Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between State College, PA and Helsingborg

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.

117

Cost of Living Index in State College, PA
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State College, PA Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
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Helsingborg Living Index

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State College, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,426

/mo nomad

Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in State College, PA and in Helsingborg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

State College, PA costs about 42% more than Helsingborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.30 $15.30

$13.35 SEK 132

14.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 $67.1

$69.2 SEK 686

-3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 $9.28

$12.75 SEK 126

-27.22%

Cappuccino

$3.46 $3.46

$4.53 SEK 44.87

-23.62%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$2.88 SEK 28.49

-12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.38 SEK 23.60

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.81 SEK 67.5

0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 $7.51

$6.20 SEK 61.4

21.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.47 SEK 14.61

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.69 SEK 26.65

13.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.93 SEK 29.08

-30.38%

Eggs

$3.85 $3.85

$3.90 SEK 38.60

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 $9.85

$11.24 SEK 111

-12.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 $9.19

$11.27 SEK 112

-18.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.07 $18.07

$15.15 SEK 150

19.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.14 SEK 31.11

11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.53 SEK 25.03

-47.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.89 SEK 28.67

55.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.47 SEK 44.31

-13.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.72 SEK 17.02

1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.58 SEK 15.64

55.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.86 SEK 18.38

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.61 SEK 15.99

-4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 $11.73

$8.18 SEK 81.0

43.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.38 $14.38

$9.09 SEK 90.1

58.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.10 SEK 20.78

-19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.20 SEK 21.77

69.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.26 SEK 32.25

-31.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.9 $85.9

$62.2 SEK 616

38.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 $4.98

$6.28 SEK 62.2

-20.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.72 SEK 17.00

-37.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.85 $22.85

$60.5 SEK 599

-62.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.80 SEK 17.80

-40.00%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$32.8K SEK 325.2K

-15.95%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$33.8K SEK 335.2K

-23.55%

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

$160 $160

$103 SEK 1,020

55.34%

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

$40.38 $40.38

$19.97 SEK 198

102.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 $59.3

$33.57 SEK 333

76.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.65 $24.65

$38.54 SEK 382

-36.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.23 SEK 220

Cinema Ticket

$16.77 $16.77

$14.82 SEK 147

13.16%

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

$1,034 $1,034

$176 SEK 1,746

486.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.4K $27.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.57 $46.57

$80.1 SEK 794

-41.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.71 $40.71

$33.62 SEK 333

21.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 $81.1

$87.2 SEK 864

-7.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$107 SEK 1,060

23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,776 $1,776

$846 SEK 8,380

109.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 $1,270

$652 SEK 6,464

94.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 $2,825

$1,399 SEK 13.9K

101.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,170 $2,170

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

101.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$3,133 SEK 31.0K

-24.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,083 $2,083

$2,265 SEK 22.4K

-8.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,230 $4,230

$2,880 SEK 28.5K

46.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

3.06

111.11%

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

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

Last update for Helsingborg: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

State College, PA

$1.3K 52.3%

Helsingborg

$652 38.2% 48.6% $617

Groceries & Markets

State College, PA

$340 14%

Helsingborg

$337 19.7% 0.8% $2.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

State College, PA

$260 10.7%

Helsingborg

$156 9.2% 39.7% $103

Eating Out

State College, PA

$258 10.6%

Helsingborg

$267 15.6% 3.4% $8.7

Clothing & Footwear

State College, PA

$135 5.6%

Helsingborg

$139 8.1% 2.4% $3.3

Getting Around

State College, PA

$105 4.3%

Helsingborg

$90 5.3% 14.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

State College, PA

$58 2.4%

Helsingborg

$68 4% 17.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,776 in State College, PA versus $846 in Helsingborg. 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 $67.0 in State College, PA versus $69.0 in Helsingborg. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in State College, PA vs $337 in Helsingborg – so Helsingborg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 State College, PA

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🕒 Local time

15:43 3:43 PM

21:43 9:43 PM

6 h ahead of State College, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,501

93,838

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

SEK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

State College, PA Helsingborg 6,390 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

State College, PA
Helsingborg

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

State College, PA vs Helsingborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,426 in State College, PA, $1,710 in Helsingborg – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,639 per month in State College, PA and $2,565 in Helsingborg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Helsingborg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,034 per month in State College, PA and $176 in Helsingborg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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.

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.

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.

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.