Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, VT and Helsinki Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, VT and Helsinki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,079 in Burlington, VT versus $2,145 in Helsinki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,226 in Burlington, VT versus $3,361 in Helsinki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,373 in Burlington, VT versus $4,577 in Helsinki.

Living in Burlington, VT is roughly 44% more expensive than in Helsinki, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burlington, VT 131% above, Helsinki 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.02 €14.83

21.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 $81.3

$103 €90.2

-21.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 $11.32

$12.86 €11.21

-11.98%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$5.20 €4.53

-2.31%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$3.15 €2.75

-19.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.36 €2.06

-4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$7.89 €6.88

-9.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$7.93 €6.91

-1.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.32 €1.15

-9.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.74 €2.39

53.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.80 €2.44

95.00%

Eggs

$4.52 $4.52

$3.59 €3.13

25.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 $13.75

$8.98 €7.83

53.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.87 $10.87

$14.87 €12.97

-26.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$22.48 €19.60

-40.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$2.71 €2.36

113.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.13 €1.85

-8.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.60 €2.27

114.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$4.58 €4.00

48.25%

Potato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$1.20 €1.05

285.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.77 €1.54

111.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.10 €1.83

36.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.97 €1.71

-50.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.70 €11.07

-4.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 $12.58

$15.78 €13.76

-20.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.32 €2.89

-49.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.01 €3.50

-27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.75 €3.27

-45.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.91 $49.91

$80.4 €70.1

-37.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$8.01 €6.98

-67.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.15 €1.01

47.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 $28.25

$70.6 €61.6

-59.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.06 €1.79

-57.77%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$36.0K €31.4K

-16.54%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$39.0K €34.0K

-34.98%

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

$190 $190

$128 €112

47.94%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$29.28 €25.53

95.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 $61.1

$23.56 €20.54

159.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.8 $75.8

$47.06 €41.03

61.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$33.68 €29.36

-17.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$19.77 €17.24

-39.50%

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

$1,267 $1,267

$406 €354

212.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K $12.2K

$11.3K €9,826

8.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$105 €91.7

-40.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.83 $29.83

$37.65 €32.82

-20.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 $54.1

$104 €90.8

-48.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 $90.3

$125 €109

-27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$1,190 €1,037

49.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$928 €809

96.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,972 $2,972

$2,147 €1,872

38.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,528 €1,332

55.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,875 $3,875

$9,921 €8,649

-60.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,355 $3,355

$4,436 €3,868

-24.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,627 $4,627

$3,098 €2,701

49.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

4.09

57.21%

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

Last update for Burlington, VT: July 27, 2026

Last update for Helsinki: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,784 in Burlington, VT and $1,190 in Helsinki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, VT pays 49% 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: $81.0 in Burlington, VT vs $103 in Helsinki. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $390, with Helsinki cheaper for home cooking.

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

Burlington, VT vs Helsinki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helsinki is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Burlington, VT, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,784 in Burlington, VT versus $1,190 in Helsinki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Helsinki runs roughly 61% less than in Burlington, VT. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,267 in Burlington, VT versus $406 in Helsinki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,145 in Helsinki versus $3,079 in Burlington, VT, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Helsinki but tight or insufficient in Burlington, VT. The gap between the two cities makes Helsinki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Helsinki is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Burlington, VT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Burlington, VT and Helsinki 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 Helsinki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Burlington, VT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.