Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Halmstad and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Halmstad: $1,605 a month against $2,026 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Halmstad
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Halmstad Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Halmstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,605

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Halmstad and in Gothenburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,605 in Halmstad versus $2,026 in Gothenburg.

Halmstad $1,605
Gothenburg $2,026

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,504 in Halmstad versus $3,062 in Gothenburg.

Halmstad $2,504
Gothenburg $3,062

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,402 in Halmstad versus $4,099 in Gothenburg.

Halmstad $3,402
Gothenburg $4,099

Living in Halmstad costs roughly 21% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Halmstad 19% above, Gothenburg 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.90 SEK 128

$13.13 SEK 130

-1.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 SEK 701

$83.8 SEK 830

-15.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 SEK 113

$12.47 SEK 124

-8.82%

Cappuccino

$4.57 SEK 45.23

$5.03 SEK 49.80

-9.15%

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

$2.89 SEK 28.61

$2.84 SEK 28.14

1.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.16

$2.37 SEK 23.44

-5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 68.2

$6.84 SEK 67.8

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 SEK 72.9

$7.51 SEK 74.4

-2.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 SEK 14.57

$1.68 SEK 16.68

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 SEK 24.56

$2.69 SEK 26.63

-7.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 SEK 31.76

$3.09 SEK 30.60

3.88%

Eggs

$3.31 SEK 32.78

$3.81 SEK 37.74

-13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 SEK 111

$11.45 SEK 113

-1.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 SEK 88.9

$11.32 SEK 112

-20.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.16 SEK 160

$16.54 SEK 164

-2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 SEK 30.78

$3.07 SEK 30.42

1.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 SEK 24.92

$2.41 SEK 23.88

4.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 SEK 28.22

$3.01 SEK 29.83

-5.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 40.35

$4.25 SEK 42.09

-4.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 15.12

$1.74 SEK 17.24

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 15.06

$1.62 SEK 16.06

-6.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 SEK 19.30

$1.96 SEK 19.47

-0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 SEK 9.33

$1.65 SEK 16.30

-43.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 SEK 63.9

$8.38 SEK 83.0

-23.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 SEK 103

$14.69 SEK 146

-29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.86

$2.03 SEK 20.14

3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 21.43

$2.24 SEK 22.24

-3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 SEK 27.13

$3.63 SEK 35.97

-24.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 SEK 650

$86.4 SEK 857

-24.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 SEK 61.2

$5.92 SEK 58.7

4.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 SEK 17.03

$1.72 SEK 17.01

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.5 SEK 580

$58.6 SEK 581

-0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 17.09

$1.74 SEK 17.29

-1.15%

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

$32.4K SEK 320.8K

$33.5K SEK 331.8K

-3.32%

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

$32.9K SEK 325.9K

$33.4K SEK 331.3K

-1.65%

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

$105 SEK 1,040

$102 SEK 1,011

2.85%

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

$19.69 SEK 195

$19.73 SEK 196

-0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.06 SEK 328

$33.00 SEK 327

0.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.63 SEK 343

$35.48 SEK 352

-2.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.00 SEK 238

Cinema Ticket

$16.16 SEK 160

$18.32 SEK 182

-11.79%

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

$152 SEK 1,505

$217 SEK 2,147

-29.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,398 SEK 43.6K

$4,293 SEK 42.5K

2.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 SEK 879

$87.5 SEK 867

1.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 SEK 321

$33.46 SEK 332

-3.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 SEK 865

$87.0 SEK 862

0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SEK 1,286

$131 SEK 1,298

-0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 SEK 5,661

$1,026 SEK 10.2K

-44.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 SEK 5,524

$903 SEK 8,951

-38.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 SEK 10.9K

$1,791 SEK 17.7K

-38.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 SEK 9,528

$1,409 SEK 14.0K

-31.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,302 SEK 42.6K

$6,190 SEK 61.3K

-30.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,427 SEK 34.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,298 SEK 22.8K

$3,492 SEK 34.6K

-34.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

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

Last update for Halmstad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Halmstad

$558 34.7%

Gothenburg

$903 44.6% 62% $346

Groceries & Markets

Halmstad

$317 19.8%

Gothenburg

$355 17.5% 11.8% $38

Eating Out

Halmstad

$262 16.3%

Gothenburg

$273 13.5% 4.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Halmstad

$158 9.8%

Gothenburg

$155 7.6% 1.9% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Halmstad

$152 9.5%

Gothenburg

$153 7.5% 0.2% $0.3

Getting Around

Halmstad

$91 5.7%

Gothenburg

$115 5.7% 26.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Halmstad

$67 4.2%

Gothenburg

$72 3.6% 7.7% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $571 in Halmstad and $1,026 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 52% 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: $71.0 in Halmstad vs $84.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $355 per month, with Halmstad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Halmstad

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

Same time as Halmstad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,688

607,882

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Halmstad Gothenburg 130 km

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Halmstad
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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

Halmstad vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Halmstad wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Halmstad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Gothenburg. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $571 in Halmstad versus $1,026 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $152 in Halmstad versus $217 in Gothenburg. 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 $1,605 in Halmstad versus $2,026 in Gothenburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Halmstad but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Halmstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Halmstad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,605 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Halmstad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Halmstad and Gothenburg 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 Halmstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.