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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,811 in Helsingborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,820 in Helsingborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,829 in Helsingborg.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 14% more expensive than in Helsingborg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Helsingborg 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$15.90 SEK 154

-13.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$73.3 SEK 709

24.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$10.57 SEK 102

-1.42%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$4.65 SEK 45.05

4.52%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$2.83 SEK 27.43

8.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$2.80 SEK 27.07

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$7.30 SEK 70.6

1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$6.15 SEK 59.5

25.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.53 SEK 14.79

15.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$2.39 SEK 23.11

20.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$2.71 SEK 26.22

23.25%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$4.84 SEK 46.83

-4.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$10.28 SEK 99.5

13.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$11.59 SEK 112

7.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$16.10 SEK 156

15.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$2.82 SEK 27.35

8.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$2.81 SEK 27.18

-6.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$3.20 SEK 30.97

-8.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$3.83 SEK 37.03

12.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$1.47 SEK 14.28

19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$1.48 SEK 14.34

26.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$2.05 SEK 19.86

8.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.72 SEK 16.63

-7.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$7.14 SEK 69.1

11.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$9.41 SEK 91.1

52.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$2.33 SEK 22.60

-5.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$1.66 SEK 16.11

52.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$3.28 SEK 31.77

19.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$65.3 SEK 632

39.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$3.13 SEK 30.31

224.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$1.58 SEK 15.27

5.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$20.35 SEK 197

202.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.91 SEK 18.46

2.62%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$32.5K SEK 314.3K

-0.89%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$34.2K SEK 331.5K

3.84%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$117 SEK 1,133

19.89%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$28.69 SEK 278

-12.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$36.56 SEK 354

5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$38.59 SEK 374

7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$22.08 SEK 214

12.36%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$20.96 SEK 203

-13.93%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$148 SEK 1,429

20.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$4,146 SEK 40.1K

0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$82.2 SEK 796

8.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$43.98 SEK 426

-10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$84.3 SEK 817

13.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$115 SEK 1,111

32.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$827 SEK 8,004

32.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$653 SEK 6,325

31.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,363 SEK 13.2K

37.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,152 SEK 11.1K

21.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$3,169 SEK 30.7K

104.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$2,342 SEK 22.7K

49.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$2,900 SEK 28.1K

23.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

4.66

-7.08%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $827 in Helsingborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 24% 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: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $73.0 in Helsingborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $339 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 24% 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $827 in Helsingborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $148 in Helsingborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,811 in Helsingborg versus $2,063 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 $1,811 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.