Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Helsingborg

For one person, living is cheaper in Helsingborg: $1,723 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
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Helsingborg Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Helsingborg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Helsingborg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,723 in Helsingborg.

Austin, TX $2,704
Helsingborg $1,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,599 in Helsingborg.

Austin, TX $4,133
Helsingborg $2,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,474 in Helsingborg.

Austin, TX $5,562
Helsingborg $3,474

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 57% more expensive than in Helsingborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Helsingborg 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$12.83 SEK 128

57.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$69.0 SEK 689

23.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$12.36 SEK 124

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.61 SEK 46.08

18.66%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.91 SEK 29.10

31.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.32 SEK 23.17

7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$6.77 SEK 67.7

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.09 SEK 60.9

47.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.43 SEK 14.28

-20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.70 SEK 27.00

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.01 SEK 30.05

7.97%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.86 SEK 38.60

7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.17 SEK 112

17.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.95 SEK 109

30.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$14.75 SEK 147

8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.01 SEK 30.06

45.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.44 SEK 24.37

-40.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.02 SEK 30.14

50.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.41 SEK 44.11

-4.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.63 SEK 16.28

61.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.52 SEK 15.19

55.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.81 SEK 18.08

-2.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.65 SEK 16.45

30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$8.19 SEK 81.8

19.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$9.30 SEK 92.9

58.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.03 SEK 20.33

36.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.16 SEK 21.59

61.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.13 SEK 31.24

-52.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$62.6 SEK 626

-35.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.20 SEK 62.0

-56.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.69 SEK 16.94

-6.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$59.5 SEK 594

-40.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.75 SEK 17.53

-43.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$32.2K SEK 322.2K

11.07%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.0K SEK 329.7K

-17.63%

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

$219 $219

$104 SEK 1,041

110.43%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$19.28 SEK 193

200.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$33.29 SEK 333

105.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$37.67 SEK 377

53.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$21.86 SEK 218

-32.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$14.85 SEK 148

-4.85%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$172 SEK 1,721

776.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$78.7 SEK 786

-34.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$33.25 SEK 332

32.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$85.8 SEK 858

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$109 SEK 1,091

-3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$830 SEK 8,294

132.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$632 SEK 6,315

101.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,362 SEK 13.6K

169.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,061 SEK 10.6K

138.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,047 SEK 30.5K

150.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,288 SEK 22.9K

39.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,855 SEK 28.5K

78.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.06

121.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Helsingborg

$632 37.6% 50.3% $641

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Helsingborg

$333 19.8% 17.3% $70

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Helsingborg

$262 15.6% 24.7% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Helsingborg

$157 9.3% 54.6% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Helsingborg

$138 8.2% 7.3% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Helsingborg

$67 4% 21.8% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Helsingborg

$90 5.4% 57.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $830 in Helsingborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 79% 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 Austin, TX vs $69.0 in Helsingborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $333 per month, with Helsingborg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

06:55 6:55 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

93,838

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

SEK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Helsingborg 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Helsingborg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Austin, TX vs Helsingborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helsingborg wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Helsingborg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $830 in Helsingborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,723 in Helsingborg – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Helsingborg runs roughly 55% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,723 in Helsingborg versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Helsingborg but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Helsingborg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Helsingborg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,723 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Helsingborg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Helsingborg 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 Helsingborg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.