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: $1,644 in Umea versus $1,848 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,662 in Umea versus $2,994 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,680 in Umea versus $4,141 in Lund.

Living in Umea costs roughly 11% less than in Lund, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 20% above, Lund 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.43 SEK 151

$13.13 SEK 128

17.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 SEK 813

$93.7 SEK 917

-11.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 SEK 119

$12.22 SEK 119

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$4.05 SEK 39.63

$4.90 SEK 47.95

-17.35%

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

$3.34 SEK 32.66

$2.76 SEK 27.04

21.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 24.66

$2.17 SEK 21.22

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 SEK 84.8

$8.24 SEK 80.6

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 SEK 72.2

$7.30 SEK 71.4

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.29

$1.76 SEK 17.24

0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 SEK 33.23

$2.70 SEK 26.37

25.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 SEK 39.42

$3.65 SEK 35.71

10.41%

Eggs

$3.99 SEK 39.00

$4.69 SEK 45.86

-14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 SEK 112

$12.68 SEK 124

-9.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 SEK 106

$12.13 SEK 119

-10.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.73 SEK 173

$17.00 SEK 166

4.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 SEK 24.85

$3.10 SEK 30.35

-18.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 SEK 21.79

$3.06 SEK 29.88

-27.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 SEK 26.94

$2.90 SEK 28.39

-5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 SEK 41.62

$4.70 SEK 46.00

-9.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 16.50

$1.82 SEK 17.75

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 17.41

$1.45 SEK 14.14

22.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 SEK 23.91

$2.76 SEK 26.96

-11.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SEK 13.32

$1.56 SEK 15.23

-12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.27 SEK 71.1

$8.11 SEK 79.4

-10.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.44 SEK 102

$11.12 SEK 109

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.71

$1.90 SEK 18.54

22.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.58

$2.76 SEK 26.98

-12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 SEK 28.92

$3.37 SEK 32.92

-12.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 SEK 579

$65.6 SEK 642

-9.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.31 SEK 71.5

$5.09 SEK 49.77

43.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 SEK 16.61

$1.10 SEK 10.77

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 SEK 617

$42.79 SEK 418

47.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 16.76

$1.77 SEK 17.31

-3.39%

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

$34.3K SEK 335.1K

$34.5K SEK 336.9K

-0.55%

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

$34.4K SEK 336.8K

$33.2K SEK 325.1K

3.62%

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

$88.3 SEK 863

$80.6 SEK 788

9.53%

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

$34.13 SEK 334

$30.82 SEK 301

10.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.20 SEK 266

$42.87 SEK 419

-36.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 SEK 497

$37.93 SEK 371

33.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 SEK 344

$28.37 SEK 277

23.97%

Cinema Ticket

$16.76 SEK 164

$15.18 SEK 148

10.41%

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

$143 SEK 1,397

$160 SEK 1,565

-10.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,993 SEK 48.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,008

$83.0 SEK 811

24.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.63 SEK 368

$58.9 SEK 576

-36.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 SEK 1,165

$102 SEK 998

16.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 SEK 1,413

$125 SEK 1,226

15.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 SEK 7,646

$852 SEK 8,332

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 SEK 5,170

$677 SEK 6,626

-21.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 SEK 11.4K

$1,738 SEK 17.0K

-33.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 SEK 8,361

$1,428 SEK 14.0K

-40.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,710 SEK 46.1K

$6,299 SEK 61.6K

-25.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,119 SEK 30.5K

$3,696 SEK 36.1K

-15.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,718 SEK 26.6K

$2,988 SEK 29.2K

-9.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.03

20.46%

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

Last update for Umea: September 15, 2026

Last update for Lund: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Umea and $852 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 $94.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $372 per month, with Umea 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

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: $782 in Umea versus $852 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,644 per month in Umea versus $1,848 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 11% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,644 in Umea versus $1,848 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 $1,644 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.