Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Maynooth

For one person, living is cheaper in Helsinki: $2,202 a month against $3,666 in Maynooth, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
Learn more

Helsinki Living Index
179

Cost of Living Index in Maynooth
Learn more

Maynooth Living Index

Jump to prices

Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,202

/mo nomad

Maynooth

🇮🇪 Ireland

$3,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsinki and in Maynooth

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Helsinki versus $3,666 in Maynooth.

Helsinki $2,202
Maynooth $3,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,554 in Helsinki versus $5,465 in Maynooth.

Helsinki $3,554
Maynooth $5,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,907 in Helsinki versus $7,263 in Maynooth.

Helsinki $4,907
Maynooth $7,263

Living in Helsinki costs roughly 40% less than in Maynooth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 63% above, Maynooth 172% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.14 €16.14

$22.36 €19.89

-18.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €98.4

$101 €90.2

9.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 €12.11

$12.56 €11.17

8.36%

Cappuccino

$5.06 €4.50

$4.30 €3.83

17.67%

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

$3.37 €3.00

$2.98 €2.65

13.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.31

$2.21 €1.96

17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.11 €8.99

$7.10 €6.32

42.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.69 €7.73

$7.22 €6.42

20.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.65 €1.47

-20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.49

$2.44 €2.17

14.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.30

$2.04 €1.81

26.47%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$4.66 €4.15

-15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 €8.77

$9.88 €8.79

-0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 €11.79

$12.46 €11.08

6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.14 €22.36

$16.09 €14.31

56.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 €2.47

$3.28 €2.92

-15.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$2.92 €2.60

-27.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$3.40 €3.03

-25.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.38

$4.88 €4.34

-22.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$2.18 €1.94

-44.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.53 €1.36

3.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 €1.91

$1.39 €1.23

54.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.09 €1.86

-19.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 €12.28

$20.38 €18.13

-32.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 €13.88

$13.57 €12.07

14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 €3.49

$3.42 €3.04

14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.54 €3.15

12.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 €3.23

$3.42 €3.04

6.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 €72.5

$122 €109

-33.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.33 €14.52

$5.08 €4.52

221.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.53 €1.36

-18.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.5 €67.1

$33.09 €29.43

128.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.14 €1.90

7.48%

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

$37.1K €33.0K

$39.3K €34.9K

-5.54%

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

$37.2K €33.1K

$38.8K €34.5K

-4.09%

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

$137 €122

$243 €216

-43.79%

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

$25.71 €22.87

$22.08 €19.64

16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.17 €22.39

$55.1 €49.00

-54.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 €40.96

$58.4 €52.0

-21.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.90 €33.71

$22.38 €19.91

69.35%

Cinema Ticket

$18.51 €16.47

$13.44 €11.95

37.72%

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

$484 €430

$1,072 €954

-54.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.2K

$14.0K €12.4K

-9.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €81.3

$93.1 €82.8

-1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.43 €38.63

$49.91 €44.39

-12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €94.7

$107 €94.9

-0.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €135

$118 €105

28.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 €1,050

$2,470 €2,196

-52.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 €808

$2,236 €1,988

-59.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,348 €2,088

$5,539 €4,926

-57.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 €1,551

$4,011 €3,568

-56.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,566 €8,508

$6,223 €5,534

53.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,361 €3,878

$6,200 €5,514

-29.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,265 €2,904

$4,256 €3,785

-23.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

4.14

-12.80%

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

Last update for Helsinki: October 10, 2026

Last update for Maynooth: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsinki

$908 41.3%

Maynooth

$2.2K 61% 146% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Helsinki

$389 17.7%

Maynooth

$371 10.1% 4.4% $17

Eating Out

Helsinki

$338 15.4%

Maynooth

$339 9.2% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsinki

$188 8.5%

Maynooth

$321 8.7% 70.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Helsinki

$177 8%

Maynooth

$165 4.5% 6.4% $11

Getting Around

Helsinki

$119 5.4%

Maynooth

$149 4.1% 25.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Helsinki

$83 3.8%

Maynooth

$85 2.3% 2.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,180 in Helsinki and $2,470 in Maynooth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maynooth pays 30% 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 $101 in Maynooth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $371 per month, with Maynooth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🇮🇪 Maynooth

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

10:35 10:35 AM

2 h behind Helsinki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

674,963 Capital

17,259

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Helsinki Maynooth 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Helsinki
Maynooth

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 Maynooth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helsinki is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Maynooth. 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: $1,180 in Helsinki versus $2,470 in Maynooth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Helsinki – a meal for two runs $111 versus $101 in Maynooth. 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 $3,666 in Maynooth – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,202 in Helsinki versus $3,666 in Maynooth, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Helsinki but tight or insufficient in Maynooth. 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 Maynooth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Helsinki and Maynooth 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 Helsinki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Maynooth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.