Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiel and Turku

For one person, living costs are similar in Kiel and in Turku: $1,949 and $1,877 a month, rent and utilities included.

95

Cost of Living Index in Kiel
Learn more

Kiel Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Turku
Learn more

Turku Living Index

Jump to prices

Kiel

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,949

/mo nomad

Turku

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kiel 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 Kiel and in Turku actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in Kiel versus $1,877 in Turku.

Kiel $1,949
Turku $1,877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,960 in Kiel versus $2,981 in Turku.

Kiel $2,960
Turku $2,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,970 in Kiel versus $4,085 in Turku.

Kiel $3,970
Turku $4,085

Living in Kiel is roughly 4% more expensive than in Turku, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kiel 43% above, Turku 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 €15.06

$16.29 €14.61

3.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 €76.6

$101 €90.6

-15.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.25 €10.99

$12.34 €11.07

-0.73%

Cappuccino

$3.87 €3.47

$4.68 €4.19

-17.31%

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

$3.79 €3.40

$2.79 €2.50

35.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 €2.98

$1.89 €1.70

75.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 €5.10

$9.42 €8.45

-39.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 €4.06

$9.60 €8.61

-52.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.56 €1.40

-19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 €2.24

$2.47 €2.22

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 €2.81

$2.68 €2.41

17.16%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.74

$3.70 €3.32

12.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 €14.44

$7.78 €6.98

106.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.18 €10.92

$14.64 €13.13

-16.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.14 €23.45

$18.82 €16.89

38.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.90

$2.79 €2.50

16.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$2.23 €2.00

0.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €2.04

$2.28 €2.04

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €3.05

$4.35 €3.90

-21.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.47 €1.32

4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.17

$1.60 €1.43

-18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.96 €1.75

-11.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.72

$1.82 €1.63

-56.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.41

$13.15 €11.80

-20.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 €5.60

$15.33 €13.75

-59.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.01

$3.78 €3.39

-70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.37

$3.68 €3.30

-58.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 €2.92

$3.61 €3.23

-9.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 €62.7

$63.9 €57.3

9.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.60

$8.35 €7.49

-51.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.97

$1.53 €1.37

43.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.7 €58.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.93

$2.37 €2.13

-9.28%

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

$32.7K €29.3K

$37.0K €33.2K

-11.60%

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

$39.2K €35.2K

$37.9K €34.0K

3.34%

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

$295 €265

$135 €121

119.19%

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

$22.43 €20.12

$29.01 €26.03

-22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.37 €43.39

$21.79 €19.54

121.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 €34.52

$43.29 €38.83

-11.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.89 €39.37

$28.99 €26.00

51.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 €11.96

$20.86 €18.71

-36.10%

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

$296 €265

$467 €418

-36.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,398 €6,636

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 €68.4

$95.5 €85.7

-20.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 €61.7

$43.99 €39.46

56.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 €87.8

$102 €91.2

-3.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.5

$111 €99.7

-0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 €626

$857 €769

-18.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 €558

$674 €605

-7.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 €1,339

$1,477 €1,325

1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 €908

$1,167 €1,047

-13.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,250 €4,709

$4,175 €3,745

25.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,925 €2,624

$2,810 €2,521

4.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,265 €2,929

$2,667 €2,392

22.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.94

0.25%

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

Last update for Kiel: 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

Kiel

$623 31.9%

Turku

$674 35.9% 8.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kiel

$366 18.8%

Turku

$186 9.9% 49.3% $181

Groceries & Markets

Kiel

$355 18.2%

Turku

$371 19.8% 4.6% $16

Eating Out

Kiel

$283 14.5%

Turku

$308 16.4% 8.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Kiel

$159 8.2%

Turku

$159 8.5% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Kiel

$98 5%

Turku

$94 5% 3.7% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Kiel

$65 3.3%

Turku

$85 4.5% 30.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $698 in Kiel and $857 in Turku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kiel pays 22% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Kiel vs $101 in Turku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $371 per month, with Kiel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Kiel

🇫🇮 Turku

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

05:24 5:24 AM

1 h ahead of Kiel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,306

201,889

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kiel Turku 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kiel
Turku

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

Kiel vs Turku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and transport. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Kiel, 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: $698 in Kiel versus $857 in Turku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kiel pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiel – a meal for two runs $85 versus $101 in Turku. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Turku wins on affordability, Kiel on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.