Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Turku Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Turku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,212 in Helsinki versus $1,844 in Turku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Helsinki versus $2,878 in Turku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,631 in Helsinki versus $3,912 in Turku.

Living in Helsinki is roughly 20% more expensive than Turku, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 64% above, Turku 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 €15.00

$15.22 €12.93

16.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €88.1

$111 €93.8

-6.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.92 €10.97

$11.80 €10.02

9.49%

Cappuccino

$5.26 €4.47

$5.01 €4.25

4.99%

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

$3.04 €2.58

$2.26 €1.92

34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.01

$1.92 €1.63

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 €7.07

$8.84 €7.51

-5.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 €6.85

$7.82 €6.64

3.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.12

$1.25 €1.06

5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 €2.20

$2.40 €2.04

7.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 €2.28

$2.66 €2.26

1.13%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.07

$3.14 €2.66

15.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 €7.93

$7.28 €6.18

28.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.67 €12.46

$15.10 €12.82

-2.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.62 €19.20

$19.16 €16.27

18.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.35

$2.20 €1.87

25.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.85

$2.04 €1.73

6.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.22

$1.97 €1.67

32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 €3.97

$3.95 €3.35

18.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.06

$1.52 €1.29

-17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.59

$1.62 €1.37

15.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 €1.75

$2.04 €1.73

0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.62

$1.94 €1.65

-1.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.79 €10.86

$12.54 €10.65

1.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 €13.70

$15.71 €13.34

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.77

$3.46 €2.94

-5.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 €3.40

$3.92 €3.33

2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 €3.08

$3.44 €2.92

5.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.8 €69.4

$62.5 €53.0

30.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 €6.98

$9.16 €7.78

-10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €0.96

$1.52 €1.29

-25.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.7 €58.4

$52.9 €44.90

29.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.77

$2.16 €1.83

-3.24%

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

$36.6K €31.1K

$38.9K €33.0K

-5.76%

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

$38.3K €32.6K

$37.9K €32.2K

1.22%

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

$129 €109

$172 €146

-25.36%

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

$29.54 €25.08

$30.13 €25.58

-1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.90 €20.29

$23.19 €19.69

3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 €40.12

$47.04 €39.94

0.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.22 €28.21

$26.27 €22.30

26.46%

Cinema Ticket

$19.70 €16.73

$17.44 €14.81

12.96%

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

$404 €343

$321 €273

25.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K €9,403

$4,048 €3,437

173.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €91.2

$82.3 €69.9

30.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.05 €33.15

$34.15 €29.00

14.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €89.6

$91.7 €77.8

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €105

$106 €89.9

16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,008

$808 €686

47.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 €799

$629 €534

49.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 €1,809

$1,263 €1,072

68.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 €1,310

$979 €831

57.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,860 €8,371

$4,519 €3,836

118.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,950 €4,203

$2,904 €2,465

70.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,199 €2,716

$2,758 €2,341

15.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.09

3.97

3.02%

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

Last update for Helsinki: April 13, 2026

Last update for Turku: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Helsinki and $808 in Turku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 16% 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: $104 in Helsinki vs $111 in Turku. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $361, with Turku 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 Turku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Helsinki pays 16% 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 $808 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 $111 versus $104 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 $1,844 in Turku – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,844 in Turku versus $2,212 in Helsinki, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turku but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes Turku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 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 Turku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.