Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Kiel Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Kiel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,853 in Turku versus $1,951 in Kiel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,872 in Turku versus $2,936 in Kiel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,891 in Turku versus $3,920 in Kiel.

Living in Turku costs roughly 5% less than in Kiel, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 39% above, Kiel 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 €13.37

$17.47 €15.31

-12.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €96.3

$78.4 €68.7

40.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.15

$11.44 €10.02

1.22%

Cappuccino

$4.87 €4.27

$4.14 €3.63

17.63%

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

$2.16 €1.90

$3.34 €2.92

-35.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.70

$2.27 €1.99

-14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.49 €7.44

$5.83 €5.10

45.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 €6.74

$4.66 €4.08

65.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.26 €1.10

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 €2.18

$2.14 €1.88

16.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.33

$3.34 €2.92

-20.36%

Eggs

$3.27 €2.87

$3.84 €3.37

-14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 €6.17

$14.61 €12.80

-51.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.10 €13.23

$13.59 €11.91

11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.33 €16.93

$22.13 €19.39

-12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$3.18 €2.78

-33.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$1.71 €1.50

15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$2.17 €1.90

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.31

$5.13 €4.50

-26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.50 €1.31

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.43

$1.45 €1.27

12.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.91 €1.67

4.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.86 €0.76

116.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.54 €10.99

$9.89 €8.67

26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.33 €14.30

$6.09 €5.33

168.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.01

$1.08 €0.95

218.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.42

$1.59 €1.39

145.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 €3.08

$2.77 €2.43

26.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 €55.0

$56.9 €49.84

10.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.07 €7.94

$4.77 €4.18

90.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.12 €1.86

-25.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.1 €44.80

$25.76 €22.57

98.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.88

$2.09 €1.83

2.39%

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

$38.7K €33.9K

$30.8K €27.0K

25.42%

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

$36.7K €32.2K

$36.5K €32.0K

0.53%

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

$173 €151

$333 €292

-48.20%

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

$30.25 €26.51

$24.43 €21.41

23.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.32 €20.43

$54.1 €47.40

-56.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.20 €42.23

$37.43 €32.79

28.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.61 €23.32

$23.43 €20.53

13.57%

Cinema Ticket

$17.44 €15.28

$17.68 €15.49

-1.36%

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

$316 €277

$310 €272

1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,980 €3,487

$9,080 €7,955

-56.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 €70.5

$77.0 €67.4

4.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 €30.41

$45.82 €40.14

-24.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 €79.9

$101 €88.3

-9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.8

$131 €115

-16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 €702

$660 €578

21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 €535

$619 €543

-1.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 €1,103

$1,610 €1,410

-21.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 €880

$1,078 €944

-6.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,258 €3,731

$5,447 €4,772

-21.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,879 €2,522

$2,800 €2,453

2.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 €2,389

$3,329 €2,917

-18.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

3.96

0.25%

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

Last update for Turku: July 20, 2026

Last update for Kiel: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Turku and $660 in Kiel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kiel pays 22% 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 $78.0 in Kiel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $348 per month, with Kiel 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 Kiel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Kiel. 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: $801 in Turku versus $660 in Kiel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kiel pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Turku – a meal for two runs $110 versus $78.0 in Kiel. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,853 in Turku versus $1,951 in Kiel, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turku but tight or insufficient in Kiel. The gap between the two cities makes Turku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Turku and Kiel 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 Turku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Kiel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.