Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Jyvaskyla

For one person, living is cheaper in Jyvaskyla: $1,812 a month against $2,202 in Helsinki, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
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Helsinki Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Jyvaskyla
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Jyvaskyla Living Index

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Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,202

/mo nomad

Jyvaskyla

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,812

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsinki and in Jyvaskyla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Helsinki versus $1,812 in Jyvaskyla.

Helsinki $2,202
Jyvaskyla $1,812

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,554 in Helsinki versus $2,825 in Jyvaskyla.

Helsinki $3,554
Jyvaskyla $2,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,907 in Helsinki versus $3,838 in Jyvaskyla.

Helsinki $4,907
Jyvaskyla $3,838

Living in Helsinki is roughly 21% more expensive than in Jyvaskyla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 63% above, Jyvaskyla 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.14 €16.14

$16.13 €14.35

12.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €98.4

$91.9 €81.8

20.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.11

$11.84 €10.53

14.95%

Cappuccino

$5.06 €4.50

$4.68 €4.16

8.12%

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

$3.37 €3.00

$2.46 €2.19

36.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.31

$1.86 €1.65

39.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.11 €8.99

$8.18 €7.27

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.69 €7.73

$8.22 €7.31

5.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.48 €1.32

-11.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.43 €2.16

15.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$2.70 €2.40

-4.44%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$2.80 €2.49

41.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.77

$7.63 €6.78

29.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 €11.79

$14.58 €12.97

-9.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.14 €22.36

$18.73 €16.66

34.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.47

$2.46 €2.19

13.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.07 €1.84

2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.30 €2.05

9.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.40 €1.25

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.45 €1.29

48.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$1.81 €1.61

-7.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 €12.28

$13.13 €11.68

5.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 €13.88

$13.65 €12.14

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 €3.49

$3.18 €2.82

23.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.34 €2.97

19.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 €3.23

$3.34 €2.97

8.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 €72.5

$72.2 €64.2

12.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.33 €14.52

$8.18 €7.28

99.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.36 €1.21

-8.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.5 €67.1

$65.4 €58.2

15.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.29 €2.04

0.44%

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

$37.1K €33.0K

$36.6K €32.6K

1.33%

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

$37.2K €33.1K

$36.8K €32.7K

1.08%

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

$137 €122

$135 €120

1.30%

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

$25.71 €22.87

$29.54 €26.27

-12.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.17 €22.39

$21.95 €19.52

14.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 €40.96

$55.5 €49.32

-16.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.90 €33.71

$40.36 €35.90

-6.10%

Cinema Ticket

$18.51 €16.47

$18.66 €16.60

-0.80%

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

$484 €430

$311 €277

55.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$7,353 €6,540

71.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €81.3

$89.0 €79.1

2.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.43 €38.63

$28.11 €25.00

54.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.7

$77.1 €68.6

37.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €135

$113 €100

34.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 €1,050

$852 €757

38.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 €808

$649 €577

40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,348 €2,088

$1,331 €1,184

76.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 €1,551

$1,036 €922

68.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,566 €8,508

$3,423 €3,045

179.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,361 €3,878

$2,310 €2,054

88.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,265 €2,904

$2,901 €2,581

12.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.94

-8.38%

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

Last update for Helsinki: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jyvaskyla: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsinki

$908 41.3%

Jyvaskyla

$649 35.8% 28.6% $260

Groceries & Markets

Helsinki

$389 17.7%

Jyvaskyla

$351 19.4% 9.8% $38

Eating Out

Helsinki

$338 15.4%

Jyvaskyla

$295 16.3% 12.7% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsinki

$188 8.5%

Jyvaskyla

$187 10.3% 0.6% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Helsinki

$177 8%

Jyvaskyla

$138 7.6% 21.9% $39

Getting Around

Helsinki

$119 5.4%

Jyvaskyla

$101 5.6% 15.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Helsinki

$83 3.8%

Jyvaskyla

$93 5.1% 11.7% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,180 in Helsinki and $852 in Jyvaskyla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 13% 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: $111 in Helsinki vs $92.0 in Jyvaskyla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $351 per month, with Jyvaskyla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🇫🇮 Jyvaskyla

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

Same time as Helsinki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

674,963 Capital

147,821

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Helsinki Jyvaskyla 230 km

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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 Jyvaskyla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jyvaskyla is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Helsinki, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,180 in Helsinki versus $852 in Jyvaskyla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jyvaskyla – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $111 in Helsinki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Helsinki versus $1,812 in Jyvaskyla – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,812 in Jyvaskyla versus $2,202 in Helsinki, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Jyvaskyla but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes Jyvaskyla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Helsinki and Jyvaskyla 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 Jyvaskyla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.