Helsinki vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Helsinki San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1947
$4110
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$4629
$8713
🏠 One person rent
$972
$2867
🏘️ Family rent
$1698
$4681
🍽️ Food expenses
$616
$852
🚐 Transport expenses
$167
$178
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$3432
$7086
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
16 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
78
97
😀 Quality of life
96
97
🏙️ Population
687K
874K

The cost of living in Helsinki is 53% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 2171st and 5th ($1947 vs $4110) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 3rd 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 1.8 months in Helsinki compared to 1.7 months in San Francisco. Helsinki ranked 1st best city to live in Finland vs San Francisco ranked 3rd in the United States, while ranked 30th and 20th 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
$15.4
$25.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$85
$117
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.6
$13.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.72
$8.01
☕ Cappuccino
$5.31
$5.95
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.3
$3.33
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1053
$3192
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$832
$2524
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1869
$4937
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1486
$4262
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$73
$141
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$113
$216
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$23.3
$68.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.92%
6.33%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9157
$10657
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5238
$9554
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$3.71
$3.02
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$81.2
$90.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$20.8
$20.8
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$2.05
$1.31
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.38
$1.54
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.34
$4.86
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.41
$5.6
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.07
$7.07
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10
$23.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15
$14
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$23.3
$24.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$6.97
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.21
$2.83
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$5.24
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.48
$6.95
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.33
$3.68
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.72
$3.99
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.3
$1.86
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.25
$3.36
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$17
$18.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.28
$2.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13
$14
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.5
$11.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$3.57
$8.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.85
$6.99
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.14
$2.46
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$47.1
$101
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$18.5
$17.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$123
$149
💇 Haircut, simple
$20
$33.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$105
$68.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$110
$104
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$418
$1880
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$13230
$18564

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
$1881
16 km or 9.7 mi Espoo
$1937
26 km or 16 mi Tuusula
$1655
27 km or 17 mi Kerava
$1611
29 km or 18 mi Kirkkonummi
$1737
33 km or 21 mi Nurmijarvi
$1642
34 km or 21 mi Jarvenpaa
$1783
47 km or 29 mi Porvoo
$1561
49 km or 30 mi Lohja
$1383
51 km or 32 mi Hyvinkaa
$1546
63 km or 39 mi Riihimaki
$1394
78 km or 48 mi Maardu
$1372
83 km or 51 mi Tallinn
$1601
86 km or 53 mi Raseborg
$1566
96 km or 59 mi Hameenlinna
$1444
98 km or 61 mi Lahti
$1618
102 km or 63 mi Salo
$1589
115 km or 72 mi Kotka
$1516
122 km or 76 mi Rakvere
$999
124 km or 77 mi Kouvola
$1561
131 km or 81 mi Valkeakoski
$1570
132 km or 82 mi Hamina
$1516
143 km or 89 mi Kaarina
$1521
150 km or 93 mi Turku
$1545
156 km or 97 mi Raisio
$1524
157 km or 98 mi Kohtla-Jarve
$1089
160 km or 100 mi Tampere
$1422
164 km or 102 mi Nokia
$1437
169 km or 105 mi Ylojarvi
$1438
170 km or 106 mi Sastamala
$1476
181 km or 113 mi Sillamae
$1064
188 km or 117 mi Jamsa
$1503
201 km or 125 mi Parnu
$1184
203 km or 126 mi Lappeenranta
$1454
203 km or 126 mi Narva
$1083
205 km or 127 mi Viljandi
$1041
210 km or 131 mi Mikkeli
$1386
214 km or 133 mi Rauma
$1353
224 km or 139 mi Pori
$1363
224 km or 139 mi Tartu
$1174

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3223
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3227
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3255
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3254
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2961
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3109
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3230
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2998
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3218
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3026
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3285
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3014
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3317
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3071
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$3797
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3756
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2810
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3634
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2950
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2858
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3553
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2826
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2957
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3382
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$3033
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3890
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2910
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$3818
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2838
38 km or 24 mi Union
$3045
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2850
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2381
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3094
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2823
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2764
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3359
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3333
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3133
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3070
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3765