Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Finland and Australia

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.

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

How much you'll spend in Finland and in Australia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Finland is roughly 24% lower than in Australia on average.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Finland
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.53 €14.74
$17.35 A$24.68
-4.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.0 €79.3
$84.5 A$120
5.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.21 €10.88
$10.98 A$15.61
11.20%
Cappuccino
$4.81 €4.29
$3.84 A$5.47
25.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 €2.77
$2.89 A$4.12
7.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 €2.06
$2.29 A$3.26
0.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.52 €7.59
$7.79 A$11.08
9.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.78 €7.83
$8.42 A$11.98
4.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Finland
Australia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 €1.20
$1.75 A$2.49
-22.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 €2.43
$2.78 A$3.95
-2.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.64 €2.35
$2.31 A$3.29
14.29%
Eggs
$3.49 €3.11
$4.89 A$6.95
-28.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 €7.88
$9.95 A$14.16
-11.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.39 €11.94
$9.06 A$12.88
47.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.42 €19.98
$14.92 A$21.21
50.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.67 €2.38
$3.65 A$5.19
-26.85%
Banana (1kg)
$2.10 €1.87
$3.03 A$4.31
-30.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.44 €2.17
$3.24 A$4.61
-24.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.32 €3.85
$4.69 A$6.68
-7.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 €1.15
$2.85 A$4.06
-54.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.72 €1.53
$2.32 A$3.30
-25.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.22 €1.97
$2.43 A$3.45
-8.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.66 A$2.37
12.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.30 €11.85
$38.47 A$54.7
-65.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.47 €12.90
$13.84 A$19.69
4.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.57 €3.18
$4.87 A$6.93
-26.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 €3.27
$5.28 A$7.51
-30.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Finland
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.48 €3.10
$2.71 A$3.85
28.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$70.3 €62.7
$94.0 A$134
-25.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.93 €7.96
$3.57 A$5.08
150.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 €1.23
$1.63 A$2.32
-15.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$66.0 €58.8
$40.04 A$57.0
64.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.24 €1.99
$1.33 A$1.88
68.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.4K €33.3K
$29.1K A$41.4K
28.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €33.8K
$25.7K A$36.6K
47.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Finland
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 €126
$205 A$292
-31.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.22 €24.26
$28.24 A$40.16
-3.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.45 €22.69
$57.0 A$81.0
-55.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Finland
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.82 €39.05
$55.4 A$78.8
-20.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$30.04 €26.77
$19.46 A$27.68
54.37%
Cinema Ticket
$17.93 €15.98
$15.06 A$21.41
19.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Finland
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$387 €345
$2,097 A$2,982
-81.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K €11.7K
$18.0K A$25.7K
-27.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Finland
Australia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.2 €86.6
$78.0 A$111
24.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.09 €35.73
$55.3 A$78.7
-27.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €89.1
$112 A$159
-10.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$147 €131
$122 A$173
20.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Finland
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$851 €758
$1,559 A$2,218
-45.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$704 €627
$1,215 A$1,728
-42.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,561 €1,391
$2,435 A$3,464
-35.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,211 €1,080
$1,924 A$2,737
-37.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,938 €4,401
$8,175 A$11.6K
-39.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,932 €2,613
$6,060 A$8,619
-51.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Finland
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,033 €2,704
$4,038 A$5,744
-24.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.87
5.94
-34.85%

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

Last update for Finland: October 17, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Finland
$704
Australia
$1.2K 72.5% $511
Groceries & Markets
Finland
$376
Australia
$372 1% $3.8
Eating Out
Finland
$308
Australia
$294 4.6% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Finland
$194
Australia
$291 50.1% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Finland
$173
Australia
$165 4.4% $7.7
Getting Around
Finland
$100
Australia
$117 16.5% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Finland
$80
Australia
$85 7.3% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $2,891 in Finland vs $3,853 in Australia. 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
🇫🇮 Finland
🇦🇺 Australia
🕒 Local time
02:20 2:20 AM
11:20 11:20 AM
9 h ahead of Finland
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,608,218
26,473,055
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

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

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
Finland vs Australia: 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.

Finland vs other spots: cost of living compared

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