Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Finland

For one person, living is cheaper in Finland: $1,935 a month against $2,539 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Australia
Finland
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,539
/mo nomad
🇫🇮 Finland
$1,935
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in Finland

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

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Australia vs $1,935 in Finland, rent included.

  • Australia $2,539
  • Finland $1,935

A couple spends around $3,716 per month in Australia vs $3,030 in Finland, rent included.

  • Australia $3,716
  • Finland $3,030

A family of three spends $4,892 per month in Australia vs $4,125 in Finland, rent included.

  • Australia $4,892
  • Finland $4,125

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,635–$3,245) than in Finland ($981–$2,192), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 31% higher than in Finland on average.

Both Australia and Finland are pricier than the global median – Australia by 87%, Finland by 43%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Australia
Finland
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.35 A$24.65
$16.53 €14.76
4.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.5 A$120
$89.0 €79.4
-4.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 A$15.60
$12.21 €10.90
-10.07%
Cappuccino
$3.84 A$5.46
$4.81 €4.29
-20.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 A$4.11
$3.11 €2.78
-7.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 A$3.25
$2.31 €2.06
-0.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.79 A$11.07
$8.52 €7.60
-8.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.42 A$11.96
$8.78 €7.84
-4.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Australia
Finland
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 A$2.49
$1.35 €1.21
29.63%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 A$3.94
$2.72 €2.43
2.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.31 A$3.28
$2.64 €2.36
-12.50%
Eggs
$4.89 A$6.95
$3.49 €3.12
40.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.95 A$14.14
$8.85 €7.89
12.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.06 A$12.87
$13.39 €11.95
-32.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.92 A$21.19
$22.42 €20.01
-33.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.65 A$5.19
$2.67 €2.39
36.70%
Banana (1kg)
$3.03 A$4.31
$2.10 €1.87
44.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.24 A$4.60
$2.44 €2.18
32.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.69 A$6.67
$4.32 €3.86
8.56%
Potato (1kg)
$2.85 A$4.06
$1.29 €1.15
120.93%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 A$3.30
$1.72 €1.53
34.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 A$3.45
$2.22 €1.98
9.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 A$2.36
$1.87 €1.67
-11.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$38.47 A$54.7
$13.30 €11.87
189.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.84 A$19.67
$14.47 €12.92
-4.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.87 A$6.92
$3.57 €3.19
36.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.28 A$7.50
$3.67 €3.27
43.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Australia
Finland
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.71 A$3.85
$3.48 €3.11
-22.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.0 A$134
$70.3 €62.8
33.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 A$5.07
$8.93 €7.97
-60.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 A$2.32
$1.38 €1.24
18.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.04 A$56.9
$66.0 €58.9
-39.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 A$1.88
$2.24 €2.00
-40.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K A$41.4K
$37.4K €33.4K
-22.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K A$36.5K
$37.9K €33.9K
-32.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
Finland
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 A$292
$141 €126
45.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.24 A$40.12
$27.22 €24.29
3.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.0 A$80.9
$25.45 €22.72
123.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Australia
Finland
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.4 A$78.7
$43.82 €39.11
26.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.46 A$27.65
$30.04 €26.81
-35.22%
Cinema Ticket
$15.06 A$21.39
$17.93 €16.00
-16.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Australia
Finland
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,097 A$2,979
$387 €345
442.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.0K A$25.6K
$13.1K €11.7K
37.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Australia
Finland
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.0 A$111
$97.2 €86.7
-19.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.3 A$78.6
$40.09 €35.78
38.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 A$159
$100.0 €89.2
11.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 A$173
$147 €131
-17.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Australia
Finland
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,559 A$2,216
$851 €759
83.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,215 A$1,726
$704 €628
72.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,435 A$3,460
$1,561 €1,393
56.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,924 A$2,734
$1,211 €1,081
58.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,175 A$11.6K
$4,938 €4,407
65.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,060 A$8,611
$2,932 €2,617
106.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Australia
Finland
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,038 A$5,738
$3,033 €2,707
33.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.94
3.87
53.49%

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

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Finland: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Australia
$1.2K
Finland
$704 42% $511
Groceries & Markets
Australia
$372
Finland
$376 1% $3.8
Eating Out
Australia
$294
Finland
$308 4.8% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Australia
$291
Finland
$194 33.4% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Australia
$165
Finland
$173 4.6% $7.7
Getting Around
Australia
$117
Finland
$100 14.1% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Australia
$85
Finland
$80 6.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,364 in Australia vs $791 in Finland. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,719 in Canberra and $1,225 in Helsinki.

Average salary: $3,853 in Australia vs $2,891 in Finland. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 72% higher in Australia.

Public transport is 23% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 33% higher in Australia.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Australia
🇫🇮 Finland
🕒 Local time
12:13 12:13 PM
03:13 3:13 AM
9 h behind Australia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
26,473,055
5,608,218
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Australia Finland 15,210 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Australia
  • Finland

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
Australia vs Finland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Finland?
Finland is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 24% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,364 versus $791 in Finland.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget in Australia or in Finland?
$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Finland, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to Finland?
Finland is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Australia vs other spots: cost of living compared

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