Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Kajaani

For one person, living is cheaper in Kajaani: $1,812 a month against $1,890 in Turku, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Turku, Finland
Kajaani, Finland
Turku
🇫🇮 Finland
$1,890
/mo nomad
Kajaani
🇫🇮 Finland
$1,812
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Turku and in Kajaani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,890 in Turku versus $1,812 in Kajaani.

  • Turku $1,890
  • Kajaani $1,812

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,992 in Turku versus $2,744 in Kajaani.

  • Turku $2,992
  • Kajaani $2,744

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,093 in Turku versus $3,676 in Kajaani.

  • Turku $4,093
  • Kajaani $3,676

Living in Turku is roughly 4% more expensive than in Kajaani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 40% above, Kajaani 34% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.52 €14.77
$16.58 €14.82
-0.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 €91.1
$65.3 €58.4
55.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.48 €11.16
$10.28 €9.19
21.40%
Cappuccino
$4.75 €4.24
$4.51 €4.03
5.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 €2.50
$2.47 €2.21
13.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.70 €1.52
10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.43 €8.44
$8.33 €7.44
13.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.66 €8.64
$7.46 €6.67
29.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 €1.41
$1.48 €1.33
6.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 €2.19
$2.57 €2.30
-4.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.63 €2.35
$2.26 €2.02
16.37%
Eggs
$3.58 €3.20
$2.85 €2.55
25.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.98 €7.13
$8.39 €7.50
-4.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.38 €12.86
$11.86 €10.61
21.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.75 €16.77
$23.19 €20.74
-19.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$2.46 €2.20
9.35%
Banana (1kg)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.09 €1.87
2.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 €2.08
$2.38 €2.13
-2.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 €4.03
$3.93 €3.51
14.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 €1.26
$1.51 €1.35
-6.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$2.19 €1.96
-27.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.93 €1.73
$1.47 €1.32
31.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 €1.70
$1.79 €1.60
6.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.49 €12.06
$13.33 €11.92
1.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.16 €13.56
$13.36 €11.95
13.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.98 €3.56
$3.10 €2.78
28.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 €3.33
$3.45 €3.09
8.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.45 €3.09
$3.42 €3.06
0.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.8 €56.2
$64.4 €57.6
-2.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.25 €7.38
$8.46 €7.56
-2.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.39 €1.24
10.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$64.8 €58.0
$65.3 €58.4
-0.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.36 €2.11
$2.30 €2.06
2.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K €32.9K
$36.8K €32.9K
-0.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.3K €33.3K
$38.2K €34.2K
-2.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$133 €119
$143 €128
-7.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.19 €26.10
$29.59 €26.46
-1.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.53 €20.15
$21.80 €19.50
3.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.08 €38.52
$42.89 €38.35
0.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.01 €25.05
$22.47 €20.10
24.66%
Cinema Ticket
$21.02 €18.80
$19.20 €17.17
9.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$551 €493
$389 €348
41.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.1K €9,069
$12.5K €11.2K
-19.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.3 €84.3
$90.2 €80.6
4.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.53 €38.93
$27.83 €24.89
56.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 €93.1
$56.3 €50.3
85.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 €98.3
$149 €134
-26.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$850 €760
$797 €712
6.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$687 €614
$651 €582
5.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,469 €1,314
$1,208 €1,080
21.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,171 €1,047
$1,028 €919
13.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,148 €3,709
$4,073 €3,642
1.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,793 €2,498
$2,175 €1,945
28.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Turku
Kajaani
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,643 €2,364
$2,017 €1,803
31.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.94
4.33
-9.01%

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

Last update for Turku: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kajaani: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Turku
$687
Kajaani
$651 5.2% $36
Groceries & Markets
Turku
$371
Kajaani
$355 4.4% $16
Eating Out
Turku
$312
Kajaani
$291 6.7% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Turku
$185
Kajaani
$195 5.4% $10
Clothing & Footwear
Turku
$158
Kajaani
$146 8% $13
Getting Around
Turku
$93
Kajaani
$93 1.1% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Turku
$85
Kajaani
$81 4.5% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $850 in Turku and $797 in Kajaani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $102 in Turku vs $65 in Kajaani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $355 per month, with Kajaani cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇮 Turku
🇫🇮 Kajaani
🕒 Local time
03:35 3:35 AM
03:35 3:35 AM
Same time as Turku
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
201,889
36,492
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Turku Kajaani 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Turku
  • Kajaani

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
Turku vs Kajaani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Turku or Kajaani?
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.
Are salaries higher in Turku or in Kajaani?
Average pay runs 31% higher in Turku, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Turku compared to Kajaani?
Rent for a central apartment: $850 in Turku versus $797 in Kajaani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Turku and in Kajaani?
Childcare runs $551 in Turku versus $389 in Kajaani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Turku or in Kajaani?
Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Turku. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Turku or Kajaani?
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.
How safe is Turku compared to Kajaani?
Safety-wise, Turku and Kajaani are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Turku or to Kajaani?
It comes down to priorities – Kajaani wins on affordability, Turku on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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