Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsingborg and State College, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Helsingborg: $1,710 a month against $2,426 in State College, PA, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Helsingborg
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,710
/mo nomad
State College, PA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,426
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsingborg and in State College, PA

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 State College, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,710 per month in Helsingborg vs $2,426 in State College, PA, rent included.

  • Helsingborg $1,710
  • State College, PA $2,426

A couple spends around $2,636 per month in Helsingborg vs $3,582 in State College, PA, rent included.

  • Helsingborg $2,636
  • State College, PA $3,582

A family of three spends $3,561 per month in Helsingborg vs $4,737 in State College, PA, rent included.

  • Helsingborg $3,561
  • State College, PA $4,737

Helsingborg is about 30% cheaper than State College, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Helsingborg and State College, PA sit above the global median – Helsingborg by 26%, State College, PA by 79%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.35 SEK 132
$15.30 $15.30
-12.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.2 SEK 686
$67.1 $67.1
3.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.75 SEK 126
$9.28 $9.28
37.39%
Cappuccino
$4.53 SEK 44.87
$3.46 $3.46
30.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 SEK 28.49
$2.51 $2.51
14.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 SEK 23.60
$1.75 $1.75
36.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.81 SEK 67.5
$6.87 $6.87
-0.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.20 SEK 61.4
$7.51 $7.51
-17.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 SEK 14.61
$1.12 $1.12
31.25%
White Bread (500g)
$2.69 SEK 26.65
$3.05 $3.05
-11.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.93 SEK 29.08
$2.04 $2.04
43.63%
Eggs
$3.90 SEK 38.60
$3.85 $3.85
1.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.24 SEK 111
$9.85 $9.85
14.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.27 SEK 112
$9.19 $9.19
22.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.15 SEK 150
$18.07 $18.07
-16.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 SEK 31.11
$3.51 $3.51
-10.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.53 SEK 25.03
$1.33 $1.33
90.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 SEK 28.67
$4.50 $4.50
-35.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.47 SEK 44.31
$3.85 $3.85
16.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 SEK 17.02
$1.74 $1.74
-1.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 SEK 15.64
$2.46 $2.46
-35.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 SEK 18.38
$2.26 $2.26
-17.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 SEK 15.99
$1.54 $1.54
4.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.18 SEK 81.0
$11.73 $11.73
-30.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.09 SEK 90.1
$14.38 $14.38
-36.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 SEK 20.78
$1.70 $1.70
23.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 SEK 21.77
$3.72 $3.72
-40.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.26 SEK 32.25
$2.23 $2.23
46.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.2 SEK 616
$85.9 $85.9
-27.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.28 SEK 62.2
$4.98 $4.98
26.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 SEK 17.00
$1.08 $1.08
59.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$60.5 SEK 599
$22.85 $22.85
164.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 SEK 17.80
$1.08 $1.08
66.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K SEK 325.2K
$27.6K $27.6K
18.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K SEK 335.2K
$25.9K $25.9K
30.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 SEK 1,020
$160 $160
-35.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.97 SEK 198
$40.38 $40.38
-50.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.57 SEK 333
$59.3 $59.3
-43.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.54 SEK 382
$24.65 $24.65
56.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.23 SEK 220
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.82 SEK 147
$16.77 $16.77
-11.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$176 SEK 1,746
$1,034 $1,034
-82.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$27.4K $27.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.1 SEK 794
$46.57 $46.57
72.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.62 SEK 333
$40.71 $40.71
-17.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.2 SEK 864
$81.1 $81.1
7.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 SEK 1,060
$132 $132
-19.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$846 SEK 8,380
$1,776 $1,776
-52.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$652 SEK 6,464
$1,270 $1,270
-48.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,399 SEK 13.9K
$2,825 $2,825
-50.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,079 SEK 10.7K
$2,170 $2,170
-50.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,133 SEK 31.0K
$2,365 $2,365
32.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,265 SEK 22.4K
$2,083 $2,083
8.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Helsingborg
State College, PA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,880 SEK 28.5K
$4,230 $4,230
-31.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.06
6.46
-52.63%

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

Last update for Helsingborg: October 20, 2026

Last update for State College, PA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Helsingborg
$652
State College, PA
$1.3K 94.6% $617
Groceries & Markets
Helsingborg
$337
State College, PA
$340 0.8% $2.7
Eating Out
Helsingborg
$267
State College, PA
$258 3.3% $8.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Helsingborg
$156
State College, PA
$260 65.9% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Helsingborg
$139
State College, PA
$135 2.4% $3.3
Getting Around
Helsingborg
$90
State College, PA
$105 16.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Helsingborg
$68
State College, PA
$58 14.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $846 in Helsingborg versus $1,776 in State College, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in State College, PA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Helsingborg versus $67.0 in State College, PA. Groceries tell a different story – $337 in Helsingborg vs $340 in State College, PA – so Helsingborg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Helsingborg
🇺🇸 State College, PA
🕒 Local time
12:50 12:50 PM
06:50 6:50 AM
6 h behind Helsingborg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
93,838
40,501
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Helsingborg State College, PA 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Helsingborg
  • State College, PA

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 State College, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Helsingborg and in State College, PA compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,710 in Helsingborg, $2,426 in State College, PA – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.
What salary covers living expenses in Helsingborg compared to State College, PA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,565 per month in Helsingborg and $3,639 in State College, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Helsingborg and State College, PA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Helsingborg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Helsingborg and in State College, PA?
Public transport costs about 38% less in Helsingborg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Helsingborg and State College, PA?
Kindergarten costs $176 per month in Helsingborg and $1,034 in State College, PA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Helsingborg, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in State College, PA at $2,426. In Helsingborg it covers expenses comfortably, while in State College, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Helsingborg and State College, PA?
It depends on your priorities. Helsingborg has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,710 in Helsingborg to $2,426 in State College, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Helsingborg or State College, PA safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Helsingborg and State College, PA?
If budget matters most, go with Helsingborg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, State College, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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