Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiel and Turku Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiel and Turku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,987 in Kiel versus $1,833 in Turku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,990 in Kiel versus $2,889 in Turku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,994 in Kiel versus $3,946 in Turku.

Living in Kiel is roughly 8% more expensive than Turku, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kiel 48% above, Turku 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €15.01

$15.29 €13.26

13.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 €67.4

$111 €96.6

-30.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.90

$11.55 €10.02

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$3.97 €3.45

$4.95 €4.29

-19.80%

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

$3.19 €2.77

$2.16 €1.88

47.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.06

$1.86 €1.62

27.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.08

$8.88 €7.70

-34.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.94

$7.91 €6.86

-42.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.30 €1.12

-3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.91

$2.52 €2.18

-12.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 €2.90

$2.68 €2.33

24.63%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.30

$3.11 €2.70

22.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 €12.90

$7.21 €6.25

106.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.78 €11.96

$15.24 €13.22

-9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.61 €18.75

$19.46 €16.88

11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.79

$2.11 €1.83

52.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.03 €1.76

-16.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 €1.86

$1.96 €1.70

9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 €4.24

$3.95 €3.43

23.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.31

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.63 €1.41

-9.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.63

$2.06 €1.79

-8.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$1.95 €1.69

-55.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.76 €8.47

$12.43 €10.79

-21.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.55 €5.68

$16.37 €14.20

-59.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.96

$3.50 €3.04

-68.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.38

$3.84 €3.33

-58.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.45

$3.42 €2.97

-17.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.1 €49.54

$62.4 €54.1

-8.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 €4.23

$8.76 €7.60

-44.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.52 €1.32

38.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.59 €22.20

$51.8 €44.91

-50.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.82

$2.14 €1.86

-1.87%

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

$31.5K €27.3K

$38.6K €33.5K

-18.29%

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

$37.5K €32.5K

$37.0K €32.1K

1.15%

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

$324 €281

$176 €153

84.32%

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

$24.29 €21.07

$30.12 €26.14

-19.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 €47.23

$23.48 €20.37

131.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.10 €32.19

$48.02 €41.66

-22.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.32 €20.23

$26.16 €22.70

-10.86%

Cinema Ticket

$17.31 €15.02

$17.35 €15.05

-0.23%

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

$308 €268

$320 €278

-3.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,150 €7,938

$4,124 €3,578

121.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 €67.4

$82.0 €71.1

-5.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.88 €39.81

$34.19 €29.66

34.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 €86.4

$92.6 €80.4

7.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$108 €93.3

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 €580

$782 €678

-14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 €554

$635 €551

0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,395

$1,292 €1,121

24.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 €935

$1,005 €872

7.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,525 €4,793

$4,403 €3,820

25.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,868 €2,488

$2,956 €2,565

-2.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,476 €3,016

$2,790 €2,421

24.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.97

-0.25%

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

Last update for Kiel: June 1, 2026

Last update for Turku: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $669 in Kiel and $782 in Turku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kiel pays 25% 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: $78.0 in Kiel vs $111 in Turku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $365 per month, with Kiel 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

Kiel vs Turku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kiel pays 25% 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: $669 in Kiel versus $782 in Turku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kiel pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Turku – a meal for two runs $111 versus $78.0 in Kiel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,833 in Turku versus $1,987 in Kiel, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turku but tight or insufficient in Kiel. 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 Kiel, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kiel 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 8% less than in Kiel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.