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: $2,968 in Northampton, MA versus $1,949 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,276 in Northampton, MA versus $3,033 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,584 in Northampton, MA versus $4,117 in Lund.

Living in Northampton, MA is roughly 52% more expensive than Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northampton, MA 121% above, Lund 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 $17.18

$12.42 SEK 118

38.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$85.7 SEK 810

-6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.64 $9.64

$11.98 SEK 113

-19.53%

Cappuccino

$4.54 $4.54

$5.01 SEK 47.44

-9.38%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$2.83 SEK 26.76

-18.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.07 SEK 19.60

-24.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$8.27 SEK 78.3

-41.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 $6.11

$7.53 SEK 71.2

-18.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.62 SEK 15.32

-35.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.23 SEK 21.09

74.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$2.92 SEK 27.62

91.78%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$4.42 SEK 41.78

22.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 $13.87

$12.89 SEK 122

7.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.51 $14.51

$11.41 SEK 108

27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.33 $17.33

$17.35 SEK 164

-0.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.20 SEK 30.31

43.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.89 SEK 27.37

-50.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.90 SEK 27.43

20.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$4.42 SEK 41.80

13.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.67 SEK 15.83

82.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.63 SEK 15.45

76.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.63 SEK 24.86

18.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.29 SEK 12.18

37.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.81 $14.81

$8.10 SEK 76.7

82.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.38 $16.38

$11.86 SEK 112

38.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.04 SEK 19.25

-9.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.15 SEK 20.32

-7.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.42 SEK 32.37

-40.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SEK 636

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.40 SEK 51.1

-9.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.90 SEK 17.99

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.07 $27.07

$62.6 SEK 592

-56.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.98 SEK 18.70

-56.57%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$32.8K SEK 310.6K

-8.40%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$34.3K SEK 324.4K

-27.53%

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

$132 $132

$123 SEK 1,164

7.33%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$28.49 SEK 270

103.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.4 $77.4

$41.60 SEK 394

85.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 $52.3

$39.20 SEK 371

33.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.29 SEK 230

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$17.86 SEK 169

-16.57%

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

$1,421 $1,421

$176 SEK 1,661

708.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$4,218 SEK 39.9K

554.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.20 $23.20

$79.1 SEK 749

-70.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.31 $45.31

$60.3 SEK 571

-24.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 $81.8

$104 SEK 984

-21.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$127 SEK 1,203

-18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 $2,076

$970 SEK 9,181

113.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 $1,725

$757 SEK 7,159

127.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,672 $2,672

$1,644 SEK 15.6K

62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 $2,798

$1,314 SEK 12.4K

112.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,660 SEK 63.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,802 $2,802

$3,858 SEK 36.5K

-27.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,952 $3,952

$3,140 SEK 29.7K

25.86%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,076 in Northampton, MA and $970 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: $80.0 in Northampton, MA vs $86.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $425 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

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

Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 52% 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.

Northampton, MA pays 26% more on average, 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: $2,076 in Northampton, MA versus $970 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,421 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 $86.0 versus $80.0 in Northampton, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,949 in Lund versus $2,968 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 $1,949 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 52% less than in Northampton, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.