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: $1,770 in Helsingborg versus $2,051 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,788 in Helsingborg versus $3,215 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,807 in Helsingborg versus $4,379 in Gothenburg.

Living in Helsingborg costs roughly 14% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsingborg 31% above, Gothenburg 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.88 SEK 146

$13.78 SEK 127

15.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 SEK 678

$92.4 SEK 849

-20.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 SEK 98.5

$10.69 SEK 98.2

0.28%

Cappuccino

$4.71 SEK 43.27

$4.78 SEK 43.94

-1.46%

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

$2.83 SEK 25.99

$3.09 SEK 28.39

-8.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 SEK 24.35

$2.54 SEK 23.34

4.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.40 SEK 68.1

$7.29 SEK 67.0

1.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 SEK 58.0

$7.83 SEK 72.0

-19.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 14.05

$1.75 SEK 16.06

-12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 SEK 22.76

$2.95 SEK 27.15

-15.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 23.84

$3.27 SEK 30.03

-20.80%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 43.34

$4.42 SEK 40.63

6.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 SEK 96.0

$11.50 SEK 106

-9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 SEK 109

$12.54 SEK 115

-5.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 SEK 151

$18.44 SEK 170

-10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 25.45

$3.18 SEK 29.22

-12.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 SEK 25.28

$2.66 SEK 24.49

3.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 SEK 28.74

$2.99 SEK 27.48

4.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 SEK 35.32

$4.34 SEK 39.88

-11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 13.82

$1.73 SEK 15.92

-13.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 13.62

$1.89 SEK 17.34

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 SEK 18.55

$2.19 SEK 20.09

-7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SEK 15.62

$1.56 SEK 14.32

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.37 SEK 67.7

$8.12 SEK 74.6

-9.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 SEK 97.2

$12.52 SEK 115

-15.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 SEK 21.48

$2.25 SEK 20.71

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 15.97

$2.51 SEK 23.09

-30.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 SEK 31.25

$3.81 SEK 35.04

-10.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 SEK 596

$88.3 SEK 811

-26.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 SEK 28.92

$10.44 SEK 95.9

-69.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 SEK 15.17

$1.59 SEK 14.60

3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.98 SEK 184

$63.5 SEK 583

-68.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 17.50

$1.89 SEK 17.39

0.53%

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

$32.8K SEK 301.4K

$32.8K SEK 301.1K

0.10%

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

$34.0K SEK 312.4K

$35.8K SEK 329.4K

-5.15%

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

$119 SEK 1,097

$137 SEK 1,259

-12.87%

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

$28.14 SEK 259

$25.60 SEK 235

9.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.76 SEK 329

$38.36 SEK 353

-6.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.54 SEK 363

$41.02 SEK 377

-3.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.16 SEK 204

$25.40 SEK 233

-12.76%

Cinema Ticket

$21.26 SEK 195

$17.50 SEK 161

21.49%

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

$146 SEK 1,343

$173 SEK 1,592

-15.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,061 SEK 37.3K

$4,218 SEK 38.8K

-3.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 SEK 749

$88.5 SEK 814

-7.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.01 SEK 395

$39.93 SEK 367

7.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 SEK 781

$99.0 SEK 910

-14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 SEK 1,040

$152 SEK 1,393

-25.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 SEK 7,450

$1,140 SEK 10.5K

-28.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 SEK 5,905

$873 SEK 8,023

-26.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 SEK 12.3K

$1,894 SEK 17.4K

-29.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 SEK 10.5K

$1,435 SEK 13.2K

-20.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,309 SEK 30.4K

$6,409 SEK 58.9K

-48.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,470 SEK 22.7K

$3,962 SEK 36.4K

-37.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,116 SEK 28.6K

$3,940 SEK 36.2K

-20.92%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $811 in Helsingborg and $1,140 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 26% 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 in Helsingborg vs $92 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $374 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 16% 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 26% 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: $811 in Helsingborg versus $1,140 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Helsingborg versus $173 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,770 in Helsingborg versus $2,051 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 $1,770 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 16% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.