Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Helsingborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Helsingborg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,128 in Gothenburg versus $1,868 in Helsingborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,175 in Gothenburg versus $2,903 in Helsingborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,222 in Gothenburg versus $3,939 in Helsingborg.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 14% more expensive than in Helsingborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 55% above, Helsingborg 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 SEK 132

$15.51 SEK 148

-11.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 SEK 879

$74.1 SEK 709

23.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.84 SEK 123

$14.50 SEK 139

-11.45%

Cappuccino

$5.06 SEK 48.44

$4.79 SEK 45.86

5.64%

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

$2.94 SEK 28.14

$2.96 SEK 28.27

-0.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SEK 20.94

$2.62 SEK 25.06

-16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 SEK 68.7

$7.73 SEK 73.9

-7.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 SEK 75.2

$6.60 SEK 63.2

19.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.19

$1.47 SEK 14.09

22.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 SEK 26.50

$2.96 SEK 28.34

-6.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 30.28

$3.18 SEK 30.45

-0.31%

Eggs

$4.10 SEK 39.18

$4.79 SEK 45.84

-14.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.10 SEK 116

$11.54 SEK 110

4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 112

$11.37 SEK 109

2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 SEK 170

$15.54 SEK 149

14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.88

$2.90 SEK 27.77

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.25

$3.12 SEK 29.82

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 SEK 30.79

$3.23 SEK 30.91

-0.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 41.82

$4.25 SEK 40.64

2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.41

$1.47 SEK 14.07

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 SEK 16.02

$1.61 SEK 15.39

4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 SEK 19.38

$1.92 SEK 18.40

5.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.01

$1.88 SEK 17.98

-5.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.50 SEK 81.3

$8.96 SEK 85.7

-5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 SEK 139

$9.51 SEK 91.0

53.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.02

$2.51 SEK 23.97

-12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.76

$2.68 SEK 25.60

-11.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 SEK 36.81

$3.42 SEK 32.73

12.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 SEK 849

$65.4 SEK 626

35.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.50

$5.35 SEK 51.2

-67.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 586

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.22

$1.84 SEK 17.61

3.26%

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

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

$34.2K SEK 327.3K

-0.76%

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

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

$34.1K SEK 326.6K

0.64%

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

$110 SEK 1,052

$149 SEK 1,428

-26.29%

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

$19.66 SEK 188

$27.90 SEK 267

-29.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 SEK 347

$33.93 SEK 325

6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 SEK 363

$39.77 SEK 380

-4.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.89 SEK 248

$23.28 SEK 223

11.21%

Cinema Ticket

$19.34 SEK 185

$15.62 SEK 149

23.82%

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

$230 SEK 2,196

$180 SEK 1,721

27.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.0 SEK 870

$82.8 SEK 792

9.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.36 SEK 329

$45.24 SEK 433

-24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 SEK 900

$93.0 SEK 890

1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,294

$114 SEK 1,092

18.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

$872 SEK 8,337

21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 SEK 9,192

$665 SEK 6,363

44.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

$1,395 SEK 13.3K

32.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

$1,132 SEK 10.8K

27.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

$3,141 SEK 30.0K

106.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

$2,387 SEK 22.8K

51.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

$3,032 SEK 29.0K

20.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

3.93

-22.14%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Gothenburg and $872 in Helsingborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 20% 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: $92.0 in Gothenburg vs $74.0 in Helsingborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $357 per month, with Helsingborg 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

Gothenburg vs Helsingborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helsingborg wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Gothenburg. 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 20% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,061 in Gothenburg versus $872 in Helsingborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Gothenburg versus $180 in Helsingborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,868 in Helsingborg versus $2,128 in Gothenburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Helsingborg but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. 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 $1,868 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Helsingborg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg 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 14% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.