Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkaus and Turku Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkaus and Turku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,972 in Varkaus versus $1,960 in Turku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,105 in Varkaus versus $3,052 in Turku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,238 in Varkaus versus $4,144 in Turku.

Living in Varkaus is roughly 1% more expensive than in Turku, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Varkaus 43% above, Turku 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.21

$16.91 €14.57

-2.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €89.9

$105 €90.6

-0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.31 €10.61

$12.55 €10.82

-1.91%

Cappuccino

$5.48 €4.72

$4.94 €4.26

10.93%

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

$3.65 €3.15

$3.00 €2.58

21.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 €2.49

$2.02 €1.74

42.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.33 €8.04

$9.71 €8.37

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 €8.67

$9.67 €8.34

4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.61 €1.39

-11.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 €2.59

$2.67 €2.30

12.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 €3.25

$2.83 €2.44

33.22%

Eggs

$4.08 €3.51

$3.90 €3.37

4.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 €9.70

$8.11 €7.00

38.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.89 €14.56

$15.03 €12.96

12.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.51 €20.26

$18.89 €16.28

24.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.82 €2.43

-2.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.30 €1.98

-8.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.38 €2.05

42.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 €3.85

$4.46 €3.84

0.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.49 €1.28

-10.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.59 €1.37

12.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 €1.89

$2.01 €1.73

9.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.90 €1.64

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 €11.20

$13.82 €11.92

-6.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 €11.88

$15.49 €13.35

-11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.41

$4.14 €3.57

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.45

$3.72 €3.21

38.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €2.95

$3.64 €3.13

-6.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 €58.9

$67.4 €58.1

1.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.98 €8.60

$8.98 €7.74

11.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.70 €1.47

11.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.9 €45.59

$69.2 €59.6

-23.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.28 €1.97

-2.19%

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

$37.5K €32.4K

$38.0K €32.8K

-1.24%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$38.6K €33.3K

1.31%

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

$113 €97.6

$137 €118

-17.17%

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

$29.48 €25.42

$29.67 €25.58

-0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 €22.15

$22.82 €19.67

12.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.60 €40.17

$46.14 €39.77

1.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 €19.91

$29.52 €25.45

-21.75%

Cinema Ticket

$18.39 €15.85

$20.37 €17.56

-9.72%

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

$350 €301

$325 €281

7.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K €11.2K

$7,495 €6,461

73.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €110

$98.4 €84.8

29.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 €50.8

$40.80 €35.17

44.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 €85.3

$107 €91.9

-7.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 €160

$118 €102

57.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 €706

$853 €735

-3.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 €583

$687 €592

-1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,135

$1,491 €1,286

-11.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €939

$1,197 €1,032

-9.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,094 €3,529

$4,395 €3,788

-6.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,200 €1,896

$2,910 €2,509

-24.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,773 €2,390

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

3.94

-10.91%

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

Last update for Varkaus: September 6, 2026

Last update for Turku: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Varkaus and $853 in Turku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $104 in Varkaus vs $105 in Turku. Groceries flip the comparison at $425 vs $383, 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

Varkaus vs Turku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turku is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,958 in Varkaus and $2,941 in Turku to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $820 in Varkaus versus $853 in Turku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Varkaus. 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 $105 versus $104 in Varkaus. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,960 in Turku versus $1,972 in Varkaus, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turku but tight or insufficient in Varkaus. The gap between the two cities makes Turku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Varkaus and Turku 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 1% less than in Varkaus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.