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: $1,833 in Turku versus $1,889 in Salo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Turku versus $2,974 in Salo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,946 in Turku versus $4,059 in Salo.

Living in Turku costs roughly 3% less than in Salo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 37% above, Salo 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 €13.15

$17.44 €15.00

-12.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €95.8

$102 €88.1

8.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.94

$12.64 €10.88

-8.62%

Cappuccino

$4.95 €4.26

$5.17 €4.45

-4.26%

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

$2.16 €1.86

$2.98 €2.57

-27.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.33 €2.00

-20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.88 €7.64

$4.04 €3.47

119.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 €6.80

$8.08 €6.95

-2.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.12 €0.96

16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.16

$2.61 €2.25

-3.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.80 €2.41

-4.29%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.68

$3.60 €3.09

-13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 €6.20

$9.36 €8.05

-22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.24 €13.11

$14.43 €12.41

5.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.46 €16.74

$22.83 €19.64

-14.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.75 €2.37

-23.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.19 €1.88

-7.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.58 €2.22

-24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 €3.40

$4.77 €4.10

-17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.20 €1.03

25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.80 €1.55

-9.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 €1.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.97 €1.70

-1.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.43 €10.69

$11.72 €10.08

6.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.37 €14.08

$16.29 €14.01

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.01

$3.30 €2.84

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 €3.30

$3.90 €3.35

-1.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €2.94

$3.51 €3.02

-2.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €53.7

$67.0 €57.6

-6.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 €7.54

$7.86 €6.76

11.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.22 €1.05

24.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 €44.53

$69.9 €60.1

-25.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.08 €1.79

2.88%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$36.9K €31.7K

4.55%

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

$37.0K €31.8K

$39.2K €33.7K

-5.61%

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

$176 €151

$124 €107

41.67%

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

$30.12 €25.91

$29.00 €24.94

3.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 €20.19

$24.23 €20.85

-3.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.02 €41.31

$44.23 €38.04

8.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.16 €22.51

$23.85 €20.52

9.69%

Cinema Ticket

$17.35 €14.92

$19.63 €16.89

-11.61%

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

$320 €276

$398 €342

-19.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,124 €3,547

$11.2K €9,615

-63.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.0 €70.5

$109 €93.3

-24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 €29.41

$38.45 €33.08

-11.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 €79.7

$102 €87.6

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.5

$124 €107

-13.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 €672

$767 €660

1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 €546

$637 €548

-0.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,112

$1,304 €1,121

-0.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 €865

$1,049 €903

-4.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,403 €3,787

$4,623 €3,977

-4.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,956 €2,543

$2,185 €1,879

35.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 €2,400

$2,722 €2,341

2.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

4.09

-2.93%

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

Last update for Turku: May 30, 2026

Last update for Salo: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Turku and $767 in Salo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 3% 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 $102 in Salo. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $389, 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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,833 vs $1,889 including rent). Turku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Turku pays 3% 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 $767 in Salo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Salo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Turku – a meal for two runs $111 versus $102 in Salo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,833 in Turku versus $1,889 in Salo, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turku but tight or insufficient in Salo. The gap between the two cities makes Turku 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 Turku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Salo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.