Finland is an affordable country for students, living costs are moderate – way below its Nordic neighbors and larger cities in Europe. As a student in Finland, you are most often entitled to discounts in public transports, recreational facilities, meals etc.
Before the beginning of your studies, it might be a good idea to prepare a budget to roughly calculate your estimated living costs. The budget needs to be sufficiently detailed, however, budgeting is not an easy process, so we made a simple yet realistic expenditure overview.
Budgeting for your studies in Finland
In addition to tuition fees, you need to budget for the following expenses:
The first three items on the list vary a lot in prices, depending on how you like to fly, where and how you will live and what kind of coverage your insurance will have.
Cost of living in Finland
Here you’ll find more detailed information about the costs of living in Finland. Please note that the prices given below are average prices in Finland. Prices may differ between cities, i.e. prices in Helsinki may not be the same as those in Kajaani.
Groceries
| Milk (regular), (1 liter) | € 0.90 |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) | € 1.70 |
| Rice (white), (1kg) | € 1.85 |
| Eggs (10) | € 1.20 |
| Coffee | € 0.84 |
| Chicken Breasts (250g) | € 2.99 |
| Tea | € 2.50 |
| Apples (1kg) | € 1.70 |
| Banana (1kg) | € 1.50 |
| Frozen Pizza | € 2.50 |
| Tomato (1kg) | € 2.85 |
| Potato (1kg) | € 0.90 |
| Onion (1kg) | € 1.15 |
| Lettuce (1 head) | € 1.40 |
| Shampoo | € 2.80 |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | € 15.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.3 can bottle) | € 1.00 |
| Spaghetti | € 1.10 |
| Pack of cigarettes | € 7.00 |
LIDL is a budget-friendly grocery store often used by students, while bigger chains, such as K-Market can be more pricey. Large grocery stores such as Prisma or Citymarket are also a good option for students.
Transportation
| Local transport | € 3.00 |
| Monthly city pass (local) | € 45.00 |
| Gasoline (liter) | € 1.25 |
When it comes to transportation, prices vary depending on the city. For example, Helsinki is almost always on the more expensive side.
Restaurants
| Cup of coffee | € 2.50 |
| Coca-Cola | € 2.50 |
| Meal (inexpensive restaurant) | € 8.00 |
| Meal at fast food chains (McDonald’s, Burger King) | € 5.00 |
If you wish to eat out at a restaurant, prices vary a lot depending on which restaurant you choose. As said in the chart above, you can find inexpensive meals at certain restaurants. A regular price for a good meal is somewhere around 15-20€ in most restaurants. But don’t worry, you can find meals for a very low cost in many places!
Accommodation
| Studio apartment | € 650.00 |
| Apartment with 3 rooms | € 1100.00 |
| Student housing | € 320.00 |
In accommodation, the above examples of rent costs are quite common. Of course, depending on where in Finland you live and whether you are renting a private apartment or a student apartment, the prices can be higher or lower. Sometimes, the rent includes all utilities (usually in student apartments) but especially in the private market you must also pay for water, electricity etc.
Utilities
| Water | € 25.00 |
| Electricity | € 7.00 |
| Wi-Fi | € 20.00 |
As already mentioned in the accommodation part, sometimes the rent doesn’t include utilities. In that case, you need to make other monthly payments for your water usage, for example. The costs of each utility depends on the landlord/provider of the apartment and the chosen telecommunications provider.
Flights
The flights to Finland will probably be the most expensive additional cost to your studies in Finland. Flights are usually the cheapest around 50 days before departure, so once you have received your residence permit, you should go ahead and book your flights to Finland.
Budget for flights: 400-800 EUR
Health Insurance
The price of the health insurance depends on whether you or your family are already on a plan, how much coverage you want etc. There are also some requirements regarding health insurance in terms of getting a residence permit. More information on health insurance.
Budget for health insurance: 200–300 EUR
Student residence permit
The fee for the online application for a residence permit for studies in Finland is 300 EUR. Find out more here.
Budget for a residence permit: 350 EUR
This should get you started on planning your budget for your study journey in Finland! If you want to read more about studying and living in Finland, check some of our other blog posts!
You can also book a FREE counseling session with us, if you want personal assistance and help in getting your questions answered! We are here to help you on your upcoming journey.
