.69 SEK 16.76
36.69%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 CA$4.44
$2.55 SEK 25.28
23.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$3.40 SEK 33.66
-5.59%
Eggs
$3.52 CA$4.97
$4.54 SEK 45.03
-22.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.81 CA$18.11
$12.29 SEK 122
4.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 CA$16.20
$11.47 SEK 114
-0.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.39 CA$18.92
$15.45 SEK 153
-13.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.43
$3.09 SEK 30.62
1.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 CA$2.03
$2.58 SEK 25.60
-44.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 CA$4.91
$2.80 SEK 27.71
23.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$4.64 SEK 45.94
-33.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.69
$1.70 SEK 16.82
11.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 CA$2.50
$1.42 SEK 14.08
24.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 CA$3.31
$2.58 SEK 25.55
-9.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 CA$2.19
$1.53 SEK 15.18
1.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$7.85 SEK 77.8
44.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 CA$15.03
$11.04 SEK 109
-3.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$1.84 SEK 18.26
23.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.99
$2.67 SEK 26.47
5.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Montreal
Lund
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 CA$3.76
$3.17 SEK 31.46
-16.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.3 CA$109
$63.7 SEK 631
21.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.20 CA$4.53
$5.06 SEK 50.1
-36.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.09
$1.06 SEK 10.52
39.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.88 CA$46.48
$40.70 SEK 403
-19.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.90
$1.73 SEK 17.11
-22.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K CA$39.8K
$32.5K SEK 322.1K
-13.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$32.9K SEK 326.2K
-40.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
Lund
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.0 CA$107
$78.3 SEK 776
-2.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.95 CA$48.00
$28.05 SEK 278
21.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.31 CA$59.8
$41.44 SEK 411
2.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
Lund
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.76 CA$42.07
$37.30 SEK 370
-20.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.28 CA$28.67
$27.43 SEK 272
-26.07%
Cinema Ticket
$11.15 CA$15.77
$14.73 SEK 146
-24.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montreal
Lund
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$507 CA$717
$157 SEK 1,553
223.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K CA$22.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
Lund
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 CA$81.4
$79.6 SEK 789
-27.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.58 CA$53.1
$56.9 SEK 563
-33.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 CA$130
$101 SEK 996
-8.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 CA$155
$120 SEK 1,192
-8.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montreal
Lund
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 CA$1,782
$827 SEK 8,194
52.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 CA$1,340
$671 SEK 6,647
41.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,137 CA$3,021
$1,746 SEK 17.3K
22.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 CA$2,281
$1,388 SEK 13.7K
16.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,960 CA$7,011
$6,176 SEK 61.2K
-19.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,838 CA$5,425
$3,468 SEK 34.4K
10.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montreal
Lund
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,827 CA$3,997
$2,918 SEK 28.9K
-3.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.48
3.03
47.85%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lund: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Montreal
$948
Lund
$671 29.2% $277
Groceries & Markets
Montreal
$346
Lund
$353 2% $6.9
Eating Out
Montreal
$288
Lund
$268 7.1% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montreal
$152
Lund
$148 2.9% $4.4
Clothing & Footwear
Montreal
$133
Lund
$161 20.5% $27
Getting Around
Montreal
$99
Lund
$87 11.9% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Montreal
$52
Lund
$67 28.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Montreal and $827 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Montreal vs $89.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $353 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Montreal
🇸🇪 Lund
🕒 Local time
19:08 7:08 PM
01:08 1:08 AM
6 h ahead of Montreal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,762,949
82,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Montreal Lund 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montreal
  • Lund

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Montreal vs Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Montreal or Lund?
Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Montreal. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Montreal or in Lund?
On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Lund. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Montreal compared to Lund?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,260 in Montreal versus $827 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Montreal compared to Lund?
All in, you'll spend $2,018 per month in Montreal versus $1,754 in Lund – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Montreal compared to Lund?
A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 21% less than in Montreal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Montreal or in Lund?
At $1,754 in Lund versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Lund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Montreal or Lund?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lund delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,754 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lund hard to pass up.
How safe is Montreal compared to Lund?
Safety-wise, Montreal 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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