Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Salo Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Salo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,960 in Turku versus $1,122 in Salo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,052 in Turku versus $1,905 in Salo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,144 in Turku versus $2,689 in Salo.

Living in Turku is roughly 75% more expensive than in Salo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Turku is 42% above, Salo is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.91 €14.57

$16.95 €14.62

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €90.6

$90.9 €78.4

15.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.55 €10.82

$12.13 €10.46

3.46%

Cappuccino

$4.94 €4.26

$5.46 €4.71

-9.52%

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

$3.00 €2.58

$3.03 €2.61

-0.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.08 €1.79

-2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.71 €8.37

$3.96 €3.41

145.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 €8.34

$9.47 €8.16

2.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.12 €0.97

43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 €2.30

$2.78 €2.39

-3.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 €2.44

$2.49 €2.15

13.65%

Eggs

$3.90 €3.37

$3.39 €2.92

15.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 €7.00

$9.04 €7.79

-10.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.03 €12.96

$14.93 €12.87

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.89 €16.28

$22.54 €19.43

-16.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.39 €2.06

17.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.12 €1.83

8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.56 €2.21

-7.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.03 €3.47

10.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.32 €1.13

12.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.98 €1.71

-19.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.03 €2.61

-33.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.13 €1.84

-10.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 €11.92

$11.87 €10.23

16.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.49 €13.35

$16.55 €14.26

-6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 €3.57

$3.17 €2.73

30.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.21

$3.41 €2.94

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 €3.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 €58.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.98 €7.74

$4.41 €3.80

103.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.40 €1.20

21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.2 €59.6

$68.3 €58.8

1.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.16 €1.86

5.56%

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

$38.0K €32.8K

$38.7K €33.4K

-1.79%

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

$38.6K €33.3K

$39.1K €33.7K

-1.19%

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

$137 €118

$135 €117

1.04%

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

$29.67 €25.58

$25.55 €22.02

16.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.82 €19.67

$25.04 €21.58

-8.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.14 €39.77

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.52 €25.45

$21.97 €18.94

34.37%

Cinema Ticket

$20.37 €17.56

$18.40 €15.86

10.71%

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

$325 €281

$339 €293

-4.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,495 €6,461

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.4 €84.8

$97.5 €84.1

0.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.80 €35.17

$50.4 €43.42

-19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €91.9

$105 €90.4

1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €102

$157 €135

-24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €735

$643 €554

32.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 €592

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 €1,286

$882 €761

69.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,032

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,395 €3,788

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,910 €2,509

$1,394 €1,202

108.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,773 €2,390

$2,727 €2,350

1.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

3.51

12.25%

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

Last update for Turku: September 7, 2026

Last update for Salo: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $853 in Turku and $643 in Salo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 2% 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: $105 in Turku vs $91.0 in Salo. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $388, 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 Salo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku and Salo differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($1,960 vs $1,122 including rent). Salo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $853 in Turku versus $643 in Salo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Turku pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,960 per month in Turku versus $1,122 in Salo – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,122 in Salo versus $1,960 in Turku, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salo but tight or insufficient in Turku. The gap between the two cities makes Salo 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 Salo 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 Salo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Turku. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.