Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Kajaani Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Kajaani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,812 in Turku versus $1,746 in Kajaani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,895 in Turku versus $2,596 in Kajaani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,977 in Turku versus $3,446 in Kajaani.

Living in Turku is roughly 4% more expensive than Kajaani, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 35% above, Kajaani 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.44 €13.21

$14.88 €12.74

3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €95.1

$47.20 €40.40

135.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 €9.85

$9.70 €8.30

18.66%

Cappuccino

$5.13 €4.39

$4.51 €3.86

13.75%

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

$2.28 €1.95

$2.52 €2.16

-9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.70 €1.45

11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.54 €7.31

$8.13 €6.96

5.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 €6.59

$9.02 €7.72

-14.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.31 €1.12

-3.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 €2.11

$2.31 €1.98

6.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$2.35 €2.01

13.62%

Eggs

$3.09 €2.64

$2.86 €2.45

8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.12 €6.10

$8.67 €7.42

-17.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.06 €12.89

$10.26 €8.78

46.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.70 €16.87

$20.73 €17.74

-4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.91

$2.01 €1.72

10.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.88 €1.61

4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.40 €2.05

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.23

$4.76 €4.07

-20.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.42 €1.21

7.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.84 €1.57

-11.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 €1.77

$1.73 €1.48

19.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.59

$1.40 €1.20

32.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.55 €10.75

$13.71 €11.74

-8.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 €13.44

$15.74 €13.47

-0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.01

$3.01 €2.58

16.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 €3.33

$3.72 €3.19

4.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 €3.05

$3.42 €2.93

4.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 €55.0

$65.5 €56.0

-1.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 €7.62

$8.17 €6.99

8.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.25 €1.07

28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 €44.90

$61.3 €52.4

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.02 €1.73

3.47%

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

$38.8K €33.2K

$35.0K €29.9K

10.86%

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

$37.7K €32.2K

$31.5K €27.0K

19.47%

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

$173 €148

$150 €129

15.30%

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

$30.70 €26.28

$29.48 €25.23

4.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.38 €20.01

$19.29 €16.51

21.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 €40.25

$43.63 €37.35

7.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.26 €22.47

$24.02 €20.56

9.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.24 €14.75

$16.25 €13.91

6.09%

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

$320 €274

$331 €283

-3.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,032 €3,452

$8,072 €6,909

-50.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.1 €69.5

$109 €93.2

-25.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 €30.34

$25.78 €22.07

37.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 €80.4

$57.7 €49.41

62.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.4

$105 €89.9

3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 €671

$787 €673

-0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 €540

$635 €543

-0.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 €1,098

$1,289 €1,104

-0.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 €858

$1,057 €905

-5.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,352 €3,726

$4,127 €3,533

5.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,946 €2,522

$2,331 €1,995

26.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,774 €2,375

$2,135 €1,827

29.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

3.93

1.02%

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

Last update for Turku: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kajaani: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Turku and $787 in Kajaani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 30% 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 $47.00 in Kajaani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $337 per month, with Kajaani cheaper across the board.

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 Kajaani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kajaani wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Turku. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kajaani the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Turku pays 30% 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 $787 in Kajaani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Turku versus $331 in Kajaani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Turku. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,746 in Kajaani versus $1,812 in Turku, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kajaani but tight or insufficient in Turku. The gap between the two cities makes Kajaani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kajaani delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,746 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kajaani hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Turku and Kajaani 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 Kajaani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Turku. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.