Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Plymouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Plymouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,212 in Helsinki versus $2,514 in Plymouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Helsinki versus $3,794 in Plymouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,631 in Helsinki versus $5,073 in Plymouth.

Living in Helsinki costs roughly 12% less than in Plymouth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 64% above, Plymouth 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 €15.04

$27.09 £20.07

-34.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €88.4

$86.5 £64.1

20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.92 €11.00

$10.81 £8.01

19.52%

Cappuccino

$5.26 €4.48

$4.65 £3.45

13.12%

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

$3.04 €2.59

$2.32 £1.72

31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.01

$1.56 £1.15

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 €7.09

$6.72 £4.98

23.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 €6.86

$6.86 £5.08

17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.56 £1.16

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.20

$1.69 £1.25

53.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 €2.29

$2.67 £1.98

0.75%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.08

$5.01 £3.71

-27.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 €7.95

$10.28 £7.61

-9.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.67 €12.49

$8.77 £6.50

67.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.62 €19.25

$14.35 £10.63

57.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.36

$1.88 £1.39

47.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.30 £0.97

67.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$3.73 £2.76

-30.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 €3.97

$3.68 £2.72

26.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.06

$1.18 £0.87

5.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.59

$1.30 £0.96

43.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.69 £1.25

21.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.62

$1.63 £1.21

17.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.79 €10.88

$23.79 £17.63

-46.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 €13.73

$6.66 £4.93

142.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.78

$2.12 £1.57

53.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 €3.41

$3.92 £2.91

2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 €3.08

$3.86 £2.86

-6.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.8 €69.6

$134 £99.3

-38.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 €7.00

$6.76 £5.01

21.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €0.96

$1.64 £1.21

-31.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.7 €58.5

$27.34 £20.26

151.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.77

$1.96 £1.45

6.63%

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

$36.6K €31.2K

$38.9K £28.8K

-5.87%

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

$38.3K €32.6K

$38.5K £28.5K

-0.36%

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

$129 €110

$360 £266

-64.20%

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

$29.54 €25.14

$15.07 £11.17

96.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.90 €20.34

$61.8 £45.78

-61.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 €40.21

$51.8 £38.35

-8.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.22 €28.27

$27.03 £20.03

22.90%

Cinema Ticket

$19.70 €16.77

$13.03 £9.65

51.19%

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

$404 €344

$2,706 £2,005

-85.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,425

$8,148 £6,038

35.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €91.4

$79.7 £59.0

34.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.05 €33.23

$51.6 £38.21

-24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €89.8

$95.4 £70.7

10.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €105

$83.8 £62.1

47.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,010

$1,348 £999

-11.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 €801

$1,072 £794

-12.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 €1,814

$2,299 £1,703

-7.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 €1,313

$1,934 £1,433

-20.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,860 €8,391

$4,972 £3,685

98.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,950 €4,213

$3,325 £2,464

48.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,199 €2,722

$3,105 £2,301

3.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.09

5.9

-30.68%

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

Last update for Helsinki: April 13, 2026

Last update for Plymouth: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Helsinki and $1,348 in Plymouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki 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: $104 in Helsinki vs $86 in Plymouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $296 per month, with Plymouth 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 Plymouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helsinki is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Helsinki pays 3% 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: $1,187 in Helsinki versus $1,348 in Plymouth. 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 $104 versus $86.0 in Plymouth. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,212 per month in Helsinki versus $2,514 in Plymouth – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,212 in Helsinki versus $2,514 in Plymouth, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Helsinki but tight or insufficient in Plymouth. 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 Plymouth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Helsinki and Plymouth 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 14% less than in Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.