Tartu at a glance
- Tartu is the cheapest of Estonia's 2 priced cities: $1,329 a month in essentials, 13% below Tallinn at $1,535.
- The average net salary of $1,983 covers that 1.5×.
- 101.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at omavalitsus level.
- PM2.5 averages 6.5 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,329 |
|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $445 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $653 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $145 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $372 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $335 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $32 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,983 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $790 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,156 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Tartu, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17.29 |
|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $74.91 |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $11.53 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $4.13 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $5.88 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $7.49 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $3.47 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $3.89 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.30 |
|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.81 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.42 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.01 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $13.09 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $8.84 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.15 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.53 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.11 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.09 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $0.90 |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.25 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.73 |
|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $31.98 |
| Taxi start | $3.69 |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.04 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.96 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $298.52 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $36.87 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $18.12 |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $41.00 |
|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $12.02 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Tartu has 101.2 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (omavalitsus level). That is the lowest of the 10 Estonia cities we track. Estonia's national figure is 108.2, so Tartu runs 7 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Tartu ranks against every city we track
Tartu sits ahead of 86% of the 898 cities we track on clean air. On safety it is ahead of 85% of 562. Its weakest measure is cost of living, ahead of only 40% of 542.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Tartu sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Boreaallane, CC BY-SA 4.0.
