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: $1,868 in Helsingborg versus $2,128 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,903 in Helsingborg versus $3,175 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,939 in Helsingborg versus $4,222 in Gothenburg.

Living in Helsingborg costs roughly 12% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsingborg 36% above, Gothenburg 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.51 SEK 148

$13.76 SEK 132

12.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 SEK 709

$91.9 SEK 879

-19.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.50 SEK 139

$12.84 SEK 123

12.93%

Cappuccino

$4.79 SEK 45.86

$5.06 SEK 48.44

-5.34%

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

$2.96 SEK 28.27

$2.94 SEK 28.14

0.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 SEK 25.06

$2.19 SEK 20.94

19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.73 SEK 73.9

$7.18 SEK 68.7

7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 SEK 63.2

$7.86 SEK 75.2

-16.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 SEK 14.09

$1.80 SEK 17.19

-18.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 SEK 28.34

$2.77 SEK 26.50

6.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 30.45

$3.17 SEK 30.28

0.32%

Eggs

$4.79 SEK 45.84

$4.10 SEK 39.18

16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 SEK 110

$12.10 SEK 116

-4.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 SEK 109

$11.67 SEK 112

-2.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 SEK 149

$17.76 SEK 170

-12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.77

$3.23 SEK 30.88

-10.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 SEK 29.82

$2.64 SEK 25.25

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 30.91

$3.22 SEK 30.79

0.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 SEK 40.64

$4.37 SEK 41.82

-2.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.07

$1.82 SEK 17.41

-19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 SEK 15.39

$1.68 SEK 16.02

-4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 SEK 18.40

$2.03 SEK 19.38

-5.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.98

$1.78 SEK 17.01

5.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.96 SEK 85.7

$8.50 SEK 81.3

5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 SEK 91.0

$14.55 SEK 139

-34.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 23.97

$2.20 SEK 21.02

14.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 25.60

$2.38 SEK 22.76

12.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.73

$3.85 SEK 36.81

-11.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 SEK 626

$88.8 SEK 849

-26.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 SEK 61.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.35 SEK 51.2

$1.73 SEK 16.50

209.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 SEK 586

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 SEK 17.61

$1.90 SEK 18.22

-3.16%

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

$34.2K SEK 327.3K

$34.0K SEK 324.8K

0.77%

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

$34.1K SEK 326.6K

$34.4K SEK 328.6K

-0.63%

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

$149 SEK 1,428

$110 SEK 1,052

35.67%

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

$27.90 SEK 267

$19.66 SEK 188

41.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 SEK 325

$36.30 SEK 347

-6.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.77 SEK 380

$37.94 SEK 363

4.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.28 SEK 223

$25.89 SEK 248

-10.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.62 SEK 149

$19.34 SEK 185

-19.23%

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

$180 SEK 1,721

$230 SEK 2,196

-21.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,554 SEK 43.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 SEK 792

$91.0 SEK 870

-8.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.24 SEK 433

$34.36 SEK 329

31.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 SEK 890

$94.0 SEK 900

-1.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 SEK 1,092

$135 SEK 1,294

-15.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 SEK 8,337

$1,061 SEK 10.2K

-17.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 SEK 6,363

$961 SEK 9,192

-30.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 SEK 13.3K

$1,849 SEK 17.7K

-24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 SEK 10.8K

$1,440 SEK 13.8K

-21.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,141 SEK 30.0K

$6,496 SEK 62.1K

-51.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,387 SEK 22.8K

$3,613 SEK 34.6K

-33.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,032 SEK 29.0K

$3,639 SEK 34.8K

-16.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

3.06

28.43%

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

Last update for Helsingborg: August 30, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $872 in Helsingborg and $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 20% 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: $74.0 in Helsingborg vs $92.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $372 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 20% 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: $872 in Helsingborg versus $1,061 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $180 in Helsingborg versus $230 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,868 in Helsingborg versus $2,128 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 $1,868 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.