Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Kuressaare

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuressaare: $1,492 a month against $1,683 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Kuressaare
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Kuressaare Living Index

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Tartu

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,683

/mo nomad

Kuressaare

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tartu and in Kuressaare

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 Kuressaare actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,683 per month in Tartu vs $1,492 in Kuressaare, rent included.

Tartu $1,683
Kuressaare $1,492

A couple spends around $2,572 per month in Tartu vs $2,208 in Kuressaare, rent included.

Tartu $2,572
Kuressaare $2,208

A family of three spends $3,461 per month in Tartu vs $2,925 in Kuressaare, rent included.

Tartu $3,461
Kuressaare $2,925

Tartu costs about 13% more than Kuressaare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tartu and Kuressaare sit above the global median – Tartu by 25%, Kuressaare by 10%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 €14.81

$13.51 €12.05

22.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.4 €63.7

$66.4 €59.2

7.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 €9.87

$8.72 €7.78

26.95%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.69

$4.00 €3.57

3.50%

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

$3.33 €2.97

$3.46 €3.09

-3.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.45

$2.80 €2.50

38.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.51 €5.81

$6.40 €5.71

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 €6.36

$5.61 €5.00

27.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.24 €1.11

-3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.90 €1.70

-1.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$2.30 €2.05

5.22%

Eggs

$2.96 €2.64

$2.98 €2.65

-0.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 €11.14

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 €7.81

$8.59 €7.66

1.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 €13.12

$15.04 €13.42

-2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 €1.83

$1.76 €1.57

16.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.44 €1.29

-1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.52 €2.25

0.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

$2.97 €2.65

1.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.93

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 €0.75

$0.89 €0.80

-5.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.87 €1.66

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.20 €1.07

4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.18

$6.62 €5.91

4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 €9.14

$10.14 €9.05

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.87 €1.67

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.20

$2.16 €1.92

13.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.28 €2.04

-28.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.61 €28.19

$28.06 €25.03

12.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 €3.21

$3.66 €3.26

-1.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 €0.88

$0.99 €0.89

-1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.01 €24.09

$27.01 €24.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.74

$2.00 €1.78

-2.50%

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

$27.5K €24.6K

$27.5K €24.5K

0.34%

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

$30.2K €27.0K

$29.3K €26.1K

3.11%

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

$307 €274

$310 €276

-0.85%

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

$17.55 €15.66

$11.33 €10.10

54.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €31.68

$36.43 €32.50

-2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 €37.81

$33.12 €29.55

27.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.92 €31.15

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 €10.53

$11.54 €10.29

2.25%

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

$478 €426

$475 €424

0.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €10.2K

$11.9K €10.7K

-3.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 €96.7

$109 €97.0

-0.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.20 €43.00

$48.38 €43.15

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.4

$104 €93.1

2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$120 €107

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 €577

$511 €455

26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 €412

$329 €293

40.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 €1,086

$657 €586

85.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$850 €758

$495 €441

71.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 €3,441

$4,044 €3,607

-4.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,812 €2,508

$2,476 €2,208

13.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 €1,828

$1,280 €1,141

60.14%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kuressaare: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tartu

$462 27.4%

Kuressaare

$329 22.1% 28.7% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tartu

$360 21.4%

Kuressaare

$358 24% 0.7% $2.7

Eating Out

Tartu

$291 17.3%

Kuressaare

$251 16.8% 14% $41

Groceries & Markets

Tartu

$284 16.9%

Kuressaare

$281 18.8% 1.2% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Tartu

$173 10.3%

Kuressaare

$171 11.5% 0.8% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Tartu

$66 3.9%

Kuressaare

$56 3.8% 14.8% $9.8

Getting Around

Tartu

$47 2.8%

Kuressaare

$46 3.1% 1.8% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $647 in Tartu versus $511 in Kuressaare. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Tartu. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Tartu versus $66 in Kuressaare. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $281 – making Kuressaare the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇪 Tartu

🇪🇪 Kuressaare

🕒 Local time

04:15 4:15 AM

Same time as Tartu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,414

15,170

💱 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 Kuressaare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tartu is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,525 per month in Tartu and $2,238 in Kuressaare. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuressaare, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $511 there versus $647 in Tartu.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,683 in Tartu and $1,492 in Kuressaare. That makes Kuressaare about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $478 per month in Tartu and $475 in Kuressaare. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Tartu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,492 in Kuressaare to $1,683 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 Kuressaare. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tartu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.