Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Helsingborg

For one person, living is cheaper in Helsingborg: $1,710 a month against $2,580 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
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Helsingborg Living Index

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Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,580

/mo nomad

Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,580 per month in Stockholm vs $1,710 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Stockholm $2,580
Helsingborg $1,710

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Stockholm vs $2,636 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Stockholm $3,916
Helsingborg $2,636

A family of three spends $5,251 per month in Stockholm vs $3,561 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Stockholm $5,251
Helsingborg $3,561

Stockholm costs about 51% more than Helsingborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Stockholm and Helsingborg sit above the global median – Stockholm by 90%, Helsingborg by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 SEK 180

$13.35 SEK 132

35.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 SEK 1,019

$69.2 SEK 686

48.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 SEK 120

$12.75 SEK 126

-4.94%

Cappuccino

$5.22 SEK 51.7

$4.53 SEK 44.87

15.23%

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

$3.63 SEK 35.97

$2.88 SEK 28.49

26.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 SEK 31.18

$2.38 SEK 23.60

32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 SEK 81.5

$6.81 SEK 67.5

20.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 SEK 87.3

$6.20 SEK 61.4

42.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.44

$1.47 SEK 14.61

19.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 SEK 39.99

$2.69 SEK 26.65

50.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 SEK 39.08

$2.93 SEK 29.08

34.47%

Eggs

$5.06 SEK 50.2

$3.90 SEK 38.60

29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 SEK 129

$11.24 SEK 111

15.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.87 SEK 128

$11.27 SEK 112

14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.96 SEK 218

$15.15 SEK 150

44.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 SEK 35.62

$3.14 SEK 31.11

14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.92

$2.53 SEK 25.03

11.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 SEK 32.43

$2.89 SEK 28.67

13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 SEK 43.67

$4.47 SEK 44.31

-1.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.85

$1.72 SEK 17.02

4.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 SEK 17.34

$1.58 SEK 15.64

10.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 24.71

$1.86 SEK 18.38

33.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.91

$1.61 SEK 15.99

49.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 SEK 89.4

$8.18 SEK 81.0

10.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 SEK 120

$9.09 SEK 90.1

33.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.28

$2.10 SEK 20.78

-2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SEK 26.12

$2.20 SEK 21.77

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 SEK 43.25

$3.26 SEK 32.25

34.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 SEK 1,052

$62.2 SEK 616

70.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 SEK 58.2

$6.28 SEK 62.2

-6.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SEK 15.33

$1.72 SEK 17.00

-9.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.6 SEK 570

$60.5 SEK 599

-4.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.88

$1.80 SEK 17.80

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

$33.9K SEK 335.7K

$32.8K SEK 325.2K

3.24%

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

$33.5K SEK 332.4K

$33.8K SEK 335.2K

-0.83%

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

$246 SEK 2,437

$103 SEK 1,020

138.94%

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

$21.36 SEK 212

$19.97 SEK 198

6.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.80 SEK 404

$33.57 SEK 333

21.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.86 SEK 484

$38.54 SEK 382

26.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.17 SEK 388

$22.23 SEK 220

76.20%

Cinema Ticket

$18.76 SEK 186

$14.82 SEK 147

26.59%

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

$158 SEK 1,570

$176 SEK 1,746

-10.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K SEK 165.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 SEK 1,121

$80.1 SEK 794

41.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 SEK 596

$33.62 SEK 333

78.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 SEK 1,350

$87.2 SEK 864

56.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 SEK 1,845

$107 SEK 1,060

74.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 SEK 16.5K

$846 SEK 8,380

97.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 SEK 10.7K

$652 SEK 6,464

64.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,045 SEK 30.2K

$1,399 SEK 13.9K

117.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 SEK 17.7K

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

65.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K SEK 111.7K

$3,133 SEK 31.0K

259.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,484 SEK 64.2K

$2,265 SEK 22.4K

186.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 35.6K

$2,880 SEK 28.5K

24.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

3.06

10.13%

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

Last update for Stockholm: 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

Stockholm

$1.1K 41.7%

Helsingborg

$652 38.2% 39.3% $422

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$421 16.3%

Helsingborg

$337 19.7% 19.8% $83

Eating Out

Stockholm

$330 12.8%

Helsingborg

$267 15.6% 19.1% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$308 11.9%

Helsingborg

$156 9.2% 49.2% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$223 8.7%

Helsingborg

$139 8.1% 37.9% $84

Getting Around

Stockholm

$137 5.3%

Helsingborg

$90 5.3% 34.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$86 3.4%

Helsingborg

$68 4% 21.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,670 in Stockholm 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 25% higher in Stockholm, 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 $103 in Stockholm versus $69.0 in Helsingborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $337 – making Helsingborg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

93,838

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Stockholm vs Helsingborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,580 in Stockholm, $1,710 in Helsingborg – roughly 51% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,870 per month in Stockholm 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 71% less in Helsingborg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $158 per month in Stockholm 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 Stockholm at $2,580. In Helsingborg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Stockholm has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,710 in Helsingborg to $2,580 in Stockholm. 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, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.