Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Saue Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Saue

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,605 per month in Tartu vs $1,056 in Saue, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,451 per month in Tartu vs $1,653 in Saue, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,298 per month in Tartu vs $2,250 in Saue, rent included.

Tartu costs about 52% more than Saue, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Tartu sits 20% above the global median, while Saue is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.06 €14.60

$16.52 €14.14

3.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €58.4

$69.6 €59.6

-2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 €8.42

$9.60 €8.22

2.50%

Cappuccino

$3.61 €3.09

$3.74 €3.20

-3.48%

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

$2.55 €2.19

$2.47 €2.11

3.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.39

$2.48 €2.12

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 €4.36

$5.18 €4.44

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 €5.06

$5.85 €5.00

1.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.25 €1.07

2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.49 €1.27

2.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.28 €1.95

4.82%

Eggs

$2.98 €2.55

$2.86 €2.45

4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.29 €10.52

$12.19 €10.44

0.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 €7.25

$8.50 €7.27

-0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.22 €9.60

$11.51 €9.86

-2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.89 €1.62

1.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 €1.38

$1.60 €1.37

1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.12

$2.46 €2.10

0.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.05

$2.38 €2.03

0.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.89

$1.05 €0.90

-0.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.97

$0.97 €0.83

17.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 €1.79

$1.94 €1.66

7.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.89

$1.02 €0.87

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.20 €5.31

$6.48 €5.55

-4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.60 €9.07

$10.61 €9.08

-0.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.98 €1.70

2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.21 €1.89

-4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.96 €25.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 €2.91

$3.32 €2.84

2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.63

$0.69 €0.59

7.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.93 €17.06

$17.18 €14.71

16.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.95 €1.67

-2.05%

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

$29.2K €25.0K

$28.6K €24.4K

2.27%

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

$30.2K €25.9K

$30.7K €26.3K

-1.62%

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

$272 €233

$269 €230

0.99%

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

$22.72 €19.45

$20.17 €17.27

12.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.58 €31.31

$35.62 €30.49

2.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.51 €40.67

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.45 €27.78

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.89

$11.71 €10.02

-1.37%

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

$117 €100

$117 €100.0

0.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,240 €7,053

$7,747 €6,631

6.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 €104

$112 €95.5

9.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.71 €33.99

$39.39 €33.72

0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 €83.2

$97.4 €83.4

-0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €94.1

$110 €93.9

0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 €572

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$441 €378

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 €935

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 €680

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,647 €3,122

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,709 €2,319

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,986 €1,700

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

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

Last update for Tartu: April 28, 2026

Last update for Saue: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Tartu versus $70.0 in Saue. Groceries tell a different story – $265 in Tartu vs $263 in Saue – so Saue wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Saue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tartu is pricier by about 52%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,407 per month in Tartu and $1,585 in Saue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Tartu and $70.0 in Saue. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Saue, where all-in costs run around $1,056, than in Tartu at $1,605. In Saue it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tartu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saue – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Saue. 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.