Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Vaasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Vaasa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,853 in Turku versus $1,772 in Vaasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,872 in Turku versus $2,645 in Vaasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,891 in Turku versus $3,517 in Vaasa.

Living in Turku is roughly 5% more expensive than in Vaasa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Turku 39% above, Vaasa 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 €13.37

$15.13 €13.26

0.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 €96.3

$80.9 €70.9

35.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.15

$10.93 €9.58

5.95%

Cappuccino

$4.87 €4.27

$4.23 €3.70

15.13%

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

$2.16 €1.90

$2.21 €1.93

-2.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.70

$1.95 €1.71

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.49 €7.44

$9.37 €8.21

-9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 €6.74

$6.07 €5.32

26.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.27 €1.12

-2.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 €2.18

$2.38 €2.09

4.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.33

$4.22 €3.69

-36.97%

Eggs

$3.27 €2.87

$3.19 €2.80

2.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 €6.17

$7.06 €6.19

-0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.10 €13.23

$12.44 €10.90

21.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.33 €16.93

$19.83 €17.37

-2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$2.15 €1.88

-0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$2.03 €1.78

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.90 €1.66

1.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.31

$3.93 €3.45

-3.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.36 €1.19

6.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.43

$1.61 €1.41

1.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.00 €1.75

-0.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.92 €1.68

-3.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.54 €10.99

$12.40 €10.87

1.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.33 €14.30

$12.62 €11.06

29.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.01

$3.09 €2.71

11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.42

$3.90 €3.42

0.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 €3.08

$2.09 €1.83

67.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 €55.0

$43.96 €38.51

42.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.07 €7.94

$9.04 €7.92

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.24 €1.08

27.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.1 €44.80

$52.2 €45.75

-2.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.88

$2.07 €1.81

3.38%

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

$38.7K €33.9K

$41.2K €36.1K

-6.03%

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

$36.7K €32.2K

$37.2K €32.6K

-1.31%

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

$173 €151

$191 €167

-9.53%

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

$30.25 €26.51

$30.15 €26.42

0.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.32 €20.43

$23.43 €20.52

-0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.20 €42.23

$39.23 €34.37

22.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.61 €23.32

$18.21 €15.95

46.13%

Cinema Ticket

$17.44 €15.28

$15.21 €13.33

14.66%

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

$316 €277

$315 €276

0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,980 €3,487

$4,062 €3,559

-2.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 €70.5

$80.7 €70.7

-0.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 €30.41

$23.18 €20.31

49.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 €79.9

$92.8 €81.3

-1.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.8

$106 €92.5

3.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 €702

$765 €670

4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 €535

$587 €514

4.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 €1,103

$1,159 €1,015

8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 €880

$836 €733

20.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,258 €3,731

$2,751 €2,410

54.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,879 €2,522

$2,252 €1,973

27.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 €2,389

$3,657 €3,204

-25.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

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

Last update for Turku: July 20, 2026

Last update for Vaasa: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Turku and $765 in Vaasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaasa pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $110 in Turku vs $81.0 in Vaasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $346 per month, with Vaasa 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 Vaasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vaasa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Vaasa. 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 $765 in Vaasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Turku. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Vaasa – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $110 in Turku. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,772 in Vaasa versus $1,853 in Turku, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Vaasa but tight or insufficient in Turku. The gap between the two cities makes Vaasa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

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