Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Lund Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Lund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,695 in Umea versus $1,904 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,667 in Umea versus $3,030 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,639 in Umea versus $4,156 in Lund.

Living in Umea costs roughly 11% less than in Lund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 27% above, Lund 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 155

$12.55 SEK 121

27.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 SEK 803

$85.3 SEK 822

-2.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 SEK 113

$12.20 SEK 118

-3.69%

Cappuccino

$4.12 SEK 39.68

$4.85 SEK 46.77

-15.05%

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

$3.39 SEK 32.70

$2.81 SEK 27.04

20.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SEK 24.97

$2.05 SEK 19.73

26.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 SEK 87.8

$8.22 SEK 79.3

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 SEK 71.6

$7.32 SEK 70.6

1.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.66

$1.60 SEK 15.38

8.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 SEK 33.61

$2.21 SEK 21.27

57.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 40.86

$3.02 SEK 29.06

40.40%

Eggs

$4.32 SEK 41.61

$4.55 SEK 43.89

-5.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 SEK 111

$13.12 SEK 126

-12.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 SEK 106

$11.78 SEK 113

-6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 SEK 178

$17.28 SEK 167

7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.18

$3.18 SEK 30.61

-11.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 SEK 22.35

$2.77 SEK 26.73

-16.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 28.77

$2.77 SEK 26.67

7.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 43.21

$4.55 SEK 43.81

-1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.55

$1.66 SEK 15.96

3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 SEK 17.74

$1.58 SEK 15.20

16.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 25.21

$2.60 SEK 25.06

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SEK 14.43

$1.27 SEK 12.25

18.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SEK 65.8

$8.18 SEK 78.9

-16.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 SEK 105

$11.23 SEK 108

-2.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.99

$1.96 SEK 18.92

-15.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.28

$2.24 SEK 21.57

-6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 SEK 29.11

$3.34 SEK 32.23

-9.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 579

$67.4 SEK 649

-10.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 SEK 50.5

$5.40 SEK 52.1

-2.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 16.00

$1.88 SEK 18.16

-11.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.83 SEK 451

$63.0 SEK 607

-25.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.39

$1.90 SEK 18.34

0.53%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.7K

$32.7K SEK 315.0K

-1.37%

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

$34.9K SEK 336.4K

$34.1K SEK 328.9K

2.28%

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

$69.4 SEK 668

$122 SEK 1,175

-43.13%

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

$34.68 SEK 334

$28.99 SEK 279

19.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.86 SEK 259

$41.22 SEK 397

-34.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 SEK 490

$38.68 SEK 373

31.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.23 SEK 378

$24.09 SEK 232

62.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.00 SEK 154

$18.17 SEK 175

-11.94%

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

$147 SEK 1,417

$179 SEK 1,724

-17.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,186 SEK 40.3K

$4,129 SEK 39.8K

1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 SEK 978

$80.3 SEK 774

26.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 SEK 371

$60.1 SEK 579

-35.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,213

$104 SEK 999

21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 SEK 1,318

$130 SEK 1,255

5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SEK 7,733

$981 SEK 9,454

-18.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 SEK 5,233

$763 SEK 7,348

-28.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 SEK 11.4K

$1,615 SEK 15.6K

-26.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 SEK 8,660

$1,307 SEK 12.6K

-31.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,763 SEK 45.9K

$6,408 SEK 61.7K

-25.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,146 SEK 30.3K

$3,682 SEK 35.5K

-14.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,703 SEK 26.1K

$2,972 SEK 28.6K

-9.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

4.8

-5.62%

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

Last update for Umea: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lund: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $803 in Umea and $981 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 10% 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: $83.0 in Umea vs $85.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 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

Umea vs Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umea wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Lund. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Umea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $803 in Umea versus $981 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,695 per month in Umea versus $1,904 in Lund – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Umea runs roughly 12% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,695 in Umea versus $1,904 in Lund, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Umea but tight or insufficient in Lund. The gap between the two cities makes Umea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Umea delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,695 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Umea hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Umea 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 Umea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.