Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jyvaskyla and Helsinki

For one person, living is cheaper in Jyvaskyla: $1,812 a month against $2,202 in Helsinki, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Jyvaskyla
Learn more

Jyvaskyla Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
Learn more

Helsinki Living Index

Jump to prices

Jyvaskyla

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,812

/mo nomad

Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Jyvaskyla and in Helsinki

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Jyvaskyla and in Helsinki actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Jyvaskyla versus $2,202 in Helsinki.

Jyvaskyla $1,812
Helsinki $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Jyvaskyla versus $3,554 in Helsinki.

Jyvaskyla $2,825
Helsinki $3,554

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,838 in Jyvaskyla versus $4,907 in Helsinki.

Jyvaskyla $3,838
Helsinki $4,907

Living in Jyvaskyla costs roughly 18% less than in Helsinki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jyvaskyla 34% above, Helsinki 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 €14.35

$18.14 €16.14

-11.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.9 €81.8

$111 €98.4

-16.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 €10.53

$13.61 €12.11

-13.01%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.16

$5.06 €4.50

-7.51%

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

$2.46 €2.19

$3.37 €3.00

-27.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.59 €2.31

-28.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 €7.27

$10.11 €8.99

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 €7.31

$8.69 €7.73

-5.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.31 €1.17

12.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.80 €2.49

-13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.40

$2.58 €2.30

4.65%

Eggs

$2.80 €2.49

$3.96 €3.53

-29.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.63 €6.78

$9.86 €8.77

-22.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.58 €12.97

$13.26 €11.79

9.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.66

$25.14 €22.36

-25.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.78 €2.47

-11.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.12 €1.89

-2.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.52 €2.24

-8.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.38

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.20 €1.07

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.15 €1.91

-32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.68 €1.49

7.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.13 €11.68

$13.81 €12.28

-4.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 €12.14

$15.60 €13.88

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.82

$3.92 €3.49

-18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.98 €3.54

-16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 €2.97

$3.63 €3.23

-7.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 €64.2

$81.5 €72.5

-11.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 €7.28

$16.33 €14.52

-49.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.25 €1.11

8.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.4 €58.2

$75.5 €67.1

-13.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.30 €2.04

-0.43%

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

$36.6K €32.6K

$37.1K €33.0K

-1.32%

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

$36.8K €32.7K

$37.2K €33.1K

-1.07%

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

$135 €120

$137 €122

-1.28%

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

$29.54 €26.27

$25.71 €22.87

14.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 €19.52

$25.17 €22.39

-12.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €49.32

$46.05 €40.96

20.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.36 €35.90

$37.90 €33.71

6.49%

Cinema Ticket

$18.66 €16.60

$18.51 €16.47

0.81%

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

$311 €277

$484 €430

-35.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,353 €6,540

$12.6K €11.2K

-41.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.0 €79.1

$91.4 €81.3

-2.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.11 €25.00

$43.43 €38.63

-35.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 €68.6

$106 €94.7

-27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €100

$152 €135

-25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €757

$1,180 €1,050

-27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 €577

$908 €808

-28.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,184

$2,348 €2,088

-43.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 €922

$1,744 €1,551

-40.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,423 €3,045

$9,566 €8,508

-64.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,310 €2,054

$4,361 €3,878

-47.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,901 €2,581

$3,265 €2,904

-11.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

3.61

9.14%

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

Last update for Jyvaskyla: October 12, 2026

Last update for Helsinki: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jyvaskyla

$649 35.8%

Helsinki

$908 41.3% 40.1% $260

Groceries & Markets

Jyvaskyla

$351 19.4%

Helsinki

$389 17.7% 10.8% $38

Eating Out

Jyvaskyla

$295 16.3%

Helsinki

$338 15.4% 14.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jyvaskyla

$187 10.3%

Helsinki

$188 8.5% 0.6% $1.2

Clothing & Footwear

Jyvaskyla

$138 7.6%

Helsinki

$177 8% 28.1% $39

Getting Around

Jyvaskyla

$101 5.6%

Helsinki

$119 5.4% 18% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Jyvaskyla

$93 5.1%

Helsinki

$83 3.8% 10.5% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $852 in Jyvaskyla and $1,180 in Helsinki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 13% 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: $92.0 in Jyvaskyla vs $111 in Helsinki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $389 per month, with Jyvaskyla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Jyvaskyla

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

Same time as Jyvaskyla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,821

674,963 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jyvaskyla Helsinki 230 km

From you

Jyvaskyla
Helsinki

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Jyvaskyla vs Helsinki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jyvaskyla is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Helsinki. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $852 in Jyvaskyla versus $1,180 in Helsinki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Jyvaskyla – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $111 in Helsinki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,812 per month in Jyvaskyla versus $2,202 in Helsinki – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,812 in Jyvaskyla versus $2,202 in Helsinki, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Jyvaskyla but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes Jyvaskyla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jyvaskyla 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, Jyvaskyla and Helsinki 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 Jyvaskyla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.