Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsingborg and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Helsingborg: $1,710 a month against $2,044 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
Learn more

Helsingborg Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
Learn more

Gothenburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,710

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsingborg 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 Helsingborg and in Gothenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,710 in Helsingborg versus $2,044 in Gothenburg.

Helsingborg $1,710
Gothenburg $2,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,636 in Helsingborg versus $3,078 in Gothenburg.

Helsingborg $2,636
Gothenburg $3,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,561 in Helsingborg versus $4,113 in Gothenburg.

Helsingborg $3,561
Gothenburg $4,113

Living in Helsingborg costs roughly 16% less than in Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsingborg 26% above, Gothenburg 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.35 SEK 132

$13.77 SEK 136

-3.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 SEK 686

$87.4 SEK 866

-20.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 SEK 126

$12.41 SEK 123

2.74%

Cappuccino

$4.53 SEK 44.87

$4.87 SEK 48.30

-6.98%

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

$2.88 SEK 28.49

$2.89 SEK 28.62

-0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 23.60

$2.40 SEK 23.76

-0.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 SEK 67.5

$7.03 SEK 69.6

-3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 SEK 61.4

$7.69 SEK 76.2

-19.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 SEK 14.61

$1.67 SEK 16.58

-11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 26.65

$2.70 SEK 26.73

-0.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 29.08

$3.16 SEK 31.32

-7.28%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.60

$3.86 SEK 38.28

1.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 SEK 111

$11.53 SEK 114

-2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 SEK 112

$11.57 SEK 115

-2.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 SEK 150

$16.35 SEK 162

-7.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 31.11

$3.02 SEK 29.92

3.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 SEK 25.03

$2.41 SEK 23.90

4.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 28.67

$3.00 SEK 29.77

-3.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 SEK 44.31

$4.45 SEK 44.10

0.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 17.02

$1.77 SEK 17.51

-2.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.64

$1.70 SEK 16.80

-7.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 SEK 18.38

$2.04 SEK 20.22

-8.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SEK 15.99

$1.62 SEK 16.05

-0.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 SEK 81.0

$8.32 SEK 82.4

-1.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 SEK 90.1

$15.06 SEK 149

-39.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.78

$2.04 SEK 20.21

2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.77

$2.25 SEK 22.24

-2.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 SEK 32.25

$3.84 SEK 38.05

-15.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 SEK 616

$87.5 SEK 867

-28.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 SEK 62.2

$6.33 SEK 62.7

-0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 SEK 17.00

$1.65 SEK 16.38

4.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.5 SEK 599

$59.6 SEK 591

1.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.80

$1.74 SEK 17.28

3.45%

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

$32.8K SEK 325.2K

$33.9K SEK 336.0K

-3.20%

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

$33.8K SEK 335.2K

$34.0K SEK 337.3K

-0.63%

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

$103 SEK 1,020

$106 SEK 1,046

-2.51%

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

$19.97 SEK 198

$19.51 SEK 193

2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.57 SEK 333

$33.69 SEK 334

-0.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.54 SEK 382

$35.23 SEK 349

9.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.23 SEK 220

$24.38 SEK 242

-8.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 SEK 147

$17.18 SEK 170

-13.74%

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

$176 SEK 1,746

$221 SEK 2,186

-20.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,412 SEK 43.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 SEK 794

$89.2 SEK 883

-10.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.62 SEK 333

$32.97 SEK 327

1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 SEK 864

$88.3 SEK 874

-1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 SEK 1,060

$131 SEK 1,301

-18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 SEK 8,380

$1,046 SEK 10.4K

-19.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 SEK 6,464

$908 SEK 8,998

-28.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 SEK 13.9K

$1,809 SEK 17.9K

-22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

$1,383 SEK 13.7K

-21.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,133 SEK 31.0K

$6,137 SEK 60.8K

-48.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,265 SEK 22.4K

$3,523 SEK 34.9K

-35.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,880 SEK 28.5K

$3,594 SEK 35.6K

-19.86%

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 Helsingborg: October 20, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsingborg

$652 38.2%

Gothenburg

$908 44.4% 39.2% $256

Groceries & Markets

Helsingborg

$337 19.7%

Gothenburg

$358 17.5% 6.2% $21

Eating Out

Helsingborg

$267 15.6%

Gothenburg

$278 13.6% 4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsingborg

$156 9.2%

Gothenburg

$159 7.8% 1.5% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Helsingborg

$139 8.1%

Gothenburg

$154 7.5% 11% $15

Getting Around

Helsingborg

$90 5.3%

Gothenburg

$117 5.8% 30.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Helsingborg

$68 4%

Gothenburg

$70 3.4% 2.1% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $846 in Helsingborg and $1,046 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 25% 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: $69.0 in Helsingborg vs $87.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $358 per month, with Helsingborg cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

Same time as Helsingborg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,838

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Helsingborg Gothenburg 190 km

From you

Helsingborg
Gothenburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 20% 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 25% 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: $846 in Helsingborg versus $1,046 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Helsingborg versus $221 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,710 in Helsingborg versus $2,044 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 $1,710 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 20% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.