Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tartu and Viljandi

For one person, living is cheaper in Viljandi: $1,251 a month against $1,688 in Tartu, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Tartu
Learn more

Tartu Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Viljandi
Learn more

Viljandi Living Index

Jump to prices

Tartu

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,688

/mo nomad

Viljandi

🇪🇪 Estonia

$1,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tartu and in Viljandi

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tartu vs $1,251 in Viljandi, rent included.

Tartu $1,688
Viljandi $1,251

A couple spends around $2,570 per month in Tartu vs $1,983 in Viljandi, rent included.

Tartu $2,570
Viljandi $1,983

A family of three spends $3,452 per month in Tartu vs $2,715 in Viljandi, rent included.

Tartu $3,452
Viljandi $2,715

Tartu costs about 35% more than Viljandi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Tartu sits 24% above the global median, while Viljandi is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.92 €15.20

$16.99 €15.26

-0.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €63.0

$87.9 €78.9

-20.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 €10.17

$11.71 €10.52

-3.25%

Cappuccino

$3.99 €3.58

$4.28 €3.84

-6.78%

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

$3.30 €2.97

$2.23 €2.00

47.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 €3.34

$2.31 €2.08

60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 €5.91

$6.77 €6.08

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 €6.56

$6.58 €5.91

10.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.10

$1.09 €0.98

11.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.74

$1.46 €1.31

32.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.08

$2.84 €2.55

-18.66%

Eggs

$2.96 €2.66

$3.20 €2.88

-7.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 €11.29

$11.05 €9.93

13.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 €7.65

$8.91 €8.00

-4.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 €13.17

$27.76 €24.94

-47.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.85

$2.29 €2.05

-10.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.29

$1.41 €1.26

2.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$2.67 €2.40

-9.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 €2.72

$2.85 €2.56

6.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 €0.98

$0.81 €0.73

34.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 €0.75

$0.82 €0.74

1.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.69

$2.07 €1.86

-9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.11

$0.99 €0.89

25.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 €6.04

$6.97 €6.26

-3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 €9.19

$10.00 €8.98

2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.85

$1.93 €1.73

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 €2.19

$2.04 €1.83

19.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.43 €27.33

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 €3.13

$6.09 €5.47

-42.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.93

$1.20 €1.08

-13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.18 €24.42

$26.71 €24.00

1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.72

$2.00 €1.80

-4.50%

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

$27.9K €25.1K

$28.0K €25.2K

-0.45%

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

$29.5K €26.5K

$30.6K €27.5K

-3.63%

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

$310 €278

$342 €307

-9.55%

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

$17.74 €15.94

$17.56 €15.77

1.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.35 €32.66

$32.47 €29.17

11.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.46 €38.14

$33.35 €29.96

27.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.84 €30.40

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 €10.60

$13.44 €12.07

-12.20%

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

$461 €414

$715 €642

-35.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.6K

$9,966 €8,953

18.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €98.7

$104 €93.0

6.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.51 €42.67

$51.5 €46.23

-7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.7

$121 €109

-14.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$136 €123

-10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 €576

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 €417

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 €1,056

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 €761

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,902 €3,505

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,828 €2,540

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,935 €1,738

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 Viljandi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tartu

$464 27.5%

Viljandi

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tartu

$364 21.5%

Viljandi

$392 31.4% 7.9% $29

Eating Out

Tartu

$293 17.3%

Viljandi

$288 23% 1.8% $5.2

Groceries & Markets

Tartu

$284 16.8%

Viljandi

$313 25.1% 10.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Tartu

$172 10.2%

Viljandi

$186 14.8% 7.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Tartu

$66 3.9%

Viljandi

$60 4.8% 8.8% $5.8

Getting Around

Tartu

$46 2.7%

Viljandi

$12 * 1% 73.6% $34

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 $88 in Viljandi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $313 – making Tartu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇪 Tartu

🇪🇪 Viljandi

🕒 Local time

22:28 10:28 PM

Same time as Tartu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

102,414

19,100

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tartu Viljandi 66 km

From you

Tartu
Viljandi

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 Viljandi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,688 in Tartu, $1,251 in Viljandi – Viljandi comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,532 per month in Tartu and $1,877 in Viljandi. 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 $88 in Viljandi. 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 $1,251 in Viljandi, 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 $1,251 in Viljandi 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.