Living costs

[Santtu-J]

Hi everybody

I'm Sander from the Netherlands and in May i'm moving to Finland to live together with my girlfriend.
I have a good overview from all things that have to be arranged and where i have to register. But there still a few questions i like to know more about.
And if they are already asked, sorry for that and maybe you can give me the link the topic...

1. How much does avarage life in Finland costs, for rent, insurances, water, electricity and internet etc?
2. If you rent a house is water, electricity and heating always included?
3. If i take a car from Netherlands, how much would it costs to get it registrated in Finland and to let it survive winter?

Already thanks in advanced for your answers

Sander

[EP]

It depends where in Finland.

[Jukka Aho]

1. How much does avarage life in Finland costs, for rent, insurances, water, electricity and internet etc?

Too many variables for a sensible answer. Perhaps some kind of a rough estimate could be given if you could tell us what kind of a location (city, district) and type of dwelling (apartment block, rowhouse, detached home; number of rooms and living area etc.) you have in mind.

Proper wired broadband (cable modem, ADSL, etc.) costs something like €25...€40 per month but the monthly fees could be higher or lower depending on a number of things: among them, the location where you live and how much there’s local competition among the providers. (Don’t fall for 3G wireless “broadband” unless your Internet needs are limited and you only have a laptop and typically carry it with you to places and use it on the road, needing mobile access.)

2. If you rent a house is water, electricity and heating always included?

Sometimes they are included, sometimes they aren’t (well heating usually is, I guess). See here.

[Rip]

1. How much does avarage life in Finland costs, for rent, insurances, water, electricity and internet etc?

You really need to give bit more for this.

Electricity I guess does not wary that much based on where you live: Looking at my bill from Helsingin energia it seems they have lately been charging me about 5€/month for having the contract and about 10 cents/kWh for the actual electricity consumed (including electricity, transfer charges and tax)

2. If you rent a house is water, electricity and heating always included?

Are we really talking about a house or an apartment in a house? People are free to do contracts as they wish, but for the electricity you'd typically do your own contract with some electricity company and pay accroding to your usage. In most apartment houses the water consumption is not measured at the level of individual flats, so the water would be most likely either included in the rent or some fixed amount of euros on top of that. Heating in apartment houses would be almost certainly included in the rent.

[Santtu-J]

Thanks for your help all!

I specify a little more.
I'm planning to live in a flat/ appartment with about 60-70 m2.
The location will be in Helsinki suburbs.

Greetz,

Sander

[Aphrodite]

Hi everybody

I'm Sander from the Netherlands and in May i'm moving to Finland to live together with my girlfriend.
I have a good overview from all things that have to be arranged and where i have to register. But there still a few questions i like to know more about.
And if they are already asked, sorry for that and maybe you can give me the link the topic...

1. How much does avarage life in Finland costs, for rent, insurances, water, electricity and internet etc?
2. If you rent a house is water, electricity and heating always included?
3. If i take a car from Netherlands, how much would it costs to get it registrated in Finland and to let it survive winter?

Already thanks in advanced for your answers

Sander

First i hope you know that finland is an expensive country and you will see that in everyday. Especially when you go and buy groceries.
But to your questions:

1. Rent depends, but Helsinki is very espensive. I´ve payed in Lauttasaari (Hki) for 45m2 - 750€. And than water fee 25€ every month and than electricity every month about 30€. Internet ca. 20€.
2. If you rent, it´s always the same.
3. Sorry, dunno - you have to ask ppl here who have an own car

And grocieries every month ca. for one person at least 300€! At least - if you don´t only live from the unhealthy things.. ;P

[Rip]

There is sticky for the www.oikotie.fi search engine, which enables you to look available (also) rental apartments. Which some effort hopefully you'll be able to understand enough of the words to make it work. Similar sites are http://www.jokakoti.fi/ and http://www.vuokraovi.com/.

