Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Bologna

For one person, living costs are similar in Helsinki and in Bologna: $2,202 and $2,168 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
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Helsinki Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Bologna
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Bologna Living Index

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Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,202

/mo nomad

Bologna

🇮🇹 Italy

$2,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsinki and in Bologna

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Helsinki vs $2,168 in Bologna, rent included.

Helsinki $2,202
Bologna $2,168

A couple spends around $3,554 per month in Helsinki vs $3,357 in Bologna, rent included.

Helsinki $3,554
Bologna $3,357

A family of three spends $4,907 per month in Helsinki vs $4,546 in Bologna, rent included.

Helsinki $4,907
Bologna $4,546

Helsinki costs about 2% more than Bologna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Helsinki and Bologna sit above the global median – Helsinki by 63%, Bologna by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.14 €16.14

$22.66 €20.16

-19.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €98.4

$87.8 €78.1

25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.11

$13.46 €11.98

1.11%

Cappuccino

$5.06 €4.50

$2.24 €1.99

125.89%

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

$3.37 €3.00

$3.52 €3.13

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.31

$1.81 €1.61

43.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.11 €8.99

$6.68 €5.94

51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.69 €7.73

$5.63 €5.01

54.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.40 €1.25

-6.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.99 €2.66

-6.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$2.89 €2.57

-10.73%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$4.01 €3.57

-1.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.77

$20.41 €18.15

-51.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 €11.80

$12.24 €10.88

8.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.14 €22.36

$21.03 €18.70

19.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.47

$2.48 €2.21

12.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.40 €2.13

-11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.55 €2.27

-1.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.38

$3.31 €2.95

14.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.88 €1.67

-36.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.71 €1.52

-7.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.35 €1.20

59.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$0.56 €0.50

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 €12.29

$6.88 €6.12

100.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 €13.88

$7.96 €7.08

95.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 €3.49

$1.91 €1.70

105.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.54

$2.83 €2.52

40.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 €3.23

$2.63 €2.34

38.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 €72.5

$42.76 €38.03

90.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.33 €14.52

$4.64 €4.13

251.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.65 €1.47

-24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.5 €67.1

$31.98 €28.45

136.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.14 €1.90

7.48%

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

$37.1K €33.0K

$36.8K €32.8K

0.74%

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

$37.2K €33.1K

$36.4K €32.4K

2.18%

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

$137 €122

$249 €221

-44.95%

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

$25.71 €22.87

$11.10 €9.88

131.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.17 €22.39

$31.22 €27.77

-19.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 €40.96

$63.1 €56.1

-26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.90 €33.71

$26.63 €23.69

42.32%

Cinema Ticket

$18.51 €16.47

$9.87 €8.78

87.54%

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

$484 €430

$768 €683

-37.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$16.5K €14.7K

-23.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €81.3

$93.5 €83.1

-2.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.43 €38.63

$46.18 €41.08

-5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.7

$122 €109

-13.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €135

$146 €129

4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 €1,050

$1,141 €1,015

3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 €808

$867 €771

4.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,348 €2,089

$2,081 €1,851

12.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 €1,551

$1,574 €1,400

10.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,566 €8,509

$5,130 €4,563

86.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,361 €3,879

$3,737 €3,324

16.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,265 €2,905

$2,103 €1,870

55.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.19

13.17%

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

Last update for Helsinki: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bologna: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsinki

$908 41.3%

Bologna

$867 40% 4.6% $41

Groceries & Markets

Helsinki

$389 17.7%

Bologna

$363 16.7% 6.6% $26

Eating Out

Helsinki

$338 15.4%

Bologna

$314 14.5% 7.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsinki

$188 8.5%

Bologna

$291 13.4% 55% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Helsinki

$177 8%

Bologna

$183 8.5% 3.7% $6.6

Getting Around

Helsinki

$119 5.4%

Bologna

$66 3.1% 44.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Helsinki

$83 3.8%

Bologna

$83 3.8% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,180 in Helsinki versus $1,141 in Bologna. 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 55% higher in Helsinki, 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 $111 in Helsinki versus $88.0 in Bologna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $363 – making Bologna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🇮🇹 Bologna

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

1 h behind Helsinki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

674,963 Capital

386,663

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Helsinki Bologna 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Helsinki
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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

Helsinki vs Bologna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helsinki costs about 2% more than Bologna, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Helsinki and $3,251 in Bologna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 91% less in Bologna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $484 per month in Helsinki and $768 in Bologna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bologna, where all-in costs run around $2,168, than in Helsinki at $2,202. In Bologna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Helsinki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bologna costs $2,168 versus $2,202 in Helsinki. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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