Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and Turku Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and Turku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,954 in Oulu versus $1,833 in Turku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,024 in Oulu versus $2,889 in Turku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,094 in Oulu versus $3,946 in Turku.

Living in Oulu is roughly 7% more expensive than Turku, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oulu 46% above, Turku 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.41 €14.11

$15.29 €13.15

7.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 €100

$111 €95.8

4.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.57 €12.54

$11.55 €9.94

26.15%

Cappuccino

$4.86 €4.18

$4.95 €4.26

-1.82%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$2.16 €1.86

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.90

$1.86 €1.60

18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 €7.06

$8.88 €7.64

-7.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 €7.13

$7.91 €6.80

4.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.30 €1.11

-9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 €2.17

$2.52 €2.16

0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$2.68 €2.31

5.97%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.90

$3.11 €2.68

8.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 €6.67

$7.21 €6.20

7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.29 €13.15

$15.24 €13.11

0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.16 €19.07

$19.46 €16.74

13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.11 €1.82

14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.96 €1.69

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 €3.55

$3.95 €3.40

4.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.51 €1.30

-20.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.63 €1.40

4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 €2.11

$2.06 €1.77

19.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.95 €1.67

-15.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.75 €10.11

$12.43 €10.69

-5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 €11.88

$16.37 €14.08

-15.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.18

$3.50 €3.01

5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.17

$3.84 €3.30

-4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 €2.73

$3.42 €2.94

-7.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.2 €50.1

$62.4 €53.7

-6.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 €6.50

$8.76 €7.54

-13.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.52 €1.31

19.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.8 €56.6

$51.8 €44.53

27.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.14 €1.84

0.47%

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

$33.7K €29.0K

$38.6K €33.2K

-12.55%

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

$38.8K €33.3K

$37.0K €31.8K

4.66%

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

$107 €92.3

$176 €151

-38.93%

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

$31.69 €27.26

$30.12 €25.91

5.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.48 €23.64

$23.48 €20.19

17.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 €30.92

$48.02 €41.31

-25.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.43 €27.03

$26.16 €22.51

20.15%

Cinema Ticket

$17.48 €15.04

$17.35 €14.92

0.75%

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

$356 €306

$320 €276

10.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €9,902

$4,124 €3,547

179.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 €77.4

$82.0 €70.5

9.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.15 €41.42

$34.19 €29.41

40.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.6

$92.6 €79.7

25.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 €176

$108 €92.5

89.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €636

$782 €672

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 €607

$635 €546

11.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 €1,173

$1,292 €1,112

5.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €937

$1,005 €865

8.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,221 €3,631

$4,403 €3,787

-4.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,887 €1,624

$2,956 €2,543

-36.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,587 €2,226

$2,790 €2,400

-7.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

3.97

-2.52%

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

Last update for Oulu: May 31, 2026

Last update for Turku: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Oulu and $782 in Turku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $116 in Oulu vs $111 in Turku for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $365 per month, with Turku 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

Oulu vs Turku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Oulu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Turku the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Turku earns 8% less. 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: $740 in Oulu versus $782 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 $116 in Oulu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,954 per month in Oulu versus $1,833 in Turku – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,833 in Turku versus $1,954 in Oulu, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turku but tight or insufficient in Oulu. The gap between the two cities makes Turku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Turku delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,833 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Turku hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oulu 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 7% less than in Oulu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.