Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Rakvere

For one person, living is cheaper in Rakvere: $1,008 a month against $1,688 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Rakvere
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Rakvere Living Index

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Tartu

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,688

/mo nomad

Rakvere

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tartu and in Rakvere

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tartu vs $1,008 in Rakvere, rent included.

Tartu $1,688
Rakvere $1,008

A couple spends around $2,570 per month in Tartu vs $1,540 in Rakvere, rent included.

Tartu $2,570
Rakvere $1,540

A family of three spends $3,452 per month in Tartu vs $2,072 in Rakvere, rent included.

Tartu $3,452
Rakvere $2,072

Tartu costs about 67% more than Rakvere, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tartu sits 24% above the global median, while Rakvere is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.92 €15.16

$11.33 €10.15

49.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €62.8

$65.0 €58.2

7.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 €10.14

$11.29 €10.11

0.35%

Cappuccino

$3.99 €3.57

$3.83 €3.43

4.18%

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

$3.30 €2.96

$2.38 €2.13

38.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 €3.33

$1.64 €1.47

126.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 €5.89

$5.73 €5.14

14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 €6.54

$4.39 €3.94

66.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.10

$0.65 €0.58

87.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.92 €1.72

1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.07

$2.33 €2.08

-0.86%

Eggs

$2.96 €2.65

$1.93 €1.73

53.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 €11.26

$12.76 €11.42

-1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 €7.63

$6.83 €6.11

24.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 €13.13

$4.48 €4.01

227.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.15 €1.92

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.40 €1.26

2.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.13 €1.91

13.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 €2.72

$2.45 €2.20

23.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.75 €0.67

45.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.53 €0.48

56.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.68

$1.86 €1.67

1.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.19 €1.06

4.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €6.02

$6.84 €6.13

-1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €9.16

$10.41 €9.32

-1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.02 €1.81

1.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.18

$2.46 €2.20

-0.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.43 €27.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 €3.12

$3.55 €3.18

-1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.99 €0.89

5.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.18 €24.35

$27.13 €24.30

0.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.00 €1.79

-4.50%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$27.8K €24.9K

0.53%

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

$29.5K €26.4K

$29.7K €26.6K

-0.61%

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

$310 €277

$312 €279

-0.65%

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

$17.74 €15.89

$17.64 €15.80

0.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.35 €32.56

$35.18 €31.51

3.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.46 €38.03

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.84 €30.31

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 €10.57

$5.08 €4.55

132.28%

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

$461 €413

$476 €427

-3.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.6K

$11.6K €10.4K

2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €98.4

$109 €97.5

0.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.51 €42.55

$48.00 €42.99

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.4

$106 €94.6

-2.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$118 €106

2.72%

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 €1,053

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 €759

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,902 €3,494

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,828 €2,532

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,935 €1,733

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 25, 2026

Last update for Rakvere: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tartu

$464 27.5%

Rakvere

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tartu

$364 21.5%

Rakvere

$364 36.2% 0.2% $0.7

Eating Out

Tartu

$293 17.3%

Rakvere

$224 22.2% 23.5% $69

Groceries & Markets

Tartu

$284 16.8%

Rakvere

$229 22.8% 19.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Tartu

$172 10.2%

Rakvere

$171 17% 0.3% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Tartu

$66 3.9%

Rakvere

$10 * 1% 84.6% $56

Getting Around

Tartu

$46 2.7%

Rakvere

$8.5 * 0.8% 81.4% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Tartu versus $65 in Rakvere. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $229 – making Rakvere the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇪 Tartu

🇪🇪 Rakvere

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

Same time as Tartu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,414

16,953

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tartu Rakvere 110 km

From you

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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 Rakvere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tartu, $1,008 in Rakvere – Rakvere comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,532 per month in Tartu and $1,512 in Rakvere. 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 $65 in Rakvere. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Tartu, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,688 in Tartu and $1,008 in Rakvere, 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 $1,008 in Rakvere 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.