Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Kiruna Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Kiruna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,164 in Helsinki versus $1,926 in Kiruna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Helsinki versus $3,099 in Kiruna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,694 in Helsinki versus $4,272 in Kiruna.

Living in Helsinki is roughly 12% more expensive than Kiruna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 61% above, Kiruna 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €14.92

$12.75 SEK 121

34.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €89.0

$96.7 SEK 915

6.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.76 €11.07

$11.79 SEK 112

8.23%

Cappuccino

$5.25 €4.55

$4.64 SEK 43.94

13.15%

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

$3.08 €2.68

$2.07 SEK 19.61

48.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.06 SEK 10.03

123.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 €6.91

$8.50 SEK 80.4

-6.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 €6.97

$6.87 SEK 65.0

16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.93 SEK 18.28

-29.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.25

$3.54 SEK 33.48

-26.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.44

$4.97 SEK 47.05

-43.46%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.04

$4.91 SEK 46.42

-28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 €7.79

$13.25 SEK 125

-32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 €12.80

$13.78 SEK 130

7.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.63 €19.63

$28.10 SEK 266

-19.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.43

$2.59 SEK 24.51

8.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.91

$2.72 SEK 25.75

-19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.25

$2.62 SEK 24.77

-1.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 €4.04

$4.31 SEK 40.75

7.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 €1.05

$2.16 SEK 20.45

-43.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.59 SEK 15.08

11.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.43 SEK 32.45

-37.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.46 SEK 13.83

31.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.55 €10.89

$7.19 SEK 68.0

74.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.98 €13.86

$10.16 SEK 96.1

57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.85

$1.82 SEK 17.25

80.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.45

$1.88 SEK 17.80

111.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 €3.23

$3.41 SEK 32.27

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 €70.4

$74.3 SEK 703

9.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.34 €7.24

$9.29 SEK 87.9

-10.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.60 SEK 15.17

-26.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.5 €60.3

$73.8 SEK 699

-5.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.97 SEK 18.62

6.09%

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

$37.1K €32.2K

$32.4K SEK 307.0K

14.48%

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

$39.1K €33.9K

$36.2K SEK 342.8K

7.89%

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

$127 €110

$173 SEK 1,638

-26.79%

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

$29.29 €25.41

$32.94 SEK 312

-11.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.53 €20.41

$27.76 SEK 263

-15.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 €40.56

$46.67 SEK 442

0.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.37 €28.95

$24.86 SEK 235

34.23%

Cinema Ticket

$19.84 €17.21

$13.70 SEK 130

44.82%

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

$399 €346

$161 SEK 1,522

147.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,652

$4,100 SEK 38.8K

171.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €94.0

$125 SEK 1,180

-13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 €33.86

$33.76 SEK 319

15.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.7

$129 SEK 1,224

-18.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €110

$166 SEK 1,574

-23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 €1,066

$842 SEK 7,963

46.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 €823

$641 SEK 6,061

48.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,121 €1,840

$1,414 SEK 13.4K

50.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,327

$1,182 SEK 11.2K

29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K €8,896

$3,906 SEK 37.0K

162.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,873

$3,376 SEK 31.9K

32.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,143 €2,727

$3,449 SEK 32.6K

-8.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.09

2.25%

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

Last update for Helsinki: May 30, 2026

Last update for Kiruna: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Helsinki and $842 in Kiruna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kiruna pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $103 in Helsinki vs $97.0 in Kiruna. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $423, with Helsinki cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kiruna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiruna is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kiruna earns 10% less. 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: $1,229 in Helsinki versus $842 in Kiruna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiruna – a meal for two runs $97.0 versus $103 in Helsinki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,164 per month in Helsinki versus $1,926 in Kiruna – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,926 in Kiruna versus $2,164 in Helsinki, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kiruna but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes Kiruna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiruna 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 Kiruna 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 Kiruna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.