Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Espoo and Jakobstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Jakobstad: $1,823 a month against $2,192 in Espoo, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Espoo
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Espoo Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Jakobstad
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Jakobstad Living Index

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Espoo

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,192

/mo nomad

Jakobstad

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Espoo and in Jakobstad

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

A single person spends $2,192 per month in Espoo vs $1,823 in Jakobstad, rent included.

Espoo $2,192
Jakobstad $1,823

A couple spends around $3,511 per month in Espoo vs $2,826 in Jakobstad, rent included.

Espoo $3,511
Jakobstad $2,826

A family of three spends $4,830 per month in Espoo vs $3,830 in Jakobstad, rent included.

Espoo $4,830
Jakobstad $3,830

Espoo costs about 20% more than Jakobstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Espoo and Jakobstad sit above the global median – Espoo by 62%, Jakobstad by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.55 €13.83

$13.22 €11.75

17.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €91.4

$87.0 €77.4

18.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 €11.13

$11.84 €10.53

5.74%

Cappuccino

$5.46 €4.85

$5.07 €4.51

7.69%

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

$3.54 €3.15

$3.04 €2.71

16.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.02 €1.79

37.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.00 €8.01

$7.58 €6.74

18.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 €7.67

$8.88 €7.90

-2.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.24 €1.11

12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.73 €2.43

9.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 €3.22

$2.38 €2.12

52.10%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$3.29 €2.92

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.78 €9.59

$8.80 €7.83

22.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.55 €14.72

$14.39 €12.80

15.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.50 €18.24

$21.61 €19.22

-5.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.41

$2.29 €2.04

18.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.01 €1.79

4.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.05

$2.49 €2.22

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 €4.28

$3.84 €3.42

25.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.25 €1.12

-4.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.91 €1.70

-3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.77 €2.46

-16.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.95 €1.74

-8.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.16 €10.82

$11.43 €10.17

6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.48 €11.99

$16.13 €14.35

-16.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.26

$3.17 €2.82

15.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 €4.54

$3.26 €2.90

56.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 €3.12

$3.36 €2.99

4.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 €71.4

$64.9 €57.8

23.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.55 €8.49

$4.27 €3.80

123.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.35 €1.20

30.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 €45.20

$65.7 €58.4

-22.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.38 €2.12

-2.94%

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

$36.6K €32.5K

$35.9K €32.0K

1.75%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$36.6K €32.6K

4.51%

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

$108 €95.7

$131 €116

-17.64%

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

$26.21 €23.31

$24.58 €21.86

6.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.83 €26.54

$23.74 €21.12

25.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 €50.2

$43.74 €38.90

29.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.83 €38.09

$21.83 €19.42

96.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 €16.01

$18.14 €16.14

-0.83%

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

$664 €590

$332 €295

99.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K €16.8K

$12.4K €11.0K

52.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €108

$94.5 €84.1

28.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 €51.5

$48.41 €43.06

19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 €81.6

$103 €91.9

-11.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 €157

$156 €139

13.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €962

$788 €701

37.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$898 €799

$640 €569

40.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 €1,966

$1,222 €1,087

80.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 €1,482

$1,024 €911

62.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,811 €6,058

$4,117 €3,662

65.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,795

$2,155 €1,917

97.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 €2,922

$2,276 €2,024

44.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.59

3.51

2.28%

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

Last update for Espoo: October 17, 2026

Last update for Jakobstad: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Espoo

$898 41%

Jakobstad

$640 35.1% 28.7% $258

Groceries & Markets

Espoo

$409 18.7%

Jakobstad

$375 20.6% 8.3% $34

Eating Out

Espoo

$315 14.4%

Jakobstad

$278 15.3% 11.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Espoo

$201 9.2%

Jakobstad

$181 9.9% 10.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Espoo

$164 7.5%

Jakobstad

$179 9.8% 9.4% $15

Getting Around

Espoo

$113 5.1%

Jakobstad

$89 4.9% 20.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Espoo

$92 4.2%

Jakobstad

$80 4.4% 13.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,081 in Espoo versus $788 in Jakobstad. 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 44% higher in Espoo, 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 Espoo versus $87.0 in Jakobstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $375 – making Jakobstad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Espoo

🇫🇮 Jakobstad

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

Same time as Espoo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

314,152

19,436

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Espoo Jakobstad 400 km

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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

Espoo vs Jakobstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Espoo is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,289 per month in Espoo and $2,734 in Jakobstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jakobstad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,192 in Espoo and $1,823 in Jakobstad. That's a gap of about 20%.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Jakobstad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Jakobstad, where all-in costs run around $1,823, than in Espoo at $2,192. In Jakobstad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Espoo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jakobstad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Jakobstad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Espoo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.