Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Espoo and Varkaus

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkaus: $1,951 a month against $2,227 in Espoo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Espoo
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Espoo Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Varkaus
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Varkaus Living Index

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Espoo

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,227

/mo nomad

Varkaus

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Espoo and in Varkaus

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 Varkaus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,227 per month in Espoo vs $1,951 in Varkaus, rent included.

Espoo $2,227
Varkaus $1,951

A couple spends around $3,547 per month in Espoo vs $2,965 in Varkaus, rent included.

Espoo $3,547
Varkaus $2,965

A family of three spends $4,866 per month in Espoo vs $3,979 in Varkaus, rent included.

Espoo $4,866
Varkaus $3,979

Espoo costs about 14% more than Varkaus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Espoo and Varkaus sit above the global median – Espoo by 64%, Varkaus by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.68 €14.09

$15.91 €14.29

-1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 €89.9

$99.4 €89.3

0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 €11.25

$12.36 €11.10

1.29%

Cappuccino

$5.51 €4.95

$5.48 €4.92

0.55%

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

$3.55 €3.19

$3.52 €3.17

0.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.46

$2.83 €2.54

-3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.16 €8.23

$9.10 €8.17

0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.42 €7.56

$8.60 €7.73

-2.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.44 €1.30

-2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 €2.63

$2.94 €2.64

-0.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 €3.27

$3.57 €3.20

1.96%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.75

$4.01 €3.60

4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 €9.44

$10.61 €9.53

-0.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.61 €14.92

$16.56 €14.88

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.82 €18.70

$20.18 €18.13

3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.34

$2.61 €2.34

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.15 €1.93

-3.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 €3.09

$3.43 €3.08

0.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 €4.45

$5.01 €4.50

-1.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.21 €1.09

-0.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 €2.14

$2.28 €2.04

4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.81 €1.63

3.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.41 €11.15

$12.36 €11.10

0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 €11.98

$13.46 €12.09

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.79 €3.40

$3.65 €3.27

3.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 €4.40

$4.90 €4.41

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 €3.20

$3.36 €3.02

5.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 €71.9

$61.5 €55.2

30.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 €8.61

$9.51 €8.54

0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 €1.57

$1.80 €1.62

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.5 €46.29

$50.7 €45.57

1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.10

$2.36 €2.12

-1.27%

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

$36.1K €32.4K

$36.9K €33.1K

-2.10%

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

$37.3K €33.5K

$37.7K €33.9K

-1.22%

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

$107 €96.1

$107 €95.9

0.23%

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

$26.05 €23.41

$26.75 €24.03

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 €26.77

$28.89 €25.95

3.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.59

$38.81 €34.86

39.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.92 €38.55

$24.47 €21.98

75.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 €15.86

$17.97 €16.14

-1.78%

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

$730 €656

$727 €653

0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K €17.2K

$12.7K €11.4K

50.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 €111

$121 €109

1.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 €51.0

$56.5 €50.7

0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €80.4

$91.1 €81.8

-1.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 €158

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 €998

$769 €691

44.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 €840

$695 €624

34.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 €1,947

$1,206 €1,084

79.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 €1,544

$926 €832

85.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,070 €5,452

$4,234 €3,803

43.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,158 €3,735

$1,886 €1,694

120.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,301 €2,965

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.59

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

Last update for Espoo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Varkaus: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Espoo

$935 42%

Varkaus

$695 35.6% 25.7% $240

Groceries & Markets

Espoo

$410 18.4%

Varkaus

$407 20.9% 0.8% $3.2

Eating Out

Espoo

$317 14.2%

Varkaus

$318 16.3% 0.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Espoo

$201 9%

Varkaus

$200 10.3% 0.3% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Espoo

$163 7.3%

Varkaus

$162 8.3% 0.3% $0.5

Getting Around

Espoo

$113 5.1%

Varkaus

$93 4.8% 17% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Espoo

$89 4%

Varkaus

$75 3.8% 16.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,111 in Espoo versus $769 in Varkaus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Espoo versus $99 in Varkaus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $407 – making Varkaus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Espoo

🇫🇮 Varkaus

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

Same time as Espoo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

314,152

20,257

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Espoo Varkaus 290 km

From you

Espoo
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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

Espoo vs Varkaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Espoo is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,341 per month in Espoo and $2,926 in Varkaus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varkaus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $769 there versus $1,111 in Espoo.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Varkaus. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $730 per month in Espoo and $727 in Varkaus. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,227 in Espoo and $1,951 in Varkaus, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Espoo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,951 in Varkaus to $2,227 in Espoo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.