If you do search right now with minimum size set to 60m2, and location 'Helsinki' (you might consider also Espoo or Vantaa) you'll find a few places around 750€, but most of the flats are closer or above 1000€/month. Separate water fee is usually mentioned if it applies. I commented already on electricity. I do not know what kind of insurance you were interested. If it was for car, then I better leave that somebody who has a car, home insurance covering your personal belongings and interior surfaces (and possibly limited legal costs and some other things) would be for a flat of that size likely bit above 100€/year.

[villager]

Hello all
Following Sander's question, I would like to know the same information for Vaasa city, I might get a place at the university of Vaasa and I would appreciate any possible information related to live expenses and life style.
Many thanks

[lipko]

And grocieries every month ca. for one person at least 300€! At least - if you don´t only live from the unhealthy things.. ;P

300 for one person? I spend about 60 a month (80 at topmost) (okay, in Jyväskylä), and I don't think I'm unhealthy. Potatoes are very cheap for example. Onions too. Cheapest näkkileipä, cheapest ham (or whatever) etc. You have to cook for yourself of course.

[Rip]

Hello all
Following Sander's question, I would like to know the same information for Vaasa city, I might get a place at the university of Vaasa and I would appreciate any possible information related to live expenses and life style.
Many thanks

As a little practice in using (online, if necessary) dictionary I suggest you try housing search engine listed above (if you can not get student housing (http://www.soa.fi/en/ ), which typically is clearly more economical). If you want to live on a fairly modest budget, then by far the most important item is the housing cost. Also the relative price differences of other kinds of living costs are not that great between different parts of the country.

[CAD_Guy]

1. How much does avarage life in Finland costs, for rent, insurances, water, electricity and internet etc?
2. If you rent a house is water, electricity and heating always included?
3. If i take a car from Netherlands, how much would it costs to get it registrated in Finland and to let it survive wi

1. Helsinki is expensive and it all comes down to where you want to live. But the average given by others is about right. However expect competition and it all depends if you have a job already lined up etc... Internet services are pretty good and reasonably priced (this is coming from an Australian who paid outrageous costs for crap internet) it all comes down to what you want.

2. Water is typically an extra cost on flat, it's normally a set price per person. Anywhere from 15-22 Euros per month. Heating, unless it's electric, is included. Electricity you pay yourself. In apartments a fridge and stove is included but you need to purchase your own washer/dryer if you don't want to use the facilities available for everyone. As for food, etc it sort of comes down to where you shop, what you eat and so on. My wife and I are under 200 Euros per month.A heated parking space is usually an extra cost as well. Street parking will cost you 100 Euro per year I believe, it just went up. I can't recall the exact amount.

3. Car insurance depends on you proving how long you have been driving for and what your driving record is. You'll need a statement from your insurance company to prove that you are a good driver for whatever length of time. If you have a good rating for 13+ (trying to remember the exact number but not sure) you'll get 70% off your insurance (less for less years) but your letter from you insurer must say the exact length of time, if not then you'll have to pay more. Expect insurance to be over 300 Euro per year regardless and depending on what insurances you get. If you don't have a discount it's over 800 Euros per year.

I believe you can bring your car here with no problems. You'll need to buy proper winter tires when the time comes as it's law and I would recommend getting rust protection for you car. If you car doesn't have a engine heater installed I would get one of those too. Anything below -10C is hard on an engine. If you can get one installed in your home country I would recommend it as it's probably cheaper than here. Just make sure it has a nice long cable (5m) for plugging in!

That's my input anyway.

[riku2]

There are probably be going to be lots of differences that you don't even know about until you move here.
like credit cards almost always have an annual fee. In the UK I was used to free cards, and some paying back a few % of your total spending at the end of the year.
and some things in shops at outrageous prices compared to the UK. A packet of aspirin 20euro cents in UK, well over 2e in Finland, so 10x the price.
Blank CDs and DVDs have a levy for finnish musicials, meaning the price is many times more than somewhere like UK or Greece.
The biggest difference is anything involving labour, some things (like having having your car valet cleaned) are just unknown in finland. The price would be prohibitive and finns are too modest to spend money when they could do the job themselves (same extends to house building, with the result that a new house is worth less than the cost of building it, when in the UK a newly built house is worth much more than the cost of building it).