Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Rakvere Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Rakvere

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,700 per month in Tartu vs $1,103 in Rakvere, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,590 per month in Tartu vs $1,671 in Rakvere, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,480 per month in Tartu vs $2,240 in Rakvere, rent included.

Tartu costs about 54% more than Rakvere, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Tartu sits 24% above the global median, while Rakvere is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 €15.12

$11.51 €10.03

50.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 €64.6

$66.6 €58.0

11.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €9.95

$11.50 €10.02

-0.70%

Cappuccino

$4.21 €3.67

$3.94 €3.44

6.85%

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

$3.55 €3.09

$2.47 €2.15

43.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.33

$1.63 €1.42

134.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 €5.95

$5.72 €4.99

19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 €6.43

$4.66 €4.06

58.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$0.66 €0.57

92.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.91 €1.67

0.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.38 €2.07

0.42%

Eggs

$3.00 €2.62

$2.03 €1.77

47.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 €11.39

$13.20 €11.51

-1.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 €7.61

$6.83 €5.96

27.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 €13.25

$4.68 €4.08

224.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.18 €1.90

-3.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.44 €1.25

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$2.15 €1.87

16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 €2.68

$2.44 €2.13

25.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.96

$0.78 €0.68

41.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 €0.81

$0.59 €0.52

57.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.88 €1.64

2.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.24 €1.08

0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.20

$6.88 €6.00

3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 €9.33

$10.71 €9.34

-0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.10 €1.83

0.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.14

$2.50 €2.18

-2.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.27 €28.13

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 €3.26

$3.74 €3.26

0.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.89

$1.07 €0.93

-4.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.91 €24.33

$27.24 €23.75

2.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.98 €1.73

-1.52%

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

$29.1K €25.3K

$29.3K €25.5K

-0.63%

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

$32.1K €28.0K

$31.1K €27.1K

3.26%

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

$320 €279

$314 €274

1.79%

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

$18.12 €15.79

$18.52 €16.14

-2.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.10 €32.34

$34.87 €30.40

6.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.07 €35.80

$56.9 €49.62

-27.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.24 €31.59

$23.02 €20.06

57.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 €10.45

$8.21 €7.16

46.04%

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

$440 €383

$447 €389

-1.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €10.8K

$12.0K €10.5K

2.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 €99.9

$113 €98.6

1.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.97 €43.56

$50.0 €43.60

-0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €96.1

$110 €96.2

-0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$122 €106

0.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 €550

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 €381

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 €1,041

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 €674

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,600 €3,138

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,688 €2,343

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,003 €1,746

$1,292 €1,127

55.03%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Rakvere: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 55% higher in Tartu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Tartu versus $67.0 in Rakvere. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $234 – making Rakvere the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,700 in Tartu, $1,103 in Rakvere – roughly 54% apart. Tartu costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,550 per month in Tartu and $1,654 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 $74.0 in Tartu and $67.0 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rakvere, where all-in costs run around $1,103, than in Tartu at $1,700. In Rakvere it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tartu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tartu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,103 in Rakvere to $1,700 in Tartu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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