Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Lund Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Lund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Stockholm versus $1,949 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Stockholm versus $3,033 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,096 in Stockholm versus $4,117 in Lund.

Living in Stockholm is roughly 29% more expensive than Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stockholm 87% above, Lund 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 SEK 151

$12.42 SEK 117

29.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$112 SEK 1,052

$85.7 SEK 805

30.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 SEK 109

$11.98 SEK 113

-3.34%

Cappuccino

$5.08 SEK 47.72

$5.01 SEK 47.09

1.40%

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

$3.30 SEK 30.99

$2.83 SEK 26.57

16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.51

$2.07 SEK 19.46

20.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 81.5

$8.27 SEK 77.7

4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 SEK 78.0

$7.53 SEK 70.7

10.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.14

$1.62 SEK 15.21

6.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 SEK 32.50

$2.23 SEK 20.94

55.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 37.52

$2.92 SEK 27.42

36.64%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 44.30

$4.42 SEK 41.48

6.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.03 SEK 122

$12.89 SEK 121

1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 121

$11.41 SEK 107

13.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 SEK 184

$17.35 SEK 163

12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 SEK 33.96

$3.20 SEK 30.09

13.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 26.54

$2.89 SEK 27.17

-2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 SEK 31.83

$2.90 SEK 27.23

16.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 43.17

$4.42 SEK 41.50

4.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 SEK 17.82

$1.67 SEK 15.72

13.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.66

$1.63 SEK 15.33

15.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.43

$2.63 SEK 24.68

-1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.08

$1.29 SEK 12.09

24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.5

$8.10 SEK 76.1

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 SEK 121

$11.86 SEK 111

8.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 20.29

$2.04 SEK 19.11

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.09

$2.15 SEK 20.17

4.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 SEK 42.88

$3.42 SEK 32.13

33.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 SEK 1,035

$67.2 SEK 631

63.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 SEK 58.9

$5.40 SEK 50.8

16.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SEK 14.77

$1.90 SEK 17.86

-17.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.5 SEK 587

$62.6 SEK 588

-0.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 17.09

$1.98 SEK 18.57

-8.08%

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

$33.0K SEK 309.6K

$32.8K SEK 308.3K

0.42%

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

$35.4K SEK 332.7K

$34.3K SEK 322.0K

3.30%

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

$229 SEK 2,148

$123 SEK 1,155

85.89%

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

$28.82 SEK 271

$28.49 SEK 268

1.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.69 SEK 392

$41.60 SEK 391

0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.58 SEK 438

$39.20 SEK 368

18.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.46 SEK 361

$24.29 SEK 228

58.34%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 SEK 166

$17.86 SEK 168

-1.18%

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

$165 SEK 1,552

$176 SEK 1,649

-5.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,662 SEK 62.6K

$4,218 SEK 39.6K

57.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 SEK 915

$79.1 SEK 743

23.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 SEK 464

$60.3 SEK 567

-18.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,097

$104 SEK 977

12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 SEK 1,920

$127 SEK 1,194

60.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 SEK 14.9K

$970 SEK 9,114

63.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 SEK 10.4K

$757 SEK 7,107

46.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 SEK 26.0K

$1,644 SEK 15.4K

68.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 SEK 17.0K

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

37.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K SEK 115.0K

$6,660 SEK 62.6K

83.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,689 SEK 62.8K

$3,858 SEK 36.2K

73.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,779 SEK 35.5K

$3,140 SEK 29.5K

20.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.8

-13.33%

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

Last update for Stockholm: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Stockholm and $970 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 20% 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: $112 in Stockholm vs $86.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $355 per month, with Lund 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

Stockholm vs Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Stockholm. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Stockholm pays 20% 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: $1,589 in Stockholm versus $970 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,505 per month in Stockholm versus $1,949 in Lund – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 64% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,949 in Lund versus $2,505 in Stockholm, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. 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, Stockholm 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 29% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.