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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,792 in Helsingborg versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

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

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

Living in Helsingborg costs roughly 13% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.52 SEK 147

$13.74 SEK 130

12.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 SEK 692

$93.9 SEK 888

-22.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 SEK 100.0

$10.34 SEK 97.8

2.22%

Cappuccino

$4.77 SEK 45.08

$4.73 SEK 44.79

0.85%

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

$2.91 SEK 27.51

$2.97 SEK 28.08

-2.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 SEK 25.88

$2.53 SEK 23.97

8.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 SEK 68.8

$7.26 SEK 68.7

0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 SEK 61.4

$7.72 SEK 73.0

-15.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 SEK 13.70

$1.68 SEK 15.88

-13.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 SEK 23.27

$2.85 SEK 26.99

-13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.69

$3.32 SEK 31.38

-18.07%

Eggs

$4.80 SEK 45.42

$4.65 SEK 44.01

3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 SEK 97.5

$11.80 SEK 112

-12.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 SEK 112

$12.61 SEK 119

-6.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.14 SEK 153

$19.02 SEK 180

-15.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.71

$3.10 SEK 29.32

-12.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 SEK 26.33

$2.74 SEK 25.90

1.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 30.91

$2.91 SEK 27.49

12.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 SEK 34.50

$4.18 SEK 39.50

-12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 14.00

$1.66 SEK 15.72

-10.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 SEK 13.43

$1.85 SEK 17.49

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 SEK 18.66

$2.27 SEK 21.51

-13.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 16.23

$1.55 SEK 14.66

10.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.15 SEK 67.6

$7.82 SEK 74.0

-8.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 SEK 92.9

$15.32 SEK 145

-35.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 SEK 23.21

$2.26 SEK 21.37

8.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SEK 15.61

$2.61 SEK 24.66

-36.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.37 SEK 31.89

$3.80 SEK 35.94

-11.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 SEK 633

$88.6 SEK 838

-24.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 SEK 29.73

$10.11 SEK 95.6

-68.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 SEK 15.64

$1.66 SEK 15.70

-0.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.12 SEK 190

$61.7 SEK 584

-67.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.25

$1.89 SEK 17.89

2.12%

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

$32.1K SEK 303.8K

$32.0K SEK 303.0K

0.27%

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

$34.8K SEK 329.0K

$34.5K SEK 326.1K

0.89%

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

$120 SEK 1,139

$138 SEK 1,310

-13.07%

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

$28.86 SEK 273

$24.95 SEK 236

15.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 SEK 344

$38.25 SEK 362

-4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.47 SEK 373

$41.78 SEK 395

-5.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.99 SEK 208

$25.26 SEK 239

-12.95%

Cinema Ticket

$21.00 SEK 199

$17.98 SEK 170

16.80%

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

$147 SEK 1,389

$175 SEK 1,660

-16.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,137 SEK 39.1K

$4,215 SEK 39.9K

-1.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.4 SEK 789

$87.6 SEK 829

-4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 SEK 418

$40.28 SEK 381

9.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 SEK 801

$96.9 SEK 916

-12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 SEK 1,057

$156 SEK 1,479

-28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 SEK 7,739

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

-27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 SEK 6,086

$873 SEK 8,261

-26.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 SEK 13.1K

$1,917 SEK 18.1K

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 SEK 10.8K

$1,434 SEK 13.6K

-20.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,336 SEK 31.6K

$6,696 SEK 63.3K

-50.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,402 SEK 22.7K

$3,764 SEK 35.6K

-36.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,072 SEK 29.1K

$3,953 SEK 37.4K

-22.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

4.33

7.62%

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

Last update for Helsingborg: June 1, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $818 in Helsingborg and $1,125 in Gothenburg. 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: $73.0 in Helsingborg vs $94.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $381 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

Helsingborg vs Gothenburg: 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.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 29% less. 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: $818 in Helsingborg versus $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Helsingborg versus $175 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 $1,792 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, Helsingborg 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 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.