For one person, living is cheaper in Pula: $1,580 a month against $1,661 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pula and in Tartu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,580 per month in Pula vs $1,661 in Tartu, rent included.
Pula $1,580
Tartu $1,661
A couple spends around $2,515 per month in Pula vs $2,514 in Tartu, rent included.
Pula $2,515
Tartu $2,514
A family of three spends $3,450 per month in Pula vs $3,367 in Tartu, rent included.
Pula $3,450
Tartu $3,367
🙂
Pula is about 5% cheaper than Tartu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both Pula and Tartu sit above the global median – Pula by 17%, Tartu by 23%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Pula
Tartu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.68€13.06
$17.14€15.24
-14.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1€60.6
$70.1€62.4
-2.85%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.92€7.94
$11.17€9.93
-20.14%
Cappuccino
$2.55€2.27
$4.10€3.65
-37.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93€2.60
$3.29€2.93
-10.94%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09€1.86
$3.70€3.29
-43.51%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.42€3.05
$6.63€5.90
-48.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.41€3.92
$7.33€6.52
-39.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pula
Tartu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.23€1.10
$1.20€1.07
2.50%
White Bread(500g)
$1.86€1.65
$1.96€1.74
-5.10%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.18€2.83
$2.41€2.14
31.95%
Eggs
$3.78€3.37
$3.02€2.68
25.17%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.95€9.74
$12.92€11.50
-15.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.79€9.59
$8.74€7.77
23.46%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.80€16.72
$14.66€13.04
28.24%
Apples(1kg)
$1.98€1.76
$2.04€1.82
-2.94%
Banana(1kg)
$1.87€1.67
$1.50€1.33
24.67%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.14€1.90
$2.43€2.17
-11.93%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.30
$2.95€2.63
-12.20%
Potato(1kg)
$1.36€1.21
$1.05€0.93
29.52%
Onion(1kg)
$1.33€1.19
$0.86€0.76
54.65%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.30€1.15
$1.89€1.68
-31.22%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22€1.08
$1.23€1.10
-0.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.59€4.97
$6.83€6.08
-18.16%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.80€6.94
$10.19€9.07
-23.45%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85€1.64
$2.06€1.84
-10.19%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40€2.14
$2.43€2.16
-1.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Pula
Tartu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.28€2.03
$1.66€1.48
37.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$33.26€29.58
$30.69€27.30
8.37%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.28€2.91
$3.62€3.22
-9.39%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.22€1.98
$1.03€0.92
115.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$22.18€19.73
$27.05€24.06
-18.00%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.83€1.62
$2.02€1.79
-9.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.0K€23.1K
$27.9K€24.8K
-6.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K€23.7K
$30.1K€26.7K
-11.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pula
Tartu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$156€139
$311€276
-49.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.01€19.58
$17.55€15.61
25.41%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.37€35.02
$35.95€31.98
9.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pula
Tartu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$49.70€44.21
$39.75€35.36
25.03%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.64€33.48
$34.29€30.50
9.77%
Cinema Ticket
$10.59€9.42
$11.79€10.48
-10.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pula
Tartu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$240€214
$436€388
-44.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,826€2,514
$11.7K€10.4K
-75.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pula
Tartu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$114€101
$112€99.4
1.79%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.80€32.74
$49.54€44.06
-25.72%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$144€128
$107€95.3
34.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131€116
$118€105
11.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pula
Tartu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$685€609
$619€551
10.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$522€464
$432€384
20.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,315€1,170
$1,171€1,042
12.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$999€889
$750€667
33.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,363€3,881
$3,474€3,090
25.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,650€3,246
$2,597€2,310
40.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pula
Tartu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,517€1,349
$1,960€1,743
-22.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.54
3.93
-9.92%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Pula: October 18, 2026
Last update for Tartu: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Pula
$522 33%
Tartu
$432 26% ↓ 17.2%$90
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pula
$301 19%
Tartu
$286 17.2% ↓ 4.8%$15
🍽Eating Out
Pula
$221 14%
Tartu
$296 17.8% ↑ 33.9%$75
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pula
$218 13.8%
Tartu
$364 21.9% ↑ 67.4%$147
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pula
$192 12.1%
Tartu
$174 10.5% ↓ 9.3%$18
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pula
$71 4.5%
Tartu
$63 3.8% ↓ 10.7%$7.6
🚌Getting Around
Pula
$57 3.6%
Tartu
$46 2.8% ↓ 18.8%$11
🏠Accommodation & Living
Pula
$999 29%
Tartu
$750 22.3% ↓ 24.9%$249
🛒Groceries & Markets
Pula
$703 20.4%
Tartu
$655 19.5% ↓ 6.7%$47
🍽Eating Out
Pula
$786 22.8%
Tartu
$938 27.9% ↑ 19.3%$152
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pula
$240 6.9%
Tartu
$382 11.3% ↑ 59.3%$142
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Pula
$426 12.3%
Tartu
$386 11.5% ↓ 9.3%$40
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Pula
$179 5.2%
Tartu
$161 4.8% ↓ 10.3%$18
🚌Getting Around
Pula
$118 3.4%
Tartu
$96 2.8% ↓ 19.1%$23
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $685 in Pula versus $619 in Tartu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.
💰Salaries run about 29% higher in Tartu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Pula versus $70.0 in Tartu. Groceries tell a different story – $301 in Pula vs $286 in Tartu – so Tartu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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
Pula vs Tartu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Pula and in Tartu compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,580 in Pula, $1,661 in Tartu – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Pula compared to Tartu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,370 per month in Pula and $2,491 in Tartu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Pula and Tartu?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Pula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Pula and Tartu?
Kindergarten costs $240 per month in Pula and $436 in Tartu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Tartu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pula, where all-in costs run around $1,580, than in Tartu at $1,661. In Pula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tartu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Pula and Tartu?
It depends on your priorities. Tartu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,580 in Pula to $1,661 in Tartu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Pula or Tartu safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Pula and Tartu?
If budget matters most, go with Pula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tartu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.