Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Helsinki Cost of Living Comparison Between Lulea and Helsinki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,239 in Helsinki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,101 in Lulea versus $3,669 in Helsinki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,283 in Lulea versus $5,100 in Helsinki.

Living in Lulea costs roughly 14% less than in Helsinki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lulea 40% above, Helsinki 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.44 SEK 120

$18.88 €16.29

-34.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 SEK 954

$118 €102

-16.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 SEK 112

$13.91 €12.00

-16.68%

Cappuccino

$4.58 SEK 44.07

$5.39 €4.65

-15.03%

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

$2.64 SEK 25.39

$3.57 €3.08

-26.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.94

$2.75 €2.38

-28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.32 SEK 89.8

$9.18 €7.92

1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 SEK 94.4

$9.57 €8.25

2.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 SEK 18.01

$1.46 €1.26

28.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 SEK 33.03

$2.57 €2.22

33.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 SEK 47.27

$2.67 €2.30

83.90%

Eggs

$4.67 SEK 44.95

$4.16 €3.59

12.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 122

$10.17 €8.78

24.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 SEK 131

$13.50 €11.65

0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.73 SEK 267

$26.37 €22.75

5.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 25.59

$2.94 €2.53

-9.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.20

$2.18 €1.88

29.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.06

$2.59 €2.23

-3.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 41.88

$3.94 €3.40

10.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 SEK 21.40

$1.21 €1.05

83.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.95

$1.73 €1.50

-10.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 SEK 33.16

$2.30 €1.99

49.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.37

$1.72 €1.48

-25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 SEK 69.1

$14.74 €12.72

-51.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 SEK 122

$16.43 €14.18

-22.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.14

$4.01 €3.46

-53.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SEK 17.71

$4.05 €3.50

-54.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.96

$3.85 €3.32

-11.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 SEK 555

$83.3 €71.8

-30.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 SEK 91.6

$16.61 €14.34

-42.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 SEK 21.67

$1.35 €1.16

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 SEK 693

$79.1 €68.2

-9.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 16.98

$2.40 €2.07

-26.67%

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

$33.5K SEK 322.7K

$37.4K €32.3K

-10.48%

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

$35.8K SEK 344.4K

$38.7K €33.4K

-7.59%

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

$173 SEK 1,663

$140 €121

23.37%

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

$32.34 SEK 312

$26.51 €22.87

21.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 SEK 269

$24.29 €20.96

14.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 SEK 475

$48.81 €42.12

1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.98 SEK 356

$37.93 €32.73

-2.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 SEK 130

$19.39 €16.73

-30.58%

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

$161 SEK 1,552

$503 €434

-67.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,808 SEK 55.9K

$13.2K €11.4K

-55.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 SEK 1,182

$95.5 €82.4

28.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 SEK 329

$45.73 €39.46

-25.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,211

$111 €96.0

13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,599

$153 €132

8.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,766

$1,289 €1,112

-37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 SEK 5,775

$940 €811

-36.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 SEK 14.8K

$2,401 €2,072

-36.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 SEK 11.1K

$1,802 €1,555

-36.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,240 SEK 31.2K

$10.1K €8,742

-68.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,346 SEK 22.6K

$4,523 €3,903

-48.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,633 SEK 25.4K

$3,231 €2,788

-18.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.61

6.65%

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

Last update for Lulea: September 1, 2026

Last update for Helsinki: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $1,289 in Helsinki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 23% 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: $99.0 in Lulea vs $118 in Helsinki. Groceries flip the comparison at $420 vs $401, with Helsinki 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

Lulea vs Helsinki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lulea is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% 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: $806 in Lulea versus $1,289 in Helsinki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lulea – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $118 in Helsinki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,919 per month in Lulea versus $2,239 in Helsinki – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,919 in Lulea versus $2,239 in Helsinki, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lulea but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes Lulea the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lulea 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, Lulea 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 Lulea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.