Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampere and Varkaus

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkaus: $1,951 a month against $2,004 in Tampere, rent and utilities included – about $640 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tampere outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

96

Cost of Living Index in Tampere
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Tampere Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Varkaus
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Varkaus Living Index

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Tampere

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,004

/mo nomad

Varkaus

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tampere and in Varkaus

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

A single person spends $2,004 per month in Tampere vs $1,951 in Varkaus, rent included.

Tampere $2,004
Varkaus $1,951

A couple spends around $3,091 per month in Tampere vs $2,965 in Varkaus, rent included.

Tampere $3,091
Varkaus $2,965

A family of three spends $4,178 per month in Tampere vs $3,979 in Varkaus, rent included.

Tampere $4,178
Varkaus $3,979

Tampere costs about 3% more than Varkaus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Tampere and Varkaus sit above the global median – Tampere by 47%, Varkaus by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 €14.30

$15.91 €14.29

0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.8 €79.8

$99.4 €89.3

-10.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 €10.62

$12.36 €11.10

-4.37%

Cappuccino

$5.25 €4.72

$5.48 €4.92

-4.20%

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

$2.86 €2.57

$3.52 €3.17

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.79

$2.83 €2.54

-29.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 €7.17

$9.10 €8.17

-12.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.70 €7.82

$8.60 €7.73

1.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.17

$1.44 €1.30

-9.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.40

$2.94 €2.64

-9.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$3.57 €3.20

-32.21%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.85

$4.01 €3.60

-20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 €7.83

$10.61 €9.53

-17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 €12.84

$16.56 €14.88

-13.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.63 €19.43

$20.18 €18.13

7.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.61 €2.34

-10.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.84

$2.15 €1.93

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$3.43 €3.08

-24.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 €3.60

$5.01 €4.50

-19.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 €1.12

$1.21 €1.09

2.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.74

$1.82 €1.64

6.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 €2.52

$2.28 €2.04

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.76

$1.81 €1.63

8.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.95 €11.63

$12.36 €11.10

4.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 €14.25

$13.46 €12.09

17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.87

$3.65 €3.27

-12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €3.04

$4.90 €4.41

-31.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 €2.85

$3.36 €3.02

-5.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.7 €64.4

$61.5 €55.2

16.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 €3.87

$9.51 €8.54

-54.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.80 €1.62

-24.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.1 €58.5

$50.7 €45.57

28.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.36 €2.12

-1.27%

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

$35.9K €32.3K

$36.9K €33.1K

-2.58%

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

$37.7K €33.9K

-0.06%

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

$130 €117

$107 €95.9

21.65%

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

$24.92 €22.38

$26.75 €24.03

-6.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.76 €21.35

$28.89 €25.95

-17.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.14 €42.34

$38.81 €34.86

21.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.96 €30.50

$24.47 €21.98

38.78%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 €15.77

$17.97 €16.14

-2.28%

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

$323 €290

$727 €653

-55.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K €11.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 €85.8

$121 €109

-21.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.57 €44.53

$56.5 €50.7

-12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.8

$91.1 €81.8

10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €138

$176 €158

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 €897

$769 €691

29.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 €710

$695 €624

13.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 €1,563

$1,206 €1,084

44.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 €1,152

$926 €832

38.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,665 €4,191

$4,234 €3,803

10.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,935 €2,636

$1,886 €1,694

55.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,761 €2,481

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

3.59

-2.23%

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

Last update for Tampere: October 27, 2026

Last update for Varkaus: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tampere

$790 39.4%

Varkaus

$695 35.6% 12% $95

Groceries & Markets

Tampere

$376 18.8%

Varkaus

$407 20.9% 8.3% $31

Eating Out

Tampere

$303 15.1%

Varkaus

$318 16.3% 5.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Tampere

$180 9%

Varkaus

$200 10.3% 11.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tampere

$179 8.9%

Varkaus

$162 8.3% 9% $16

Getting Around

Tampere

$95 4.8%

Varkaus

$93 4.8% 2.1% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Tampere

$82 4.1%

Varkaus

$75 3.8% 9.1% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $999 in Tampere versus $769 in Varkaus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Tampere versus $99 in Varkaus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $407 – making Tampere the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Tampere

🇫🇮 Varkaus

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

Same time as Tampere

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

255,066

20,257

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tampere Varkaus 230 km

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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

Tampere vs Varkaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tampere is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,006 per month in Tampere and $2,926 in Varkaus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varkaus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $769 there versus $999 in Tampere.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,004 in Tampere and $1,951 in Varkaus. That makes Varkaus about 3% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Varkaus. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,004 in Tampere and $1,951 in Varkaus, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tampere has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,951 in Varkaus to $2,004 in Tampere. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.