Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Oulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Oulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,833 in Turku versus $1,954 in Oulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Turku versus $3,024 in Oulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,946 in Turku versus $4,094 in Oulu.

Living in Turku costs roughly 6% less than in Oulu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 37% above, Oulu 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 €13.15

$16.41 €14.11

-6.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €95.8

$116 €100

-4.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.94

$14.57 €12.54

-20.73%

Cappuccino

$4.95 €4.26

$4.86 €4.18

1.85%

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

$2.16 €1.86

$3.00 €2.58

-28.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.20 €1.90

-15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.88 €7.64

$8.21 €7.06

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 €6.80

$8.29 €7.13

-4.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.18 €1.01

10.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.16

$2.53 €2.17

-0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.84 €2.45

-5.63%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.68

$3.37 €2.90

-7.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 €6.20

$7.75 €6.67

-6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.24 €13.11

$15.29 €13.15

-0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.46 €16.74

$22.16 €19.07

-12.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.42 €2.08

-12.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.01 €1.73

-2.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 €3.40

$4.13 €3.55

-4.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.20 €1.04

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.71 €1.47

-4.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.46 €2.11

-16.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.64 €1.41

18.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.43 €10.69

$11.75 €10.11

5.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.37 €14.08

$13.81 €11.88

18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.01

$3.69 €3.18

-5.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 €3.30

$3.68 €3.17

4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €2.94

$3.18 €2.73

7.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €53.7

$58.2 €50.1

7.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 €7.54

$7.56 €6.50

15.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.81 €1.56

-16.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 €44.53

$65.8 €56.6

-21.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.15 €1.85

-0.47%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$33.7K €29.0K

14.35%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$38.8K €33.3K

-4.45%

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

$176 €151

$107 €92.3

63.74%

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

$30.12 €25.91

$31.69 €27.26

-4.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 €20.19

$27.48 €23.64

-14.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.02 €41.31

$35.95 €30.92

33.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.16 €22.51

$31.43 €27.03

-16.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.35 €14.92

$17.48 €15.04

-0.74%

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

$320 €276

$356 €306

-9.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,124 €3,547

$11.5K €9,902

-64.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.0 €70.5

$90.0 €77.4

-8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 €29.41

$48.15 €41.42

-28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 €79.7

$116 €99.6

-20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.5

$204 €176

-47.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 €672

$740 €636

5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 €546

$705 €607

-10.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,112

$1,363 €1,173

-5.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 €865

$1,089 €937

-7.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,403 €3,787

$4,221 €3,631

4.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,956 €2,543

$1,887 €1,624

56.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 €2,400

$2,587 €2,226

7.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

3.87

2.58%

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

Last update for Turku: May 30, 2026

Last update for Oulu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Turku and $740 in Oulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $111 in Turku vs $116 in Oulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $371 per month, with Turku 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 Oulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Oulu. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Turku the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Turku pays 8% 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: $782 in Turku versus $740 in Oulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Turku – a meal for two runs $111 versus $116 in Oulu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,833 per month in Turku versus $1,954 in Oulu – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,833 in Turku versus $1,954 in Oulu, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turku but tight or insufficient in Oulu. The gap between the two cities makes Turku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Turku delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,833 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Turku hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Turku and Oulu 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 7% less than in Oulu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.