Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Jakobstad Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Jakobstad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Turku versus $1,661 in Jakobstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,895 in Turku versus $2,581 in Jakobstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,977 in Turku versus $3,501 in Jakobstad.

Living in Turku is roughly 9% more expensive than Jakobstad, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 35% above, Jakobstad 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.44 €13.21

$14.16 €12.12

9.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €95.1

$86.2 €73.8

28.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 €9.85

$11.55 €9.89

-0.35%

Cappuccino

$5.13 €4.39

$4.36 €3.73

17.66%

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

$2.28 €1.95

$2.83 €2.42

-19.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.76 €1.51

7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.54 €7.31

$7.72 €6.61

10.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 €6.59

$8.43 €7.21

-8.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.44 €1.23

-11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.11

$3.03 €2.60

-18.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$2.33 €2.00

14.59%

Eggs

$3.09 €2.64

$3.33 €2.85

-7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.12 €6.10

$8.87 €7.60

-19.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.06 €12.89

$14.82 €12.69

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.70 €16.87

$22.20 €19.00

-11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.91

$2.68 €2.29

-16.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.05 €1.76

-3.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.65 €2.27

-26.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.23

$3.84 €3.28

-1.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.44 €1.23

5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.95 €1.67

-16.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 €1.77

$3.17 €2.72

-34.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.59

$2.01 €1.72

-7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.55 €10.75

$11.67 €9.99

7.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 €13.44

$16.08 €13.76

-2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.01

$3.19 €2.73

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 €3.33

$3.46 €2.96

12.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 €3.05

$3.48 €2.98

2.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 €55.0

$67.8 €58.1

-5.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 €7.62

$6.75 €5.78

31.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.25 €1.07

28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 €44.90

$54.7 €46.78

-4.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.10 €1.79

-0.48%

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

$38.8K €33.2K

$36.3K €31.1K

6.66%

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

$37.7K €32.2K

$39.9K €34.1K

-5.58%

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

$173 €148

$83.5 €71.5

107.46%

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

$30.70 €26.28

$30.25 €25.89

1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.38 €20.01

$25.11 €21.49

-6.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 €40.25

$43.94 €37.61

7.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.26 €22.47

$24.21 €20.72

8.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.24 €14.75

$18.80 €16.09

-8.30%

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

$320 €274

0.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,032 €3,452

$8,011 €6,857

-49.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 €69.5

$86.6 €74.1

-6.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 €30.34

$42.92 €36.74

-17.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 €80.4

$112 €95.8

-16.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.4

$155 €133

-29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 €671

$486 €416

61.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 €540

$522 €447

20.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 €1,098

$915 €783

40.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 €858

$663 €568

51.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,726

$4,206 €3,600

3.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,946 €2,522

$2,242 €1,919

31.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,774 €2,375

$2,325 €1,990

19.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

1.4

183.57%

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

Last update for Turku: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jakobstad: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Turku and $486 in Jakobstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $111 in Turku vs $86.0 in Jakobstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $361 vs $390, with Turku cheaper for home cooking.

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 Jakobstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku and Jakobstad differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,812 vs $1,661 including rent). Jakobstad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Turku pays 19% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $784 in Turku versus $486 in Jakobstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Jakobstad runs roughly 6% less than in Turku. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $320 in Turku versus $320 in Jakobstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,661 in Jakobstad versus $1,812 in Turku, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Jakobstad but tight or insufficient in Turku. The gap between the two cities makes Jakobstad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Turku and Jakobstad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jakobstad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Turku. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.