Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Helsinki Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Helsinki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,164 in Helsinki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,131 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $3,429 in Helsinki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,191 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $4,694 in Helsinki.

Living in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador costs roughly 4% less than in Helsinki, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 55% above, Helsinki 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.72 CA$25.91

$17.19 €14.79

8.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$102

$103 €88.3

-28.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 CA$16.14

$12.76 €10.98

-8.62%

Cappuccino

$3.32 CA$4.60

$5.25 €4.52

-36.76%

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

$2.48 CA$3.44

$3.08 €2.65

-19.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$2.37 €2.04

-24.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$6.95

$7.97 €6.85

-37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 CA$7.22

$8.03 €6.91

-35.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CA$4.07

$1.37 €1.18

114.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CA$4.55

$2.59 €2.23

27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 CA$6.23

$2.81 €2.41

60.14%

Eggs

$3.89 CA$5.39

$3.50 €3.01

11.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 CA$12.11

$8.98 €7.73

-2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.85 CA$17.79

$14.75 €12.69

-12.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 CA$15.50

$22.63 €19.46

-50.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 CA$7.67

$2.80 €2.41

97.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 CA$3.06

$2.20 €1.89

0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.33 CA$7.37

$2.59 €2.23

105.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.19

$4.65 €4.00

-35.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.05

$1.21 €1.04

81.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.68

$1.78 €1.53

49.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.36 CA$4.66

$2.13 €1.84

57.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.12

$1.92 €1.65

17.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.36

$12.55 €10.80

17.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 CA$19.77

$15.98 €13.75

-10.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.81

$3.29 €2.83

27.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CA$6.51

$3.97 €3.42

18.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$3.72 €3.20

-51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 CA$79.7

$81.2 €69.8

-29.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.54

$8.34 €7.18

-60.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 CA$2.38

$1.17 €1.01

47.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 CA$41.70

$69.5 €59.8

-56.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.73

$2.09 €1.80

-40.19%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$37.1K €31.9K

-32.89%

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

$22.0K CA$30.5K

$39.1K €33.6K

-43.71%

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

$198 CA$275

$127 €109

56.53%

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

$58.2 CA$80.6

$29.29 €25.19

98.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.9 CA$108

$23.53 €20.24

231.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.7 CA$108

$46.75 €40.22

66.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 CA$15.03

$33.37 €28.71

-67.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 CA$12.37

$19.84 €17.07

-54.99%

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

$505 CA$699

$399 €343

26.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,949 CA$12.4K

$11.1K €9,570

-19.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 CA$95.0

$108 €93.2

-36.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 CA$71.9

$39.02 €33.57

33.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 CA$119

$106 €90.9

-18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 CA$134

$127 €109

-23.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 CA$1,312

$1,229 €1,057

-22.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 CA$1,040

$949 €816

-20.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 CA$1,993

$2,121 €1,825

-32.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 CA$1,787

$1,530 €1,316

-15.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,051 CA$2,840

$10.3K €8,820

-79.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,613 CA$2,234

$4,464 €3,840

-63.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,870 CA$3,974

$3,143 €2,703

-8.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

4.09

65.53%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: June 2, 2026

Last update for Helsinki: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and $1,229 in Helsinki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 9% 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: $73.0 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $103 in Helsinki. Groceries flip the comparison at $409 vs $389, 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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Helsinki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Helsinki earns 9% 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: $947 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $1,229 in Helsinki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $103 in Helsinki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,071 per month in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,164 in Helsinki – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,071 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $2,164 in Helsinki, a $2,500 budget is realistic in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador but tight or insufficient in Helsinki. The gap between the two cities makes St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.