Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkaus and Espoo

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkaus: $1,951 a month against $2,227 in Espoo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Varkaus
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Varkaus Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Espoo
Learn more

Espoo Living Index

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Varkaus

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,951

/mo nomad

Espoo

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Varkaus and in Espoo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Varkaus and in Espoo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,951 per month in Varkaus vs $2,227 in Espoo, rent included.

Varkaus $1,951
Espoo $2,227

A couple spends around $2,965 per month in Varkaus vs $3,547 in Espoo, rent included.

Varkaus $2,965
Espoo $3,547

A family of three spends $3,979 per month in Varkaus vs $4,866 in Espoo, rent included.

Varkaus $3,979
Espoo $4,866

Varkaus is about 12% cheaper than Espoo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Varkaus and Espoo sit above the global median – Varkaus by 43%, Espoo by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €14.29

$15.68 €14.09

1.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 €89.3

$100 €89.9

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 €11.10

$12.52 €11.25

-1.28%

Cappuccino

$5.48 €4.92

$5.51 €4.95

-0.54%

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

$3.52 €3.17

$3.55 €3.19

-0.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.54

$2.73 €2.46

3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.10 €8.17

$9.16 €8.23

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 €7.73

$8.42 €7.56

2.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.30

$1.40 €1.25

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.93 €2.63

0.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 €3.20

$3.64 €3.27

-1.92%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.60

$4.18 €3.75

-4.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 €9.53

$10.51 €9.44

0.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 €14.88

$16.61 €14.92

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €18.13

$20.82 €18.70

-3.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.34

$2.60 €2.34

0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.93

$2.08 €1.86

3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €3.08

$3.44 €3.09

-0.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 €4.50

$4.95 €4.45

1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.20 €1.08

0.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 €2.04

$2.38 €2.14

-4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.63

$1.88 €1.68

-3.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 €11.10

$12.41 €11.15

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 €12.09

$13.34 €11.98

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 €3.27

$3.79 €3.40

-3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 €4.41

$4.90 €4.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 €3.02

$3.56 €3.20

-5.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 €55.2

$80.0 €71.9

-23.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 €8.54

$9.59 €8.61

-0.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 €1.62

$1.75 €1.57

2.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.7 €45.57

$51.5 €46.29

-1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 €2.12

$2.33 €2.10

1.29%

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

$36.9K €33.1K

$36.1K €32.4K

2.15%

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

$37.7K €33.9K

$37.3K €33.5K

1.24%

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

$107 €95.9

$107 €96.1

-0.23%

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

$26.75 €24.03

$26.05 €23.41

2.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.89 €25.95

$29.80 €26.77

-3.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.81 €34.86

$54.1 €48.59

-28.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.47 €21.98

$42.92 €38.55

-42.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 €16.14

$17.65 €15.86

1.81%

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

$727 €653

$730 €656

-0.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K €11.4K

$19.2K €17.2K

-33.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €109

$123 €111

-1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 €50.7

$56.7 €51.0

-0.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 €81.8

$89.5 €80.4

1.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$176 €158

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$769 €691

$1,111 €998

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 €624

$935 €840

-25.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 €1,084

$2,168 €1,947

-44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 €832

$1,719 €1,544

-46.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,234 €3,803

$6,070 €5,452

-30.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,886 €1,694

$4,158 €3,735

-54.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,301 €2,965

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.59

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

Last update for Varkaus: October 26, 2026

Last update for Espoo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Varkaus

$695 35.6%

Espoo

$935 42% 34.5% $240

Groceries & Markets

Varkaus

$407 20.9%

Espoo

$410 18.4% 0.8% $3.2

Eating Out

Varkaus

$318 16.3%

Espoo

$317 14.2% 0.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Varkaus

$200 10.3%

Espoo

$201 9% 0.3% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varkaus

$162 8.3%

Espoo

$163 7.3% 0.3% $0.5

Getting Around

Varkaus

$93 4.8%

Espoo

$113 5.1% 20.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Varkaus

$75 3.8%

Espoo

$89 4% 19.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $769 in Varkaus versus $1,111 in Espoo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Varkaus versus $100 in Espoo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $410 – making Varkaus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Varkaus

🇫🇮 Espoo

🕒 Local time

20:46 8:46 PM

Same time as Varkaus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,257

314,152

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Varkaus Espoo 290 km

From you

Varkaus
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Varkaus vs Espoo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Espoo is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,926 per month in Varkaus and $3,341 in Espoo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varkaus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $769 there versus $1,111 in Espoo.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Varkaus. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Varkaus and $730 in Espoo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,951 in Varkaus and $2,227 in Espoo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Espoo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,951 in Varkaus to $2,227 in Espoo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.