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: $2,051 in Gothenburg versus $1,770 in Helsingborg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,215 in Gothenburg versus $2,788 in Helsingborg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Gothenburg versus $3,807 in Helsingborg.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 16% more expensive than Helsingborg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gothenburg 52% above, Helsingborg 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 SEK 127

$15.88 SEK 146

-13.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.4 SEK 849

$73.8 SEK 678

25.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 SEK 98.2

$10.72 SEK 98.5

-0.28%

Cappuccino

$4.78 SEK 43.94

$4.71 SEK 43.27

1.49%

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

$3.09 SEK 28.39

$2.83 SEK 25.99

9.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 SEK 23.34

$2.65 SEK 24.35

-4.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 SEK 67.0

$7.40 SEK 68.1

-1.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 SEK 72.0

$6.31 SEK 58.0

24.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 16.06

$1.53 SEK 14.05

14.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 SEK 27.15

$2.48 SEK 22.76

18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.03

$2.59 SEK 23.84

26.25%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 40.63

$4.72 SEK 43.34

-6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 SEK 106

$10.45 SEK 96.0

10.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.54 SEK 115

$11.83 SEK 109

6.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 SEK 170

$16.43 SEK 151

12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 29.22

$2.77 SEK 25.45

14.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 24.49

$2.75 SEK 25.28

-3.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 27.48

$3.13 SEK 28.74

-4.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 SEK 39.88

$3.84 SEK 35.32

13.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 SEK 15.92

$1.50 SEK 13.82

15.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 SEK 17.34

$1.48 SEK 13.62

27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 SEK 20.09

$2.02 SEK 18.55

8.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 14.32

$1.70 SEK 15.62

-8.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 SEK 74.6

$7.37 SEK 67.7

10.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 SEK 115

$10.57 SEK 97.2

18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.71

$2.34 SEK 21.48

-3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 23.09

$1.74 SEK 15.97

44.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 SEK 35.04

$3.40 SEK 31.25

12.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 SEK 811

$64.9 SEK 596

36.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.44 SEK 95.9

$3.15 SEK 28.92

231.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 SEK 14.60

$1.65 SEK 15.17

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.5 SEK 583

$19.98 SEK 184

217.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.39

$1.90 SEK 17.50

-0.53%

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

$32.8K SEK 301.1K

$32.8K SEK 301.4K

-0.10%

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

$35.8K SEK 329.4K

$34.0K SEK 312.4K

5.43%

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

$137 SEK 1,259

$119 SEK 1,097

14.76%

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

$25.60 SEK 235

$28.14 SEK 259

-9.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.36 SEK 353

$35.76 SEK 329

7.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 SEK 377

$39.54 SEK 363

3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.40 SEK 233

$22.16 SEK 204

14.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.50 SEK 161

$21.26 SEK 195

-17.69%

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

$173 SEK 1,592

$146 SEK 1,343

18.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,218 SEK 38.8K

$4,061 SEK 37.3K

3.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 SEK 814

$81.6 SEK 749

8.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.93 SEK 367

$43.01 SEK 395

-7.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 SEK 910

$85.0 SEK 781

16.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 SEK 1,393

$113 SEK 1,040

33.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 SEK 10.5K

$811 SEK 7,450

40.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,023

$643 SEK 5,905

35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 SEK 17.4K

$1,341 SEK 12.3K

41.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 SEK 13.2K

$1,139 SEK 10.5K

25.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,409 SEK 58.9K

$3,309 SEK 30.4K

93.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,962 SEK 36.4K

$2,470 SEK 22.7K

60.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,940 SEK 36.2K

$3,116 SEK 28.6K

26.45%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,140 in Gothenburg and $811 in Helsingborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 26% 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 in Gothenburg vs $74 in Helsingborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $343 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 16% 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 26% 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: $1,140 in Gothenburg versus $811 in Helsingborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $173 in Gothenburg versus $146 in Helsingborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,770 in Helsingborg versus $2,051 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 $1,770 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.