Helsinki vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Helsinki San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1936
$3781
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4390
$8717
🏠 One person rent
$1009
$2600
🏘️ Family rent
$1646
$4501
🍽️ Food expenses
$602
$806
🚐 Transport expenses
$155
$181
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3013
$7795
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
16 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
78
97
😀 Quality of life
95
97
🏙️ Population
676K
874K

The cost of living in Helsinki is 49% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 2046th and 9th ($1936 vs $3781) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 7th in Finland and the United States, respectively. Check Finland vs the United States comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Helsinki compared to 2.1 months in San Francisco. Helsinki ranked 1st best city to live in Finland vs San Francisco ranked 1st in the United States, while ranked 37th and 12th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Helsinki vs San Francisco infographic

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Prices in Helsinki vs San Francisco

Prices for goods and services in Helsinki and San Francisco are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Helsinki San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$15.5
$22.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$84.5
$103
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.8
$12.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$9
$8.68
☕ Cappuccino
$5
$5.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.13
$2.79
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1052
$2707
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$873
$2324
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1924
$5024
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1400
$4030
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$77.1
$138
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$119
$211
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$22.6
$61.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.86%
6.62%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8423
$11577
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5044
$11019
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$3.28
$2.6
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$71.9
$96.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$20
$20.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.1
$1.35
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.47
$1.66
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.74
$4.31
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.82
$5.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.59
$6.2
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$9.03
$23
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.9
$15
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$23
$22.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.52
$6.37
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.95
$3.31
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$5.7
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.94
$7
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.32
$3.91
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.37
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.94
$3.7
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16
$18.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$3.33
🚬 Cigarette pack
$11.5
$13.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.42
$7.97
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.71
$5.38
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.2
$2.89
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$49.5
$91.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$18.7
$17.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$84.6
$132
💇 Haircut, simple
$21.6
$23.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$97.8
$63.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$97.8
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$353
$2916
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$10871
$31050

Cost of living in other countries

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Helsinki

Distance City Cost of living
15 km or 9.2 mi Vantaa
$1782
16 km or 9.7 mi Espoo
$2023
26 km or 16 mi Tuusula
$1570
27 km or 17 mi Kerava
$1532
29 km or 18 mi Kirkkonummi
$1608
33 km or 21 mi Nurmijarvi
$1562
34 km or 21 mi Jarvenpaa
$1631
47 km or 29 mi Porvoo
$1453
49 km or 30 mi Lohja
$1363
51 km or 32 mi Hyvinkaa
$1360
63 km or 39 mi Riihimaki
$1534
78 km or 48 mi Maardu
$1278
83 km or 51 mi Tallinn
$1447
86 km or 53 mi Raseborg
$1525
96 km or 59 mi Hameenlinna
$1431
98 km or 61 mi Lahti
$1453
102 km or 63 mi Salo
$1571
115 km or 72 mi Kotka
$1416
122 km or 76 mi Rakvere
$973
124 km or 77 mi Kouvola
$1447
131 km or 81 mi Valkeakoski
$1584
132 km or 82 mi Hamina
$1439
143 km or 89 mi Kaarina
$1546
150 km or 93 mi Turku
$1591
156 km or 97 mi Raisio
$1544
157 km or 98 mi Kohtla-Jarve
$990
160 km or 100 mi Tampere
$1527
164 km or 102 mi Nokia
$1499
169 km or 105 mi Ylojarvi
$1496
170 km or 106 mi Sastamala
$1469
181 km or 113 mi Sillamae
$979
188 km or 117 mi Jamsa
$1467
201 km or 125 mi Parnu
$1102
203 km or 126 mi Lappeenranta
$1378
203 km or 126 mi Narva
$846
205 km or 127 mi Viljandi
$966
210 km or 131 mi Mikkeli
$1389
214 km or 133 mi Rauma
$1331
224 km or 139 mi Pori
$1325
224 km or 139 mi Tartu
$1120

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3180
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3170
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3274
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3146
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2940
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3082
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3196
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2977
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3152
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3053
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3224
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3048
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3293
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3023
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4155
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3672
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2802
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3473
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2831
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2949
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3804
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2981
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2931
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3442
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2874
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3584
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2714
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$2922
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2767
38 km or 24 mi Union
$2986
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2851
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2885
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3176
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2845
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2726
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3288
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3228
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3010
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3091
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3610