Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Mullingar Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Mullingar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,160 in Helsinki versus $2,600 in Mullingar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Helsinki versus $3,778 in Mullingar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,593 in Helsinki versus $4,955 in Mullingar.

Living in Helsinki costs roughly 17% less than in Mullingar, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 62% above, Mullingar 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.12 €15.00

$21.09 €18.48

-18.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €89.7

$97.2 €85.2

5.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.88 €11.29

$11.61 €10.17

10.94%

Cappuccino

$5.21 €4.57

$4.54 €3.97

14.76%

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

$3.12 €2.73

$2.84 €2.49

9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.16 €1.89

7.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.73 €5.90

18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 €6.91

$6.85 €6.01

15.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.59 €1.40

-16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.11 €1.85

29.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 €2.42

$2.17 €1.90

27.19%

Eggs

$3.64 €3.19

$4.40 €3.85

-17.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 €7.88

$11.94 €10.46

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.81 €12.97

$12.15 €10.64

21.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.76 €19.94

$14.74 €12.91

54.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.43

$3.27 €2.86

-15.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.94

$3.29 €2.88

-32.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.26

$3.59 €3.15

-28.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 €4.02

$5.45 €4.78

-15.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.67 €2.34

-53.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.58

$2.14 €1.88

-15.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 €1.84

$1.67 €1.46

25.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.67

$2.15 €1.89

-11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.63 €11.06

$17.12 €15.00

-26.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.27 €14.26

$12.30 €10.78

32.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.87

$3.69 €3.24

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 €3.51

$3.85 €3.37

4.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.76 €3.30

$2.48 €2.17

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.0 €71.8

$98.7 €86.5

-16.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.87 €6.90

$4.84 €4.24

62.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.02

$2.67 €2.34

-56.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.1 €59.7

$34.74 €30.43

96.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.84

$2.05 €1.80

2.44%

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

$36.5K €31.9K

$42.7K €37.4K

-14.71%

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

$39.9K €34.9K

$39.4K €34.5K

1.29%

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

$124 €109

$93.4 €81.8

33.08%

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

$29.56 €25.89

$21.34 €18.70

38.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.55 €20.63

$41.24 €36.13

-42.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.91 €41.98

$46.69 €40.91

2.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.86 €29.66

$11.75 €10.29

188.17%

Cinema Ticket

$19.60 €17.17

$13.82 €12.11

41.82%

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

$406 €356

$1,333 €1,167

-69.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,844

$7,435 €6,514

51.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €94.9

$104 €91.0

4.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.02 €33.31

$49.03 €42.95

-22.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €89.4

$100 €88.0

1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €109

$114 €100

8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 €1,053

$1,734 €1,519

-30.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 €808

$1,414 €1,239

-34.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 €1,883

$2,102 €1,841

2.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,571 €1,376

$1,978 €1,733

-20.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,905 €8,678

$3,925 €3,438

152.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,479 €3,924

$3,831 €3,357

16.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,038 €2,662

$2,608 €2,285

16.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.09

4.6

-11.09%

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

Last update for Helsinki: July 21, 2026

Last update for Mullingar: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,201 in Helsinki and $1,734 in Mullingar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Helsinki vs $97.0 in Mullingar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $377 per month, with Mullingar cheaper across the board.

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 Mullingar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helsinki is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,201 in Helsinki versus $1,734 in Mullingar. 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 $102 versus $97.0 in Mullingar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,160 per month in Helsinki versus $2,600 in Mullingar – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,160 in Helsinki versus $2,600 in Mullingar, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Helsinki but tight or insufficient in Mullingar. 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 Mullingar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Helsinki and Mullingar 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 20% less than in Mullingar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.