Cost of Living Comparison Between Salo and Turku Cost of Living Comparison Between Salo and Turku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,887 in Salo versus $1,854 in Turku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,917 in Salo versus $2,867 in Turku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,947 in Salo versus $3,880 in Turku.

Living in Salo is roughly 2% more expensive than in Turku, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salo 41% above, Turku 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 €15.42

$15.09 €13.21

16.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €90.8

$112 €97.7

-7.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.70 €11.11

$11.63 €10.18

9.20%

Cappuccino

$5.29 €4.63

$5.06 €4.42

4.55%

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

$3.13 €2.73

$2.26 €1.98

38.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.85 €1.62

26.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 €3.62

$8.66 €7.58

-52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 €7.26

$7.74 €6.77

7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.24 €1.09

-12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 €2.31

$2.52 €2.20

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 €2.37

$2.82 €2.46

-3.90%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.11 €2.72

12.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 €7.93

$7.04 €6.16

28.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.83 €12.98

$15.04 €13.16

-1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.68 €19.84

$19.63 €17.17

15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.34

$2.22 €1.94

20.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.04 €1.78

7.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.17

$1.95 €1.70

27.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 €4.23

$3.83 €3.35

26.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.48 €1.29

-18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.61 €1.41

15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.00 €1.75

1.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.89 €1.65

5.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.89 €10.40

$12.14 €10.62

-2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 €14.10

$15.96 €13.97

1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.80

$3.43 €3.00

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 €3.40

$3.86 €3.38

0.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 €3.09

$3.57 €3.12

-1.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 €57.1

$63.1 €55.2

3.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 €7.25

$9.05 €7.92

-8.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 €1.06

$1.60 €1.40

-23.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.2 €61.4

$52.8 €46.21

32.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.08 €1.82

4.81%

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

$37.4K €32.8K

$39.1K €34.2K

-4.30%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$37.3K €32.6K

3.38%

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

$124 €109

$171 €150

-27.35%

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

$29.54 €25.85

$30.57 €26.75

-3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 €21.14

$23.63 €20.67

2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.80 €39.19

$47.44 €41.51

-5.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.96 €20.97

$26.63 €23.29

-10.03%

Cinema Ticket

$19.84 €17.36

$17.16 €15.01

15.62%

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

$408 €357

$312 €273

30.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,980

$4,102 €3,589

178.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.4

$80.2 €70.2

31.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.65 €32.94

$35.30 €30.88

6.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.3

$92.1 €80.5

13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €111

$108 €94.9

16.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 €670

$790 €691

-3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 €558

$621 €544

2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 €1,157

$1,263 €1,105

4.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 €911

$1,004 €878

3.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,209 €3,683

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,373 €1,201

$2,850 €2,494

-51.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,574 €2,252

$2,724 €2,383

-5.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.09

3.97

3.02%

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

Last update for Salo: July 13, 2026

Last update for Turku: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Salo and $790 in Turku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $104 in Salo vs $112 in Turku. Groceries flip the comparison at $387 vs $362, with Turku 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

Salo vs Turku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salo and Turku differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,887 vs $1,854 including rent). Turku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Turku. 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: $766 in Salo versus $790 in Turku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Salo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Turku – a meal for two runs $112 versus $104 in Salo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,854 in Turku versus $1,887 in Salo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turku but tight or insufficient in Salo. The gap between the two cities makes Turku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Salo 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 2% less than in Salo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.