Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Lund Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Lund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,999 in Uppsala versus $1,949 in Lund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,014 in Uppsala versus $3,033 in Lund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,028 in Uppsala versus $4,117 in Lund.

Living in Uppsala is roughly 3% more expensive than Lund, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uppsala 49% above, Lund 45% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.78 SEK 148
$12.42 SEK 117
27.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.9 SEK 656
$85.7 SEK 805
-18.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.40 SEK 107
$11.98 SEK 113
-4.84%
Cappuccino
$5.00 SEK 47.00
$5.01 SEK 47.09
-0.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 SEK 25.05
$2.83 SEK 26.57
-5.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 SEK 20.56
$2.07 SEK 19.46
5.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.39 SEK 78.8
$8.27 SEK 77.7
1.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.66 SEK 81.4
$7.53 SEK 70.7
15.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 SEK 15.33
$1.62 SEK 15.21
0.62%
White Bread (500g)
$2.75 SEK 25.83
$2.23 SEK 20.94
23.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.53 SEK 42.59
$2.92 SEK 27.42
55.14%
Eggs
$5.10 SEK 47.92
$4.42 SEK 41.48
15.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.89 SEK 112
$12.89 SEK 121
-7.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.97 SEK 131
$11.41 SEK 107
22.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.80 SEK 158
$17.35 SEK 163
-3.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.74 SEK 35.09
$3.20 SEK 30.09
16.88%
Banana (1kg)
$2.79 SEK 26.21
$2.89 SEK 27.17
-3.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.57 SEK 33.51
$2.90 SEK 27.23
23.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.18 SEK 48.69
$4.42 SEK 41.50
17.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 SEK 14.82
$1.67 SEK 15.72
-5.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 SEK 16.81
$1.63 SEK 15.33
9.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.63 SEK 24.72
$2.63 SEK 24.68
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 SEK 12.41
$1.29 SEK 12.09
2.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.14 SEK 76.4
$8.10 SEK 76.1
0.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.81 SEK 102
$11.86 SEK 111
-8.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.41 SEK 22.62
$2.04 SEK 19.11
18.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 SEK 24.13
$2.15 SEK 20.17
19.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.01 SEK 37.63
$3.42 SEK 32.13
17.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$109 SEK 1,023
$67.2 SEK 631
62.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 SEK 53.4
$5.40 SEK 50.8
5.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.19 SEK 11.17
$1.90 SEK 17.86
-37.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$63.5 SEK 597
$62.6 SEK 588
1.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.01 SEK 18.84
$1.98 SEK 18.57
1.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K SEK 311.7K
$32.8K SEK 308.3K
1.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K SEK 317.6K
$34.3K SEK 322.0K
-1.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 SEK 1,040
$123 SEK 1,155
-9.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.67 SEK 279
$28.49 SEK 268
4.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.81 SEK 412
$41.60 SEK 391
5.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.15 SEK 358
$39.20 SEK 368
-2.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.06 SEK 264
$24.29 SEK 228
15.52%
Cinema Ticket
$19.76 SEK 186
$17.86 SEK 168
10.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$149 SEK 1,400
$176 SEK 1,649
-15.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,570 SEK 52.3K
$4,218 SEK 39.6K
32.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.7 SEK 833
$79.1 SEK 743
12.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.94 SEK 394
$60.3 SEK 567
-30.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.7 SEK 927
$104 SEK 977
-5.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157 SEK 1,471
$127 SEK 1,194
23.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$943 SEK 8,862
$970 SEK 9,114
-2.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$755 SEK 7,087
$757 SEK 7,107
-0.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,503 SEK 14.1K
$1,644 SEK 15.4K
-8.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 SEK 10.1K
$1,314 SEK 12.3K
-18.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,511 SEK 51.8K
$6,660 SEK 62.6K
-17.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,972 SEK 27.9K
$3,858 SEK 36.2K
-22.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Uppsala
Lund
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,097 SEK 29.1K
$3,140 SEK 29.5K
-1.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.8
4.8
-

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

Last update for Uppsala: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $943 in Uppsala and $970 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Uppsala vs $86.0 in Lund. Groceries flip the comparison at $387 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
Uppsala vs Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Uppsala or Lund?
Lund wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Uppsala. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Uppsala or Lund?
On paper, Lund earns 1% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Uppsala vs Lund?
Rent for a central apartment: $943 in Uppsala versus $970 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Uppsala compared to Lund?
All in, you'll spend $1,999 per month in Uppsala versus $1,949 in Lund – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Uppsala vs Lund?
A monthly transit pass in Lund runs roughly 62% less than in Uppsala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Uppsala or Lund?
At $1,949 in Lund versus $1,999 in Uppsala, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lund but tight or insufficient in Uppsala. The gap between the two cities makes Lund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Uppsala or Lund?
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.
How safe is Uppsala compared to Lund?
Safety-wise, Uppsala 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Uppsala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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