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: $2,894 in Northampton, MA versus $1,922 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,182 in Northampton, MA versus $2,961 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,471 in Northampton, MA versus $3,999 in Lund.

Living in Northampton, MA is roughly 51% more expensive than in Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northampton, MA 117% above, Lund 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 $17.72

$12.55 SEK 122

41.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$88.6 SEK 859

-10.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 $9.33

$11.86 SEK 115

-21.33%

Cappuccino

$4.63 $4.63

$4.86 SEK 47.15

-4.73%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$2.93 SEK 28.38

-21.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.17 SEK 21.00

-25.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$8.41 SEK 81.6

-39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$7.59 SEK 73.6

-22.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.62 SEK 15.72

-34.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.14 SEK 20.73

79.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.08 SEK 29.86

74.68%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$4.40 SEK 42.66

23.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.10 $14.10

$12.82 SEK 124

9.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$11.44 SEK 111

24.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 $17.21

$17.06 SEK 165

0.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.27 SEK 31.72

44.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.88 SEK 27.90

-50.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.83 SEK 27.45

22.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.31 SEK 41.82

11.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.68 SEK 16.29

73.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.64 SEK 15.87

77.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.57 SEK 24.89

24.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.30 SEK 12.57

33.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.87 $14.87

$7.86 SEK 76.3

89.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.28 $16.28

$11.23 SEK 109

44.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.97 SEK 19.13

-8.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.16 SEK 20.99

-5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.31 SEK 32.07

-38.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 SEK 635

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$5.67 SEK 55.0

-12.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.83 SEK 17.77

14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.30 $27.30

$63.1 SEK 612

-56.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.89 SEK 18.36

-57.67%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$32.3K SEK 313.6K

-7.84%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$33.9K SEK 329.0K

-26.21%

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

$135 $135

$122 SEK 1,185

10.57%

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

$58.1 $58.1

$29.02 SEK 281

100.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.4 $76.4

$40.92 SEK 397

86.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 $52.3

$39.02 SEK 378

34.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.97 SEK 232

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$18.24 SEK 177

-18.48%

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

$1,412 $1,412

$176 SEK 1,705

702.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.0K $28.0K

$4,187 SEK 40.6K

568.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.48 $23.48

$79.8 SEK 774

-70.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.85 $46.85

$61.8 SEK 599

-24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 $82.8

$106 SEK 1,024

-21.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$128 SEK 1,239

-20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 $2,081

$970 SEK 9,409

114.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 $1,780

$757 SEK 7,337

135.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,608 $2,608

$1,598 SEK 15.5K

63.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 $2,872

$1,307 SEK 12.7K

119.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,417 SEK 62.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,807 $2,807

$3,691 SEK 35.8K

-23.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,855 $3,855

$2,987 SEK 29.0K

29.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

4.8

34.38%

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

Last update for Northampton, MA: July 22, 2026

Last update for Lund: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,081 in Northampton, MA and $970 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Northampton, MA pays 29% 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: $79.0 in Northampton, MA vs $89.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $422 vs $352, 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

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

Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 51% 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 29% 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: $2,081 in Northampton, MA versus $970 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,412 in Northampton, MA versus $176 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 $89.0 versus $79.0 in Northampton, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,922 in Lund versus $2,894 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 $1,922 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 51% less than in Northampton, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.