Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Burlington, VT

For one person, living is cheaper in Helsinki: $2,212 a month against $2,975 in Burlington, VT, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Burlington, VT outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
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Helsinki Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, VT
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Burlington, VT Living Index

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Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,212

/mo nomad

Burlington, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsinki and in Burlington, VT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,212 in Helsinki versus $2,975 in Burlington, VT.

Helsinki $2,212
Burlington, VT $2,975

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Helsinki versus $4,040 in Burlington, VT.

Helsinki $3,519
Burlington, VT $4,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,827 in Helsinki versus $5,106 in Burlington, VT.

Helsinki $4,827
Burlington, VT $5,106

Living in Helsinki costs roughly 26% less than in Burlington, VT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 63% above, Burlington, VT 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 €16.16

$22.16 $22.16

-18.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €102

$79.6 $79.6

42.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €12.10

$11.86 $11.86

13.58%

Cappuccino

$5.03 €4.52

$5.28 $5.28

-4.73%

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

$3.42 €3.07

$3.04 $3.04

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.30

$2.22 $2.22

15.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 €8.63

$8.23 $8.23

16.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 €7.96

$8.63 $8.63

2.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.24

$1.26 $1.26

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.51

$4.60 $4.60

-39.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.32

$5.53 $5.53

-53.35%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.56

$4.46 $4.46

-11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 €8.81

$14.00 $14.00

-29.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 €11.69

$12.08 $12.08

7.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.18 €22.62

$13.26 $13.26

89.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.46

$4.47 $4.47

-38.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.94

$1.84 $1.84

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.26

$2.24 $2.24

12.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 €3.56

$6.56 $6.56

-39.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 €1.12

$4.34 $4.34

-71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.50

$4.04 $4.04

-58.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 €1.93

$2.91 $2.91

-26.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.03 $1.03

62.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 €12.72

$12.49 $12.49

13.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 €13.92

$12.71 $12.71

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 €3.52

$1.71 $1.71

129.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.46

$2.06 $2.06

87.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 €3.29

$2.05 $2.05

78.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 €74.1

$51.0 $51.0

61.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.35 €14.69

$2.65 $2.65

516.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.77 $1.77

-27.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.3 €67.6

$28.36 $28.36

165.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.16

$1.13 $1.13

113.27%

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

$36.5K €32.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

31.40%

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

$38.2K €34.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

46.13%

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

$137 €123

$194 $194

-29.32%

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

$25.56 €22.96

$55.0 $55.0

-53.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 €21.56

$63.5 $63.5

-62.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.44 €39.92

$71.9 $71.9

-38.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.23 €34.34

$27.77 $27.77

37.67%

Cinema Ticket

$17.52 €15.74

$11.89 $11.89

47.35%

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

$517 €464

$1,260 $1,260

-58.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.5K

$12.2K $12.2K

4.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 €79.7

$52.2 $52.2

70.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.34 €38.93

$30.54 $30.54

41.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.9

$54.5 $54.5

89.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €133

$91.4 $91.4

62.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 €1,174

$2,158 $2,158

-39.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 €836

$1,638 $1,638

-43.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,286 €2,053

$2,570 $2,570

-11.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,503

$2,110 $2,110

-20.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,307 €8,360

$3,948 $3,948

135.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,408 €3,959

$3,156 $3,156

39.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,184 €2,860

$4,619 $4,619

-31.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

6.66

-45.20%

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

Last update for Helsinki: October 25, 2026

Last update for Burlington, VT: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsinki

$930 42.1%

Burlington, VT

$1.6K 55.1% 76.1% $708

Groceries & Markets

Helsinki

$388 17.6%

Burlington, VT

$399 13.4% 2.7% $11

Eating Out

Helsinki

$334 15.1%

Burlington, VT

$356 12% 6.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsinki

$187 8.5%

Burlington, VT

$313 10.5% 67.3% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Helsinki

$173 7.8%

Burlington, VT

$103 3.5% 40.4% $70

Getting Around

Helsinki

$120 5.4%

Burlington, VT

$71 2.4% 41.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Helsinki

$79 3.6%

Burlington, VT

$96 3.2% 20.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,307 in Helsinki and $2,158 in Burlington, VT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, VT pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $113 in Helsinki vs $80 in Burlington, VT. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $399, with Helsinki cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🇺🇸 Burlington, VT

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

6 h behind Helsinki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

674,963 Capital

44,743

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Helsinki Burlington, VT 6,240 km ≈ 8 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 Burlington, VT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helsinki is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Helsinki. 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: $1,307 in Helsinki versus $2,158 in Burlington, VT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Burlington, VT runs roughly 38% less than in Helsinki. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $517 in Helsinki versus $1,260 in Burlington, VT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,212 in Helsinki versus $2,975 in Burlington, VT, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Helsinki but tight or insufficient in Burlington, VT. The gap between the two cities makes Helsinki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Helsinki is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Burlington, VT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Helsinki wins on affordability, Burlington, VT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.