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: $1,694 in Umea versus $1,949 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,666 in Umea versus $3,033 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,638 in Umea versus $4,117 in Lund.

Living in Umea costs roughly 13% less than in Lund, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 26% above, Lund 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.05 SEK 150

$12.42 SEK 116

29.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 SEK 796

$85.7 SEK 799

-0.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 SEK 106

$11.98 SEK 112

-4.76%

Cappuccino

$4.29 SEK 40.00

$5.01 SEK 46.78

-14.37%

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

$3.39 SEK 31.65

$2.83 SEK 26.39

19.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 23.45

$2.07 SEK 19.33

21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.11 SEK 85.0

$8.27 SEK 77.2

10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 70.4

$7.53 SEK 70.3

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SEK 15.80

$1.62 SEK 15.11

4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 SEK 33.37

$2.23 SEK 20.80

60.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 SEK 40.31

$2.92 SEK 27.24

47.95%

Eggs

$4.29 SEK 40.00

$4.42 SEK 41.20

-2.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 SEK 111

$12.89 SEK 120

-7.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 SEK 103

$11.41 SEK 106

-3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 SEK 171

$17.35 SEK 162

5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.48

$3.20 SEK 29.89

-11.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 SEK 22.30

$2.89 SEK 26.99

-17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 SEK 26.47

$2.90 SEK 27.05

-2.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 41.41

$4.42 SEK 41.23

0.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 15.65

$1.67 SEK 15.61

0.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 16.96

$1.63 SEK 15.23

11.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 SEK 24.40

$2.63 SEK 24.52

-0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SEK 13.78

$1.29 SEK 12.01

14.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 SEK 62.5

$8.10 SEK 75.6

-17.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 SEK 106

$11.86 SEK 111

-4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 15.46

$2.04 SEK 18.99

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 20.76

$2.15 SEK 20.04

3.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 SEK 29.31

$3.42 SEK 31.92

-8.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 SEK 552

$67.2 SEK 627

-12.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.22 SEK 48.74

$5.40 SEK 50.4

-3.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 14.97

$1.90 SEK 17.74

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.06 SEK 439

$62.6 SEK 584

-24.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 SEK 18.18

$1.98 SEK 18.44

-1.52%

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

$32.7K SEK 305.4K

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

-0.30%

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

$35.2K SEK 328.7K

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

2.75%

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

$67.8 SEK 632

$123 SEK 1,148

-44.89%

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

$34.49 SEK 322

$28.49 SEK 266

21.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.30 SEK 255

$41.60 SEK 388

-34.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 SEK 483

$39.20 SEK 366

31.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SEK 360

$24.29 SEK 227

58.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.92 SEK 149

$17.86 SEK 167

-10.86%

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

$149 SEK 1,388

$176 SEK 1,638

-15.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,094 SEK 38.2K

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

-2.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 925

$79.1 SEK 738

25.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 SEK 357

$60.3 SEK 563

-36.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,171

$104 SEK 971

20.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 SEK 1,267

$127 SEK 1,187

6.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 SEK 7,395

$970 SEK 9,054

-18.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 SEK 4,942

$757 SEK 7,060

-30.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 SEK 11.1K

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

-27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 SEK 8,347

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

-31.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,972 SEK 46.4K

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

-25.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,309 SEK 30.9K

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

-14.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,875 SEK 26.8K

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

-8.42%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $793 in Umea and $970 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 9% 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: $85.0 in Umea vs $86.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $367 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 15% 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, Lund earns 9% less. 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: $793 in Umea versus $970 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,694 per month in Umea versus $1,949 in Lund – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Umea runs roughly 14% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,694 in Umea versus $1,949 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 $1,694 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 15% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.