Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rakvere and Tartu

For one person, living is cheaper in Rakvere: $1,008 a month against $1,688 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rakvere, Estonia
Tartu, Estonia
Rakvere
🇪🇪 Estonia
$1,008
/mo nomad
Tartu
🇪🇪 Estonia
$1,688
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rakvere and in Tartu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rakvere and in Tartu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,008 per month in Rakvere vs $1,688 in Tartu, rent included.

  • Rakvere $1,008
  • Tartu $1,688

A couple spends around $1,540 per month in Rakvere vs $2,570 in Tartu, rent included.

  • Rakvere $1,540
  • Tartu $2,570

A family of three spends $2,072 per month in Rakvere vs $3,452 in Tartu, rent included.

  • Rakvere $2,072
  • Tartu $3,452

Rakvere is about 40% cheaper than Tartu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Rakvere sits 26% below the global median, while Tartu is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.33 €10.15
$16.92 €15.16
-33.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.0 €58.2
$70.1 €62.8
-7.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.29 €10.11
$11.33 €10.14
-0.35%
Cappuccino
$3.83 €3.43
$3.99 €3.57
-4.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.13
$3.30 €2.96
-27.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.47
$3.71 €3.33
-55.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.73 €5.14
$6.58 €5.89
-12.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.94
$7.30 €6.54
-39.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.65 €0.58
$1.22 €1.10
-46.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.92 €1.72
$1.94 €1.74
-1.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.33 €2.08
$2.31 €2.07
0.87%
Eggs
$1.93 €1.73
$2.96 €2.65
-34.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.42
$12.57 €11.26
1.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.83 €6.11
$8.52 €7.63
-19.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.48 €4.01
$14.66 €13.13
-69.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.06 €1.85
4.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 €1.26
$1.44 €1.29
-2.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.13 €1.91
$2.42 €2.17
-11.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$3.03 €2.72
-19.14%
Potato (1kg)
$0.75 €0.67
$1.09 €0.97
-31.19%
Onion (1kg)
$0.53 €0.48
$0.83 €0.74
-36.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.88 €1.68
-1.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.24 €1.11
-4.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.84 €6.13
$6.73 €6.02
1.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.41 €9.32
$10.23 €9.16
1.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 €1.81
$2.06 €1.85
-1.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 €2.20
$2.44 €2.18
0.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.67 €1.49
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$30.43 €27.25
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.55 €3.18
$3.49 €3.12
1.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 €0.89
$1.04 €0.93
-4.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.13 €24.30
$27.18 €24.35
-0.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.00 €1.79
$1.91 €1.71
4.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K €24.9K
$27.9K €25.0K
-0.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.7K €26.6K
$29.5K €26.4K
0.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$312 €279
$310 €277
0.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.64 €15.80
$17.74 €15.89
-0.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.18 €31.51
$36.35 €32.56
-3.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$42.46 €38.03
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$33.84 €30.31
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.08 €4.55
$11.80 €10.57
-56.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 €427
$461 €413
3.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K €10.4K
$11.8K €10.6K
-2.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$109 €97.5
$110 €98.4
-0.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.00 €42.99
$47.51 €42.55
1.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €94.6
$103 €92.4
2.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €106
$122 €109
-2.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$642 €575
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$464 €416
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,176 €1,053
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$847 €759
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,902 €3,494
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,828 €2,532
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rakvere
Tartu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,935 €1,733
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.93
3.93
-

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

Last update for Rakvere: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tartu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rakvere
$364
Tartu
$364 0.2% $0.7
Groceries & Markets
Rakvere
$229
Tartu
$284 23.7% $54
Eating Out
Rakvere
$224
Tartu
$293 30.7% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Rakvere
$171
Tartu
$172 0.3% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Rakvere
$10 *
Tartu
$66 550% $56
Getting Around
Rakvere
$8.5 *
Tartu
$46 439% $37
Accommodation & Living
Rakvere
- *
Tartu
$464

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Rakvere versus $70 in Tartu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $284 – making Rakvere the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇪 Rakvere
🇪🇪 Tartu
🕒 Local time
01:24 1:24 AM
01:24 1:24 AM
Same time as Rakvere
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
16,953
102,414
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rakvere Tartu 110 km
From you
  • Rakvere
  • Tartu

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
Rakvere vs Tartu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Rakvere and in Tartu compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,008 in Rakvere, $1,688 in Tartu – Rakvere comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Rakvere compared to Tartu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,512 per month in Rakvere and $2,532 in Tartu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Rakvere and $70 in Tartu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Tartu, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $2,000 go in Rakvere compared to Tartu?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,008 in Rakvere and $1,688 in Tartu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Rakvere and Tartu?
It depends on your priorities. Tartu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,008 in Rakvere to $1,688 in Tartu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Rakvere or Tartu safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Rakvere vs other spots: cost of living compared

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