Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Lohja

For one person, living is cheaper in Lohja: $981 a month against $2,192 in Helsinki, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
Learn more

Helsinki Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Lohja
Learn more

Lohja Living Index

Jump to prices

Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,192

/mo nomad

Lohja

🇫🇮 Finland

$981

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsinki and in Lohja

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,192 in Helsinki versus $981 in Lohja.

Helsinki $2,192
Lohja $981

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Helsinki versus $2,121 in Lohja.

Helsinki $3,545
Lohja $2,121

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,898 in Helsinki versus $3,260 in Lohja.

Helsinki $4,898
Lohja $3,260

Living in Helsinki is roughly 123% more expensive than in Lohja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Helsinki is 62% above, Lohja is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 €16.20

$13.40 €11.91

35.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €100

$61.7 €54.9

82.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.90

$11.81 €10.50

13.29%

Cappuccino

$5.18 €4.61

$4.76 €4.23

8.82%

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

$3.46 €3.08

$2.95 €2.62

17.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.92 €1.71

38.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.67 €8.60

$7.74 €6.88

24.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.78 €7.81

$6.80 €6.05

29.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.21 €1.07

13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.45

$2.30 €2.05

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$2.49 €2.21

6.83%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.60

$2.66 €2.37

51.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 €8.58

$8.79 €7.82

9.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.38 €11.90

$13.58 €12.08

-1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.50 €22.68

$16.53 €14.70

54.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.43

$2.18 €1.94

25.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.11 €1.88

5.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.10 €0.98

130.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.44

$3.97 €3.54

-2.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.28 €1.14

-3.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.91 €1.70

-16.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.78 €2.47

-18.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.08 €1.85

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 €12.21

$12.80 €11.39

7.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 €14.15

$16.22 €14.43

-1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.32

$3.19 €2.84

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 €3.61

$3.25 €2.89

24.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 €3.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.0 €72.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.11 €14.33

$4.39 €3.91

266.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.30 €1.16

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.1 €69.5

$67.5 €60.0

15.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.93 €1.72

18.65%

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

$36.6K €32.5K

$37.0K €33.0K

-1.23%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

$37.3K €33.2K

-0.70%

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

$140 €124

$77.1 €68.6

81.29%

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

$26.22 €23.32

$24.87 €22.12

5.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.32 €21.63

$22.54 €20.05

7.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.42 €41.29

$33.22 €29.55

39.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €33.03

$16.29 €14.49

127.93%

Cinema Ticket

$18.40 €16.36

$15.85 €14.10

16.09%

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

$475 €423

$331 €295

43.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.0

$95.5 €84.9

-2.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 €38.20

$33.60 €29.89

27.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.2

$79.2 €70.4

35.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €131

$155 €138

-4.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,089

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 €795

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 €2,054

$1,123 €999

105.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 €1,524

$961 €855

78.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,765 €8,686

$1,338 €1,190

629.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,249 €3,780

$1,133 €1,008

275.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,215 €2,860

$3,304 €2,939

-2.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.51

3.99%

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

Last update for Helsinki: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lohja: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsinki

$894 40.8%

Lohja

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Helsinki

$392 17.9%

Lohja

$346 35.3% 11.7% $46

Eating Out

Helsinki

$338 15.4%

Lohja

$271 27.7% 19.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsinki

$190 8.7%

Lohja

$125 12.7% 34.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Helsinki

$176 8%

Lohja

$164 16.7% 7% $12

Getting Around

Helsinki

$119 5.4%

Lohja

$11 * 1.1% 90.8% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Helsinki

$83 3.8%

Lohja

$65 6.6% 22% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Lohja pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $113 in Helsinki vs $62.0 in Lohja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $346 per month, with Lohja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🇫🇮 Lohja

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

Same time as Helsinki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

674,963 Capital

45,654

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Helsinki Lohja 49 km

From you

Helsinki
Lohja

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lohja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lohja is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Lohja. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Helsinki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,192 per month in Helsinki versus $981 in Lohja – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $981 in Lohja versus $2,192 in Helsinki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lohja but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes Lohja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lohja 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 Lohja 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 Lohja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.