Helsinki at a glance
- Helsinki is the most expensive of Finland's 9 priced cities: $1,793 a month in essentials, 24% above Kuopio at $1,447.
- The average net salary of $3,180 covers that 1.8×.
- 92.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at kunta level.
- PM2.5 averages 5.4 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. The middle column is the median across the 9 Finland cities we track, so every row says whether Helsinki is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,793 | $1,540 | $253 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $914 | $677 | 1.35× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,256 | $844 | 1.49× as much |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $197 | $197 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $449 | $406 | $43 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $150 | $159 | $9 |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $83 | $67 | $16 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $3,180 | $2,860 | $319 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,740 | $1,101 | 1.58× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $2,424 | $1,395 | 1.74× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Helsinki, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.44 | $16.71 | $1.73 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $115.25 | $92.20 | 1.25× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $14.41 | $12.10 | $2.31 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $5.46 | $5.05 | $0.41 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $9.22 | $8.64 | $0.58 |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $8.07 | $9.22 | $1.15 |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $3.62 | $2.97 | $0.65 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $2.74 | $2.03 | 1.35× as much |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.45 | $1.45 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.51 | $2.63 | $0.12 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $2.72 | $2.79 | $0.07 |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.89 | $3.31 | $0.58 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $9.97 | $9.20 | $0.77 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $13.51 | $14.35 | $0.84 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.80 | $2.62 | $0.18 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.23 | $2.13 | $0.10 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $4.01 | $4.42 | $0.41 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.24 | $1.32 | $0.08 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.72 | $1.72 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.78 | $2.04 | $0.26 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $3.80 | $3.46 | $0.34 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $83.10 | $66.73 | $16.37 |
| Taxi start | $16.60 | $8.76 | 1.89× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.31 | $1.38 | $0.07 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $2.33 | $2.22 | $0.11 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $124.25 | $135.52 | $11.27 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $25.61 | $24.79 | $0.82 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $28.54 | $28.54 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $47.72 | $45.18 | $2.54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $19.59 | $18.44 | $1.15 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Helsinki has 92.5 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (kunta level). That is the lowest of the 10 Finland cities we track. Finland's national figure is 106.5, so Helsinki runs 14 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Helsinki ranks against every city we track
Helsinki sits ahead of 91% of the 898 cities we track on clean air. On women aged 20–39 it is ahead of 87% of 892. Its weakest measure is city-centre rent, ahead of only 22% of 553.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Helsinki sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Michal Pise, Michal.Pise, CC BY 2.0.
