Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,249 in Helsinki versus $2,136 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,708 in Helsinki versus $3,210 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,167 in Helsinki versus $4,285 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Living in Helsinki is roughly 5% more expensive than in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 63% above, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.56 €16.01

$18.36 CA$25.47

1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 €100

$72.3 CA$100

60.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.17 €12.22

$12.09 CA$16.76

17.20%

Cappuccino

$5.32 €4.59

$4.13 CA$5.73

28.81%

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

$3.58 €3.09

$2.54 CA$3.53

40.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.22 CA$3.08

23.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 €7.95

$5.15 CA$7.14

79.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 €8.09

$5.42 CA$7.51

73.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.22

$2.86 CA$3.97

-50.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 €2.28

$3.12 CA$4.33

-15.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$4.49 CA$6.23

-39.20%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.43

$3.62 CA$5.02

9.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 €9.02

$11.47 CA$15.91

-8.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.83 €11.93

$13.64 CA$18.92

1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.75 €23.07

$12.15 CA$16.86

120.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$4.70 CA$6.52

-38.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$3.12 CA$4.33

-29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$4.92 CA$6.82

-48.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 €3.46

$2.97 CA$4.12

35.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.09

$2.77 CA$3.84

-54.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$2.31 CA$3.21

-27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 €1.94

$4.31 CA$5.98

-47.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.03 CA$2.82

-17.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.69 €12.67

$14.30 CA$19.83

2.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.58 €14.29

$16.35 CA$22.67

1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.33

$4.20 CA$5.82

-8.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 €3.46

$4.42 CA$6.12

-9.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 €3.22

$1.79 CA$2.49

108.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.1 €74.2

$57.2 CA$79.3

50.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.91 €14.59

$3.20 CA$4.44

428.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.83 CA$2.54

-25.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.9 €68.9

$29.29 CA$40.62

172.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.29 CA$1.79

81.40%

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

$38.4K €33.1K

$28.2K CA$39.1K

36.42%

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

$39.3K €33.9K

$22.3K CA$31.0K

76.09%

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

$139 €120

$185 CA$257

-25.00%

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

$26.60 €22.94

$42.87 CA$59.5

-37.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.87 €21.45

$76.2 CA$106

-67.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.82 €41.24

$67.7 CA$93.9

-29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.76 €33.43

$19.54 CA$27.10

98.36%

Cinema Ticket

$19.65 €16.94

$10.71 CA$14.86

83.47%

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

$485 €418

$535 CA$741

-9.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K €11.4K

$9,997 CA$13.9K

32.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €83.8

$67.5 CA$93.6

43.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.24 €39.01

$51.3 CA$71.1

-11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €97.6

$81.3 CA$113

39.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 €133

$95.1 CA$132

61.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 €1,092

$1,003 CA$1,390

26.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 €801

$794 CA$1,102

16.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,377 €2,050

$1,571 CA$2,178

51.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 €1,571

$1,392 CA$1,930

30.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,952 €8,581

$1,992 CA$2,762

399.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,433 €3,823

$1,635 CA$2,268

171.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,315 €2,858

$2,831 CA$3,926

17.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

4.57

-21.01%

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

Last update for Helsinki: September 6, 2026

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Helsinki and $1,003 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 17% 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: $116 in Helsinki vs $72.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $425, 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,267 in Helsinki versus $1,003 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $116 in Helsinki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,249 per month in Helsinki versus $2,136 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,136 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,249 in Helsinki, a $2,500 budget is realistic in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.