Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Helsinki

For one person, living is cheaper in Turku: $1,877 a month against $2,212 in Helsinki, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Turku
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Turku Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
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Helsinki Living Index

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Turku

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,877

/mo nomad

Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Turku and in Helsinki

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Turku and in Helsinki actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,877 in Turku versus $2,212 in Helsinki.

Turku $1,877
Helsinki $2,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,981 in Turku versus $3,519 in Helsinki.

Turku $2,981
Helsinki $3,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,085 in Turku versus $4,827 in Helsinki.

Turku $4,085
Helsinki $4,827

Living in Turku costs roughly 15% less than in Helsinki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 38% above, Helsinki 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.29 €14.59

$17.99 €16.12

-9.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 €90.4

$113 €101

-10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.34 €11.05

$13.47 €12.06

-8.39%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.19

$5.03 €4.51

-6.96%

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

$2.79 €2.50

$3.42 €3.06

-18.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.70

$2.57 €2.30

-26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.42 €8.44

$9.60 €8.60

-1.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.60 €8.60

$8.86 €7.94

8.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.40

$1.38 €1.24

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.21

$2.80 €2.51

-11.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.40

$2.58 €2.31

3.88%

Eggs

$3.70 €3.32

$3.96 €3.55

-6.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 €6.97

$9.81 €8.78

-20.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.64 €13.11

$13.01 €11.65

12.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 €16.86

$25.18 €22.55

-25.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 €2.50

$2.73 €2.45

2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €2.00

$2.16 €1.93

3.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.51 €2.25

-9.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 €3.90

$3.97 €3.55

9.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.24 €1.11

18.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.43

$1.67 €1.49

-4.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.15 €1.93

-8.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.67 €1.49

8.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.15 €11.78

$14.16 €12.68

-7.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.33 €13.73

$15.50 €13.88

-1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 €3.39

$3.92 €3.51

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 €3.30

$3.86 €3.45

-4.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 €3.23

$3.66 €3.28

-1.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 €57.2

$82.5 €73.9

-22.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.35 €7.48

$16.35 €14.64

-48.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.28 €1.15

19.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.7 €58.8

$75.3 €67.4

-12.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 €2.13

$2.41 €2.16

-1.66%

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

$37.0K €33.1K

$36.5K €32.7K

1.21%

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

$37.9K €34.0K

$38.2K €34.2K

-0.78%

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

$135 €121

$137 €123

-1.88%

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

$29.01 €25.98

$25.56 €22.89

13.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.79 €19.51

$24.00 €21.49

-9.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 €38.77

$44.44 €39.80

-2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.99 €25.96

$38.23 €34.24

-24.17%

Cinema Ticket

$20.86 €18.68

$17.52 €15.69

19.06%

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

$467 €418

$517 €463

-9.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,398 €6,625

$12.8K €11.4K

-42.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 €85.5

$88.8 €79.5

7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.99 €39.39

$43.34 €38.81

1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.1

$103 €92.6

-1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €99.5

$148 €133

-25.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 €767

$1,307 €1,170

-34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 €604

$930 €833

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 €1,323

$2,286 €2,047

-35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,045

$1,673 €1,498

-30.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 €3,739

$9,307 €8,335

-55.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 €2,517

$4,408 €3,947

-36.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,667 €2,388

$3,184 €2,851

-16.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

3.65

7.95%

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

Last update for Turku: October 25, 2026

Last update for Helsinki: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Turku

$674 35.9%

Helsinki

$930 42.1% 38% $256

Groceries & Markets

Turku

$371 19.8%

Helsinki

$388 17.6% 4.6% $17

Eating Out

Turku

$308 16.4%

Helsinki

$334 15.1% 8.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Turku

$186 9.9%

Helsinki

$187 8.5% 0.7% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Turku

$159 8.5%

Helsinki

$173 7.8% 8.9% $14

Getting Around

Turku

$94 5%

Helsinki

$120 5.4% 27.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Turku

$85 4.5%

Helsinki

$79 3.6% 6.5% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $857 in Turku and $1,307 in Helsinki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Turku vs $113 in Helsinki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $388 per month, with Turku cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Turku

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

Same time as Turku

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,889

674,963 Capital

💱 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

Turku vs Helsinki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Turku. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $857 in Turku versus $1,307 in Helsinki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Turku – a meal for two runs $101 versus $113 in Helsinki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,877 per month in Turku versus $2,212 in Helsinki – Turku is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Turku gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Turku is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Helsinki, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Turku and Helsinki are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Turku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Helsinki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.