Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Haapsalu

For one person, living is cheaper in Haapsalu: $1,526 a month against $1,637 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tartu
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Tartu Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Haapsalu
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Haapsalu Living Index

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Tartu

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,637

/mo nomad

Haapsalu

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tartu and in Haapsalu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,637 in Tartu versus $1,526 in Haapsalu.

Tartu $1,637
Haapsalu $1,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,488 in Tartu versus $2,255 in Haapsalu.

Tartu $2,488
Haapsalu $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Tartu versus $2,984 in Haapsalu.

Tartu $3,339
Haapsalu $2,984

Living in Tartu is roughly 7% more expensive than in Haapsalu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tartu 21% above, Haapsalu 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 €15.00

$17.05 €15.17

-1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €62.7

$69.4 €61.7

1.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 €9.96

$10.97 €9.76

2.10%

Cappuccino

$3.98 €3.54

$4.16 €3.70

-4.33%

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

$3.31 €2.95

$3.32 €2.96

-0.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 €3.31

$3.68 €3.27

1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 €5.88

$6.28 €5.59

5.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 €6.35

$7.20 €6.40

-0.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.23 €1.09

-4.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.93 €1.71

0.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 €2.10

$2.31 €2.05

2.16%

Eggs

$2.96 €2.64

$2.93 €2.61

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 €11.31

$12.64 €11.24

0.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$8.34 €7.42

5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.72 €13.10

$15.03 €13.37

-2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.03 €1.81

3.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.50 €1.34

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.42 €2.16

4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 €2.61

$2.98 €2.65

-1.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.04 €0.92

2.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 €0.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.83 €1.63

3.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.18 €1.05

4.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 €5.81

$6.65 €5.92

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 €9.23

$10.29 €9.15

0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.02 €1.80

5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.08

$2.42 €2.15

-3.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.11 €0.98

54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.28 €27.82

$17.05 €15.16

83.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 €3.26

$3.46 €3.08

5.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 €0.87

$0.99 €0.88

-1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.75 €23.79

$26.92 €23.95

-0.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.72

$1.92 €1.70

1.04%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$27.9K €24.8K

-0.48%

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

$31.0K €27.6K

$30.5K €27.1K

1.78%

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

$304 €271

$309 €275

-1.60%

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

$17.46 €15.53

$17.66 €15.71

-1.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.04 €31.17

$35.39 €31.48

-0.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.85 €34.56

$43.90 €39.05

-11.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.12 €30.35

$28.34 €25.21

20.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.61 €10.33

$6.58 €5.85

76.44%

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

$433 €385

$438 €390

-1.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.6K

$12.0K €10.7K

-1.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €97.0

$111 €98.7

-1.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.46 €42.22

$49.06 €43.63

-3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €93.5

$105 €93.1

0.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €105

$117 €104

0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 €562

$396 €352

59.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 €376

$330 €293

28.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 €1,018

$510 €453

124.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 €663

$440 €392

69.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 €3,143

$2,248 €1,999

57.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,588 €2,302

$1,660 €1,476

55.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,921 €1,709

$1,392 €1,238

38.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

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

Last update for Tartu: October 11, 2026

Last update for Haapsalu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tartu

$423 25.8%

Haapsalu

$330 21.6% 22% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tartu

$357 21.8%

Haapsalu

$362 23.7% 1.5% $5.5

Eating Out

Tartu

$292 17.8%

Haapsalu

$293 19.2% 0.4% $1.2

Groceries & Markets

Tartu

$286 17.5%

Haapsalu

$283 18.5% 1.1% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Tartu

$171 10.4%

Haapsalu

$172 11.3% 0.5% $0.9

Sport & Entertainment

Tartu

$62 3.8%

Haapsalu

$57 3.7% 8.1% $5

Getting Around

Tartu

$47 2.9%

Haapsalu

$30 2% 36% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $632 in Tartu and $396 in Haapsalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tartu pays 38% 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: $70.0 in Tartu vs $69.0 in Haapsalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $283 per month, with Haapsalu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇪 Tartu

🇪🇪 Haapsalu

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

Same time as Tartu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,414

11,593

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Tartu vs Haapsalu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tartu and Haapsalu differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,637 vs $1,526 including rent). Haapsalu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% higher in Tartu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $632 in Tartu versus $396 in Haapsalu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,637 per month in Tartu versus $1,526 in Haapsalu – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haapsalu runs roughly 83% less than in Tartu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,526 in Haapsalu versus $1,637 in Tartu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Haapsalu but tight or insufficient in Tartu. The gap between the two cities makes Haapsalu 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, Tartu and Haapsalu 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 Haapsalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Tartu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.