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: $1,830 in Turku versus $1,670 in Jakobstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Turku versus $2,538 in Jakobstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,922 in Turku versus $3,406 in Jakobstad.

Living in Turku is roughly 10% more expensive than in Jakobstad, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 38% above, Jakobstad 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.37 €13.35

$13.77 €11.96

11.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €95.7

$84.8 €73.7

29.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.20

$11.17 €9.70

5.10%

Cappuccino

$4.96 €4.31

$4.20 €3.65

18.10%

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

$2.21 €1.92

$2.72 €2.37

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.73 €1.50

8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.76 €7.61

$7.31 €6.36

19.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 €6.60

$8.18 €7.10

-7.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.39 €1.21

-11.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 €2.11

$3.05 €2.65

-20.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.42

$2.38 €2.07

17.23%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.73

$3.37 €2.93

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 €6.11

$8.73 €7.58

-19.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.26 €13.26

$14.74 €12.80

3.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.76 €17.17

$22.84 €19.85

-13.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.60 €2.26

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.69

$2.13 €1.85

-8.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.64

$2.67 €2.32

-29.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 €3.44

$3.70 €3.21

7.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.44 €1.25

5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.93 €1.68

-12.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 €1.80

$3.11 €2.70

-33.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.05 €1.78

-9.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.24 €10.64

$11.79 €10.24

3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.37 €14.22

$16.26 €14.13

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 €2.94

$3.21 €2.78

5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.48

$3.49 €3.04

14.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 €3.03

$3.57 €3.10

-2.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 €55.1

$67.5 €58.7

-6.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 €7.70

$6.99 €6.07

26.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.20 €1.05

30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.0 €45.13

$55.3 €48.07

-6.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.08 €1.81

-1.92%

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

$37.9K €32.9K

$35.5K €30.8K

6.78%

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

$37.5K €32.6K

$39.9K €34.7K

-5.97%

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

$170 €148

$83.8 €72.8

103.11%

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

$29.67 €25.78

$29.65 €25.76

0.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.80 €19.81

$24.36 €21.17

-6.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.74 €41.47

$43.16 €37.49

10.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 €22.84

$23.89 €20.76

10.05%

Cinema Ticket

$17.45 €15.16

$18.23 €15.84

-4.28%

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

$317 €275

$326 €283

-2.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,062 €3,529

$7,922 €6,882

-48.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 €71.7

$87.0 €75.6

-5.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 €30.22

$42.73 €37.13

-18.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 €81.8

$111 €96.7

-15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €92.1

$156 €135

-31.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 €680

$478 €415

63.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 €547

$524 €455

20.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 €1,092

$896 €778

40.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 €847

$665 €578

46.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,228 €3,673

$4,193 €3,643

0.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,808 €2,439

$2,174 €1,889

29.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,712 €2,356

$2,251 €1,956

20.49%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Jakobstad: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $783 in Turku and $478 in Jakobstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 20% 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: $110 in Turku vs $85.0 in Jakobstad. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $391, 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,830 vs $1,670 including rent). Jakobstad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Turku, 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: $783 in Turku versus $478 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 7% less than in Turku. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $317 in Turku versus $326 in Jakobstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,670 in Jakobstad versus $1,830 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 10% less than in Turku. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.