Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Lulea Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Lulea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,164 in Helsinki versus $1,885 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Helsinki versus $3,023 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,694 in Helsinki versus $4,161 in Lulea.

Living in Helsinki is roughly 15% more expensive than Lulea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 61% above, Lulea 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €14.79

$12.89 SEK 120

33.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €88.3

$93.8 SEK 875

9.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.76 €10.98

$12.01 SEK 112

6.24%

Cappuccino

$5.25 €4.52

$4.65 SEK 43.39

12.90%

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

$3.08 €2.65

$2.56 SEK 23.88

20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.06 SEK 19.25

15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 €6.85

$8.46 SEK 78.9

-5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 €6.91

$9.98 SEK 93.2

-19.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.93 SEK 18.02

-29.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.23

$3.55 SEK 33.15

-27.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.41

$5.02 SEK 46.86

-44.02%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.01

$4.95 SEK 46.21

-29.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 €7.73

$12.91 SEK 120

-30.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 €12.69

$13.97 SEK 130

5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.63 €19.46

$27.38 SEK 255

-17.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.69 SEK 25.13

4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.89

$2.80 SEK 26.15

-21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.62 SEK 24.49

-1.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 €4.00

$4.52 SEK 42.17

2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 €1.04

$2.18 SEK 20.33

-44.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.64 SEK 15.26

8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 €1.84

$3.42 SEK 31.88

-37.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.45 SEK 13.53

32.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.55 €10.80

$7.45 SEK 69.5

68.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.98 €13.75

$12.66 SEK 118

26.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.83

$1.83 SEK 17.10

79.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.42

$1.80 SEK 16.77

120.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 €3.20

$3.36 SEK 31.39

10.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 €69.8

$60.1 SEK 561

34.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.34 €7.18

$9.53 SEK 88.9

-12.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.71 SEK 16.00

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.5 €59.8

$75.1 SEK 700

-7.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.89 SEK 17.60

10.58%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

16.14%

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

$39.1K €33.6K

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

12.06%

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

$127 €109

$174 SEK 1,627

-27.35%

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

$29.29 €25.19

$33.07 SEK 309

-11.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.53 €20.24

$28.42 SEK 265

-17.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 €40.22

$49.17 SEK 459

-4.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.37 €28.71

$36.67 SEK 342

-9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$19.84 €17.07

$13.75 SEK 128

44.29%

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

$399 €343

$159 SEK 1,481

151.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,570

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

93.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €93.2

$125 SEK 1,168

-13.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 €33.57

$33.73 SEK 315

15.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$126 SEK 1,175

-16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €109

$172 SEK 1,605

-26.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 €1,057

$791 SEK 7,376

55.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 €816

$578 SEK 5,395

64.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,121 €1,825

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

50.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,316

$1,053 SEK 9,824

45.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K €8,820

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

207.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,840

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

87.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,143 €2,703

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

15.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.09

4.2

-2.62%

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

Last update for Helsinki: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Helsinki and $791 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 15% 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: $103 in Helsinki vs $94.0 in Lulea. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $428, 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Helsinki pays 15% more on average, 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: $1,229 in Helsinki versus $791 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $94.0 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 $1,885 in Lulea – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,885 in Lulea versus $2,164 in Helsinki, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lulea 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 Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.