Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Turku

For one person, living is cheaper in Turku: $1,877 a month against $2,212 in Helsinki, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
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Helsinki Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Turku
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Turku Living Index

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Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,212

/mo nomad

Turku

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsinki and in Turku

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,212 in Helsinki versus $1,877 in Turku.

Helsinki $2,212
Turku $1,877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Helsinki versus $2,981 in Turku.

Helsinki $3,519
Turku $2,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,827 in Helsinki versus $4,085 in Turku.

Helsinki $4,827
Turku $4,085

Living in Helsinki is roughly 18% more expensive than in Turku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 63% above, Turku 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 €16.12

$16.29 €14.59

10.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €101

$101 €90.4

11.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €12.06

$12.34 €11.05

9.16%

Cappuccino

$5.03 €4.51

$4.68 €4.19

7.48%

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

$3.42 €3.06

$2.79 €2.50

22.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.30

$1.89 €1.70

35.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 €8.60

$9.42 €8.44

1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 €7.94

$9.60 €8.60

-7.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.24

$1.56 €1.40

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 €2.51

$2.47 €2.21

13.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.68 €2.40

-3.73%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.55

$3.70 €3.32

7.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 €8.78

$7.78 €6.97

26.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 €11.65

$14.64 €13.11

-11.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.18 €22.55

$18.82 €16.86

33.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.45

$2.79 €2.50

-2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$2.23 €2.00

-3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.25

$2.28 €2.04

10.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 €3.55

$4.35 €3.90

-8.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.47 €1.32

-15.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.60 €1.43

4.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 €1.93

$1.96 €1.75

9.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.49

$1.82 €1.63

-8.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 €12.68

$13.15 €11.78

7.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 €13.88

$15.33 €13.73

1.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 €3.51

$3.78 €3.39

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.45

$3.68 €3.30

4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 €3.28

$3.61 €3.23

1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 €73.9

$63.9 €57.2

29.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.35 €14.64

$8.35 €7.48

95.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.53 €1.37

-16.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.3 €67.4

$65.7 €58.8

14.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.16

$2.37 €2.13

1.69%

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

$36.5K €32.7K

$37.0K €33.1K

-1.20%

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

$38.2K €34.2K

$37.9K €34.0K

0.79%

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

$137 €123

$135 €121

1.92%

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

$25.56 €22.89

$29.01 €25.98

-11.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 €21.49

$21.79 €19.51

10.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.44 €39.80

$43.29 €38.77

2.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.23 €34.24

$28.99 €25.96

31.87%

Cinema Ticket

$17.52 €15.69

$20.86 €18.68

-16.01%

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

$517 €463

$467 €418

10.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$7,398 €6,625

72.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 €79.5

$95.5 €85.5

-7.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.34 €38.81

$43.99 €39.39

-1.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.6

$102 €91.1

1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €133

$111 €99.5

33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 €1,170

$857 €767

52.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 €833

$674 €604

37.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,286 €2,047

$1,477 €1,323

54.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,498

$1,167 €1,045

43.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,307 €8,335

$4,175 €3,739

122.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,408 €3,947

$2,810 €2,517

56.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,184 €2,851

$2,667 €2,388

19.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.94

-7.36%

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

Last update for Helsinki: October 25, 2026

Last update for Turku: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsinki

$930 42.1%

Turku

$674 35.9% 27.5% $256

Groceries & Markets

Helsinki

$388 17.6%

Turku

$371 19.8% 4.4% $17

Eating Out

Helsinki

$334 15.1%

Turku

$308 16.4% 7.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsinki

$187 8.5%

Turku

$186 9.9% 0.7% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Helsinki

$173 7.8%

Turku

$159 8.5% 8.2% $14

Getting Around

Helsinki

$120 5.4%

Turku

$94 5% 21.4% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Helsinki

$79 3.6%

Turku

$85 4.5% 6.9% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,307 in Helsinki and $857 in Turku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $113 in Helsinki vs $101 in Turku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $371 per month, with Turku cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🇫🇮 Turku

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

Same time as Helsinki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

674,963 Capital

201,889

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Helsinki vs Turku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,307 in Helsinki versus $857 in Turku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Turku – a meal for two runs $101 versus $113 in Helsinki. 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 $1,877 in Turku – Turku is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Turku gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Turku 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 Turku are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Turku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.