Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haapsalu and Tartu

For one person, living is cheaper in Haapsalu: $1,526 a month against $1,637 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Haapsalu
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Haapsalu Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tartu
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Tartu Living Index

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Haapsalu

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,526

/mo nomad

Tartu

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,637

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Haapsalu and in Tartu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,526 in Haapsalu versus $1,637 in Tartu.

Haapsalu $1,526
Tartu $1,637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Haapsalu versus $2,488 in Tartu.

Haapsalu $2,255
Tartu $2,488

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,984 in Haapsalu versus $3,339 in Tartu.

Haapsalu $2,984
Tartu $3,339

Living in Haapsalu costs roughly 7% less than in Tartu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Haapsalu 13% above, Tartu 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €15.17

$16.87 €15.00

1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €61.7

$70.5 €62.7

-1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 €9.76

$11.20 €9.96

-2.05%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$3.98 €3.54

4.52%

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

$3.32 €2.96

$3.31 €2.95

0.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.27

$3.73 €3.31

-1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.28 €5.59

$6.61 €5.88

-4.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 €6.40

$7.14 €6.35

0.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.18 €1.05

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.94 €1.73

-0.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.36 €2.10

-2.12%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.61

$2.96 €2.64

-1.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 €11.24

$12.71 €11.31

-0.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 €7.42

$8.76 €7.79

-4.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.03 €13.37

$14.72 €13.10

2.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.11 €1.88

-3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.44 €1.28

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.52 €2.24

-3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 €2.65

$2.94 €2.61

1.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.92

$1.07 €0.95

-2.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 €0.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 €1.63

$1.89 €1.68

-3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.23 €1.09

-4.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.92

$6.53 €5.81

1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 €9.15

$10.38 €9.23

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.13 €1.90

-5.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.34 €2.08

3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 €0.98

$1.71 €1.53

-35.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.05 €15.16

$31.28 €27.82

-45.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 €3.08

$3.66 €3.26

-5.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.88

$0.98 €0.87

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.92 €23.95

$26.75 €23.79

0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.70

$1.94 €1.72

-1.03%

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

$27.9K €24.8K

$27.8K €24.7K

0.48%

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

$30.5K €27.1K

$31.0K €27.6K

-1.75%

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

$309 €275

$304 €271

1.63%

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

$17.66 €15.71

$17.46 €15.53

1.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.39 €31.48

$35.04 €31.17

1.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.90 €39.05

$38.85 €34.56

13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.34 €25.21

$34.12 €30.35

-16.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 €5.85

$11.61 €10.33

-43.32%

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

$438 €390

$433 €385

1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K €10.7K

$11.9K €10.6K

1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €98.7

$109 €97.0

1.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.06 €43.63

$47.46 €42.22

3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.1

$105 €93.5

-0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €104

$118 €105

-0.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 €352

$632 €562

-37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 €293

$423 €376

-22.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 €453

$1,145 €1,018

-55.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 €392

$745 €663

-40.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,248 €1,999

$3,534 €3,143

-36.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,660 €1,476

$2,588 €2,302

-35.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,392 €1,238

$1,921 €1,709

-27.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

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

Last update for Haapsalu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tartu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haapsalu

$362 23.7%

Tartu

$357 21.8% 1.5% $5.5

Accommodation & Living

Haapsalu

$330 21.6%

Tartu

$423 25.8% 28.2% $93

Eating Out

Haapsalu

$293 19.2%

Tartu

$292 17.8% 0.4% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Haapsalu

$283 18.5%

Tartu

$286 17.5% 1.1% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Haapsalu

$172 11.3%

Tartu

$171 10.4% 0.5% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Haapsalu

$57 3.7%

Tartu

$62 3.8% 8.8% $5

Getting Around

Haapsalu

$30 2%

Tartu

$47 2.9% 56.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Haapsalu and $632 in Tartu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tartu pays 38% 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: $69.0 in Haapsalu vs $70.0 in Tartu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $286 per month, with Haapsalu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇪 Haapsalu

🇪🇪 Tartu

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

Same time as Haapsalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,593

102,414

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Haapsalu vs Tartu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haapsalu and Tartu differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,526 vs $1,637 including rent). Haapsalu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Tartu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $396 in Haapsalu versus $632 in Tartu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,526 per month in Haapsalu versus $1,637 in Tartu – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haapsalu runs roughly 83% less than in Tartu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,526 in Haapsalu versus $1,637 in Tartu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Haapsalu but tight or insufficient in Tartu. The gap between the two cities makes Haapsalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Haapsalu and Tartu 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 Haapsalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Tartu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.