How Much Does It Cost to Live in Finland?
The Finns are proud of their splendid nature.
Everyone here has the right to enjoy forests, rivers, northern lights, fresh air, and clean water.
The country with the highest level of life is also known for its exclusive educational system.
Suomi is home to the happiest people in the world.
They host numerous concerts and festivals along with international conferences and meetings, fairs, and skiing competitions.
The cost of living in Finland is one of the highest in the world too.
Let us check the prices to understand why.
Cost of Living Breakdown in Finland
RESTAURANTS
You will certainly find lots of restaurants and bars that you regularly visit in your native city.
Although, you will be certainly impressed with the Finnish home-based restaurants where the hosts will serve you food, drinks, and desserts.
The prices in all the establishments for public catering are similar.
| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $13.05 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $7.07 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.67 |
MARKETS
The biggest and the best markets in Finland are located in big cities like Helsinki, Tampere, Kotka, etc.
They are all very neat and multicolored due to the variety of goods from vegetables and fruits to antique household items that people can buy there.
The best time to go to the market is early in the morning (there are a lot of fresh products) or at the end of the day (the prices are lower than usual).
| Average Market Prices | |
|---|---|
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.07 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.40 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.73 |
TRANSPORTATION
The Finnish transport infrastructure is well-developed and you can use buses, cars, trains, planes, and ferries to travel around the cities or through the country.
Public transport offers monthly passes and fair discounts for students and kids.
The most popular means of transport are trams, buses, and subways.
| Average Transport Prices | |
|---|---|
| One Way Ticket | $3.26 |
| Monthly Pass | $64.94 |
| Gasoline | $2.36 |
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Despite being rich, the Finns are rather economical.
They can switch off the heating for the night and save a good deal of money on electricity if the heating depends on electricity.
Heating takes more than 50% of the sum of the bill.
The Finns save money on clean water since both cold and hot tap water is absolutely drinkable.
| Average Utilities Prices | |
|---|---|
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $122.78 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.07 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $23.04 |
SPORTS & LEISURE
Finland is a sportive country and people here are striving to be fit and healthy.
The Finnish kids are involved in lots of sporting activities like football, gymnastics, ice hockey, and floorball.
Older people run, go to fitness clubs, or do physical exercises at home.
| Average Leisure Prices | |
|---|---|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $41.36 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $26.50 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $16.32 |
CLOTHING & SHOES
Along with the chain stores of the world’s popular brands, Finland is famous for the manufacturing of high-quality winter clothes and shoes, ski gear, home textile, and accessories.
The prices, as well as the quality of the clothes, are high but it is worth buying.
You can go shopping in the malls or order the goods of your interest online.
| Average Clothing Prices | |
|---|---|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $93.08 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $39.40 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $88.64 |
RENT PER MONTH
In Finland, you can find announcements about accommodation rent in the weekly newspapers and in the banks.
Many people are used to looking for apartments on the web, where the largest lists of flats are owned by agent firms.
| Average Rent Prices | |
|---|---|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $875.65 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $708.47 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1386.71 |
HEALTHCARE
Finland offers universal public healthcare funded through taxes and municipal contributions, with no standard monthly insurance premiums.
Private insurance is optional and usually costs 30 to 80 USD per month.
Out-of-pocket expenses average about 600 to 900 USD per person per year, including user fees, dental care, and medications.
With average monthly salaries of around 4,000 USD, healthcare costs are well-controlled and affordable for most residents.
EDUCATION
Public primary and secondary schools are tuition-free, and families usually pay only for materials, meals, and optional activities, roughly $200 to $500 per year.
Private schools charge $10,000 to $25,000 per year.
Public universities charge no tuition for EU/EEA students, while non-EU students pay $8,000 to $15,000 annually.
Students also cover housing, food, transport, and textbooks.
Average monthly income is around $4,500, making public education highly affordable, while private schooling and non-EU tuition are notable expenses.
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Finland?
Markets and monthly rent are two items of expenditure that demand the most money from an average Finnish citizen.
Then there go restaurants and transportation expenses.
People spend the least money on clothing and shoes because they have local manufacturers producing high-quality things.
After all, the Finns prefer visiting restaurants, pubs, and saunas and often use local and private transport to get there.
The time spent at home costs 4.6% of people’s income.
They pay bills for water, electricity, garbage, heating, and housekeeping.
Average Costs Breakdown
Finland: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Finland is a very attractive area for living in since it has a high level of living, a stable economy, and decent salaries.
An average monthly net salary is $2,767.58 which can be earned by either a local person or a foreigner.
The only difference is in the qualification – an educated specialist who meets the strict employer’s requirements can make much more than an average worker after school.
First and foremost, you should have a very good command of the Finnish and English languages and have a degree, as well as work experience.
The mortgage interest rate is one of the lowest in Europe and makes only 1.38% annually.
Finland Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Finland Safety Review
| OVERALL RISK | LOW |
|---|---|
| TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK | LOW |
| PICKPOCKETS RISK | LOW |
| NATURAL DISASTERS RISK | LOW |
| MUGGING RISK | LOW |
| TERRORISM RISK | LOW |
| SCAMS RISK | LOW |
| WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK | LOW |
| TAP WATER RISK | LOW |
Cost of Living by City in Finland
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
 Espoo |
73.78 |
| Helsinki |
80.6 |
| Tampere |
79.04 |
| Turku |
70.13 |
