Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Kohtla-Järve

For one person, living is cheaper in Kohtla-Järve: $1,220 a month against $1,688 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Tartu
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Tartu Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Kohtla-Järve
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Kohtla-Järve Living Index

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Tartu

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,688

/mo nomad

Kohtla-Järve

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,220

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tartu and in Kohtla-Järve

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 Kohtla-Järve actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tartu vs $1,220 in Kohtla-Järve, rent included.

Tartu $1,688
Kohtla-Järve $1,220

A couple spends around $2,570 per month in Tartu vs $1,944 in Kohtla-Järve, rent included.

Tartu $2,570
Kohtla-Järve $1,944

A family of three spends $3,452 per month in Tartu vs $2,667 in Kohtla-Järve, rent included.

Tartu $3,452
Kohtla-Järve $2,667

Tartu costs about 38% more than Kohtla-Järve, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Tartu sits 24% above the global median, while Kohtla-Järve is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.92 €15.16

$16.73 €14.99

1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €62.8

$90.8 €81.4

-22.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 €10.15

$11.83 €10.60

-4.23%

Cappuccino

$3.99 €3.57

$4.41 €3.95

-9.52%

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

$3.30 €2.96

$2.15 €1.92

53.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 €3.33

$2.26 €2.03

64.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.65 €5.96

-1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 €6.54

$6.79 €6.08

7.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.13 €1.01

7.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.45 €1.30

33.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.86 €2.56

-19.23%

Eggs

$2.96 €2.66

$3.31 €2.96

-10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 €11.26

$11.14 €9.98

12.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 €7.64

$8.86 €7.94

-3.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 €13.14

$27.20 €24.37

-46.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.34 €2.09

-11.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.39 €1.25

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.67 €2.39

-9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 €2.72

$2.90 €2.60

4.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.82 €0.73

32.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 €0.75

$0.78 €0.70

6.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.68

$2.00 €1.80

-6.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$0.94 €0.84

31.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €6.03

$7.00 €6.27

-3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €9.17

$10.03 €8.99

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.86 €1.66

10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.01 €1.81

21.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

$1.09 €0.98

53.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.43 €27.26

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 €3.12

$6.24 €5.59

-44.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.15 €1.03

-9.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.18 €24.36

$26.56 €23.80

2.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.98 €1.78

-3.54%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$28.2K €25.3K

-1.10%

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

$29.5K €26.4K

$31.0K €27.8K

-4.77%

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

$310 €277

$346 €310

-10.46%

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

$17.74 €15.90

$17.31 €15.51

2.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.35 €32.58

$31.09 €27.86

16.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.46 €38.05

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.84 €30.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 €10.58

$13.38 €11.99

-11.81%

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

$461 €413

$718 €643

-35.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.6K

$10.2K €9,132

16.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €98.4

$102 €91.8

7.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.51 €42.57

$50.6 €45.38

-6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.5

$120 €107

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$137 €123

-11.15%

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 €1,054

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 €759

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,902 €3,496

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,828 €2,534

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,935 €1,734

$954 €855

102.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

3.44

14.24%

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

Last update for Tartu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kohtla-Järve: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tartu

$464 27.5%

Kohtla-Järve

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tartu

$364 21.5%

Kohtla-Järve

$394 32.3% 8.4% $30

Eating Out

Tartu

$293 17.3%

Kohtla-Järve

$287 23.5% 2.1% $6.1

Groceries & Markets

Tartu

$284 16.8%

Kohtla-Järve

$312 25.5% 9.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Tartu

$172 10.2%

Kohtla-Järve

$184 15.1% 7.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Tartu

$66 3.9%

Kohtla-Järve

$27 * 2.2% 59.5% $39

Getting Around

Tartu

$46 2.7%

Kohtla-Järve

$16 * 1.3% 64.2% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Tartu are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Tartu versus $91 in Kohtla-Järve. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $312 – making Tartu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇪 Tartu

🇪🇪 Kohtla-Järve

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

Same time as Tartu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,414

44,500

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tartu Kohtla-Järve 120 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

Tartu vs Kohtla-Järve: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tartu, $1,220 in Kohtla-Järve – Kohtla-Järve comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,532 per month in Tartu and $1,830 in Kohtla-Järve. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Tartu and $91 in Kohtla-Järve. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Tartu – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tartu and $1,220 in Kohtla-Järve, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Tartu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,220 in Kohtla-Järve to $1,688 in Tartu. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Kohtla-Järve. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tartu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.