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: $2,164 in Helsinki versus $2,649 in Mullingar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Helsinki versus $3,758 in Mullingar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,694 in Helsinki versus $4,868 in Mullingar.

Living in Helsinki costs roughly 18% less than in Mullingar, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 61% above, Mullingar 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €14.92

$20.73 €17.98

-17.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €89.0

$95.0 €82.4

8.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.76 €11.07

$11.60 €10.07

10.00%

Cappuccino

$5.25 €4.55

$4.71 €4.09

11.46%

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

$3.08 €2.68

$2.81 €2.44

9.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.15 €1.86

10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 €6.91

$6.85 €5.95

16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 €6.97

$6.77 €5.87

18.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.60 €1.39

-14.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.25

$2.04 €1.77

26.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.44

$2.27 €1.97

23.79%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.04

$4.22 €3.66

-17.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 €7.79

$12.01 €10.42

-25.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.75 €12.80

$12.47 €10.82

18.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.63 €19.63

$14.97 €12.99

51.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.43

$3.30 €2.87

-15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.91

$3.15 €2.73

-30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.25

$3.65 €3.16

-29.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 €4.04

$5.58 €4.84

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 €1.05

$2.77 €2.40

-56.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.54

$2.19 €1.90

-18.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.63 €1.42

30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.15 €1.87

-10.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.55 €10.89

$17.06 €14.80

-26.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.98 €13.86

$12.70 €11.02

25.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.85

$3.70 €3.21

-11.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.45

$3.81 €3.30

4.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 €3.23

$2.47 €2.14

50.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.2 €70.4

$96.9 €84.1

-16.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.34 €7.24

$4.75 €4.12

75.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.79 €2.42

-58.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.5 €60.3

$34.83 €30.22

99.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.06 €1.79

1.46%

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

$37.1K €32.2K

$43.1K €37.4K

-13.90%

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

$39.1K €33.9K

$39.5K €34.3K

-1.12%

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

$127 €110

$92.1 €79.9

37.54%

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

$29.29 €25.41

$22.10 €19.17

32.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.53 €20.41

$40.72 €35.33

-42.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 €40.56

$46.47 €40.32

0.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.37 €28.95

$11.55 €10.02

188.92%

Cinema Ticket

$19.84 €17.21

$13.90 €12.06

42.73%

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

$399 €346

$1,357 €1,177

-70.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,652

$7,382 €6,404

50.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €94.0

$103 €89.1

5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 €33.86

$49.60 €43.04

-21.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.7

$99.8 €86.6

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €110

$114 €99.1

10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 €1,066

$1,751 €1,519

-29.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 €823

$1,395 €1,211

-31.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,121 €1,840

$2,129 €1,847

-0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,327

$1,979 €1,717

-22.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.3K €8,896

$4,062 €3,524

152.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,873

$4,028 €3,495

10.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,143 €2,727

$2,722 €2,362

15.44%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mullingar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Helsinki and $1,751 in Mullingar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 15% 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 $95.0 in Mullingar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $380 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 22% 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 $1,751 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 $103 versus $95.0 in Mullingar. 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 $2,649 in Mullingar – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,164 in Helsinki versus $2,649 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 22% less than in Mullingar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.