Cost of Living Comparison Between Northampton, MA and Lund Cost of Living Comparison Between Northampton, MA and Lund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,844 in Northampton, MA versus $1,828 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,091 in Northampton, MA versus $3,039 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,338 in Northampton, MA versus $4,250 in Lund.

Living in Northampton, MA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northampton, MA 106% above, Lund 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.25 $18.25

$13.31 SEK 129

37.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$92.4 SEK 896

-12.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 $10.48

$12.27 SEK 119

-14.59%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$4.78 SEK 46.31

-6.28%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$2.78 SEK 26.99

0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.14 SEK 20.77

7.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$8.51 SEK 82.5

-40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$7.14 SEK 69.3

11.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.71 SEK 16.60

-36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.80 SEK 27.18

47.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$3.92 SEK 37.98

41.33%

Eggs

$4.71 $4.71

$4.73 SEK 45.87

-0.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 $11.11

$13.08 SEK 127

-15.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$12.28 SEK 119

-45.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$17.58 SEK 170

1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.15 SEK 30.52

87.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.08 SEK 29.81

-46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.84 SEK 27.52

59.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.80 SEK 46.49

12.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.80 SEK 17.45

85.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.43 SEK 13.88

153.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.74 SEK 26.57

9.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.39 $13.39

$8.43 SEK 81.7

58.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 $13.38

$11.40 SEK 111

17.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.02 SEK 19.61

-8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.83 SEK 27.41

-28.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 SEK 31.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 SEK 647

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 SEK 51.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 SEK 11.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.36 SEK 420

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.82 SEK 17.63

-54.40%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.0K SEK 329.6K

8.13%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.6K SEK 335.8K

-28.63%

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

$135 $135

$81.5 SEK 790

65.43%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$31.33 SEK 304

95.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$42.78 SEK 415

64.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 $52.2

$39.41 SEK 382

32.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.46 SEK 276

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$15.81 SEK 153

-6.45%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$167 SEK 1,615

989.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.52 $23.52

$82.9 SEK 804

-71.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 $38.65

$59.4 SEK 576

-34.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$106 SEK 1,028

-25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$128 SEK 1,239

-20.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 $2,034

$884 SEK 8,571

130.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 $1,742

$707 SEK 6,850

146.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,656 $2,656

$1,787 SEK 17.3K

48.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 $2,901

$1,439 SEK 14.0K

101.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,452 SEK 62.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

$3,744 SEK 36.3K

-24.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,881 $3,881

$3,077 SEK 29.8K

26.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

3.03

99.34%

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

Last update for Northampton, MA: September 8, 2026

Last update for Lund: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,034 in Northampton, MA and $884 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Northampton, MA pays 26% 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: $81.0 in Northampton, MA vs $92.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $380 per month, with Northampton, MA 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

Northampton, MA vs Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Northampton, MA. 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 26% higher in Northampton, MA, 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: $2,034 in Northampton, MA versus $884 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,815 in Northampton, MA versus $167 in Lund. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lund – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $81.0 in Northampton, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,828 in Lund versus $2,844 in Northampton, MA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Northampton, MA. 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 $1,828 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Northampton, MA 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 56% less than in Northampton, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.