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: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,792 in Helsingborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,779 in Helsingborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,765 in Helsingborg.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 15% more expensive than Helsingborg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 54% above, Helsingborg 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 130

$15.52 SEK 147

-11.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 888

$73.1 SEK 692

28.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.8

$10.57 SEK 100.0

-2.18%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.79

$4.77 SEK 45.08

-0.84%

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

$2.97 SEK 28.08

$2.91 SEK 27.51

2.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.97

$2.74 SEK 25.88

-7.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.7

$7.27 SEK 68.8

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 73.0

$6.49 SEK 61.4

18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.88

$1.45 SEK 13.70

15.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.99

$2.46 SEK 23.27

15.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.38

$2.72 SEK 25.69

22.06%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 44.01

$4.80 SEK 45.42

-3.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 112

$10.30 SEK 97.5

14.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 119

$11.84 SEK 112

6.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 180

$16.14 SEK 153

17.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.32

$2.72 SEK 25.71

13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.90

$2.78 SEK 26.33

-1.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.49

$3.27 SEK 30.91

-11.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.50

$3.65 SEK 34.50

14.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.72

$1.48 SEK 14.00

12.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.49

$1.42 SEK 13.43

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.51

$1.97 SEK 18.66

15.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.66

$1.72 SEK 16.23

-9.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 74.0

$7.15 SEK 67.6

9.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 145

$9.82 SEK 92.9

56.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.37

$2.45 SEK 23.21

-7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.66

$1.65 SEK 15.61

58.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.94

$3.37 SEK 31.89

12.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 838

$66.9 SEK 633

32.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 95.6

$3.14 SEK 29.73

221.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.70

$1.65 SEK 15.64

0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 584

$20.12 SEK 190

206.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.89

$1.93 SEK 18.25

-2.07%

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

$32.0K SEK 303.0K

$32.1K SEK 303.8K

-0.27%

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

$34.5K SEK 326.1K

$34.8K SEK 329.0K

-0.88%

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

$138 SEK 1,310

$120 SEK 1,139

15.03%

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

$24.95 SEK 236

$28.86 SEK 273

-13.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 362

$36.37 SEK 344

5.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 395

$39.47 SEK 373

5.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 239

$21.99 SEK 208

14.87%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 170

$21.00 SEK 199

-14.38%

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

$175 SEK 1,660

$147 SEK 1,389

19.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.9K

$4,137 SEK 39.1K

1.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 829

$83.4 SEK 789

5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 381

$44.13 SEK 418

-8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 916

$84.6 SEK 801

14.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,479

$112 SEK 1,057

39.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$818 SEK 7,739

37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,261

$643 SEK 6,086

35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.1K

$1,389 SEK 13.1K

37.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.6K

$1,138 SEK 10.8K

26.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 63.3K

$3,336 SEK 31.6K

100.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.6K

$2,402 SEK 22.7K

56.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.4K

$3,072 SEK 29.1K

28.70%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $818 in Helsingborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 29% 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: $94.0 in Gothenburg vs $73.0 in Helsingborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $340 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 15% 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.

Gothenburg pays 29% more on average, 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $818 in Helsingborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $147 in Helsingborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,792 in Helsingborg versus $2,058 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 $1,792 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 15% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.