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

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

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

Living in Helsingborg costs roughly 12% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.90 SEK 154

$13.74 SEK 133

15.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 SEK 709

$91.2 SEK 883

-19.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 SEK 102

$10.42 SEK 101

1.44%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 45.05

$4.86 SEK 47.02

-4.32%

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

$2.83 SEK 27.43

$3.08 SEK 29.79

-8.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 SEK 27.07

$2.56 SEK 24.81

9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 SEK 70.6

$7.43 SEK 71.9

-1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 SEK 59.5

$7.72 SEK 74.7

-20.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 14.79

$1.76 SEK 17.02

-13.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 SEK 23.11

$2.87 SEK 27.83

-16.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SEK 26.22

$3.34 SEK 32.35

-18.86%

Eggs

$4.84 SEK 46.83

$4.63 SEK 44.87

4.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 SEK 99.5

$11.67 SEK 113

-11.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.59 SEK 112

$12.41 SEK 120

-6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 SEK 156

$18.65 SEK 181

-13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.35

$3.07 SEK 29.77

-8.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 SEK 27.18

$2.64 SEK 25.60

6.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.97

$2.93 SEK 28.35

9.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 SEK 37.03

$4.31 SEK 41.74

-11.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.28

$1.76 SEK 16.99

-16.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 14.34

$1.87 SEK 18.13

-20.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 SEK 19.86

$2.22 SEK 21.45

-7.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 16.63

$1.59 SEK 15.40

8.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 SEK 69.1

$7.94 SEK 76.9

-10.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 SEK 91.1

$14.36 SEK 139

-34.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 22.60

$2.20 SEK 21.29

5.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.11

$2.53 SEK 24.48

-34.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 31.77

$3.92 SEK 38.00

-16.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 SEK 632

$90.9 SEK 880

-28.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SEK 30.31

$10.16 SEK 98.4

-69.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 15.27

$1.67 SEK 16.12

-5.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 SEK 197

$61.6 SEK 596

-66.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.46

$1.96 SEK 18.98

-2.55%

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

$32.5K SEK 314.3K

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

0.90%

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

$34.2K SEK 331.5K

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

-3.70%

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

$117 SEK 1,133

$140 SEK 1,358

-16.59%

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

$28.69 SEK 278

$25.00 SEK 242

14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.56 SEK 354

$38.56 SEK 373

-5.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 SEK 374

$41.38 SEK 401

-6.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.08 SEK 214

$24.81 SEK 240

-11.00%

Cinema Ticket

$20.96 SEK 203

$18.04 SEK 175

16.19%

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

$148 SEK 1,429

$178 SEK 1,722

-17.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,146 SEK 40.1K

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

-0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 SEK 796

$89.5 SEK 867

-8.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 SEK 426

$39.39 SEK 381

11.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 SEK 817

$95.4 SEK 923

-11.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 SEK 1,111

$153 SEK 1,477

-24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 SEK 8,004

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

-24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 SEK 6,325

$860 SEK 8,328

-24.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 SEK 13.2K

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

-27.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 SEK 11.1K

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

-17.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,169 SEK 30.7K

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

-51.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 SEK 22.7K

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

-33.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,900 SEK 28.1K

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

-19.22%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $827 in Helsingborg and $1,096 in Gothenburg. 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: $73.0 in Helsingborg vs $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $377 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 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.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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: $827 in Helsingborg versus $1,096 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $148 in Helsingborg versus $178 in Gothenburg. 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, 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 14% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.