Help needed !!!!!

[marco.marsella]

Hello everybody,

I'm new to this forum, so let me thank you all in advance for your precious help.
I've been offered work in Finland, so I'm considering the option to move there.
For this purpose I need some information.

Firstly I need to have an idea about the salary I can ask: MSc Engineer in Electronics, 4 year experience, full time - regular, in electronic industry, something lika a Nokia employee (I visited the statistics site, but I'd love to have your opinion).
I'd love to know more in detail the taxation on gross income, to extract more precisely the net salary.

After this I need to get a more detailed idea about the cost of life in Finland, for example which is the cost of:
- rent for a small apartment;
- heating, electricity, water, gas.....;
- monthly pass for swimming pool;
- public transport;
- common foodstuff (bread milk, vegetables, fruit...)
- cost of a bank account (are there any low cost on-line accounts?)

Are there any other hidden expenses I have to consider?
When I once visited the nordic countries I remember that I thought I could live there without speaking the local language: can you confirm this? (if I go into a grocery shop, will they understand me? Even outside Helsinki?)

So, if I can give you some homework, please visit your supermarket and take note of the prices !!!

Thank you again,

Marco.

[pierrot]

First to your homework: did you use the search-button on this forum? this should already answer a bunch of your questions like taxation.

Besides telling the location would be relevant for the rent of a flat and living costs

[marco.marsella]

Good tip, pierrot!

The locations could be many... let's start with Vantaa, Helsinki and Oulu.

Thank you again,

Marco.

[Rosamunda]

Where are you planning to live because some of the answers to your questions will vary depending on whether you live in Helsinki, the suburbs or the wastelands north of Ring III.....?

Also, knowing where you are coming from might help too. For example: if you are arriving from southern Italy you will need to budget for winter clothes, boots etc... if you live in the hills above Budapest you may have that stuff already!

[Rosamunda]

sorry.... too slow!

[pierrot]

Good tip, pierrot!

The locations could be many... let's start with Vantaa, Helsinki and Oulu.

Thank you again,

Marco.

Have a look here, this will show you how to find a flat and how much it will cost you:
bb/viewtopic.php?t=2190

[Rosamunda]

Living in Helsinki without speaking any Finnish is do-able but depending on how long you are thinking of staying you might want to learn some Finnish. The best courses are quite expensive but worth it, maybe your employer would cough up some cash for that.

[dusty_bin]

If you have been offered work already, can we assume that you already know where the company is, or at which site?

Also, if you have been offered work, is it not normal to be offered a package along with the offer?

So, where have you been offered work and what was the package and job title. This information will allow most people here to tel you how much housing will cost for your specification and whether you are being offered a decent deal.
Saves everyone a lot of work rather than playing guessing games where you already know the answers and are just seeking validation.

[marco.marsella]

Yes, probably I wasn't very clear.
naturally I don't have a complete job offer, but just a concrete opportunity with somebody interested in me: we didn't talk about money yet.

For Penelope: I'm from Rome... how did you guess it ???

[dusty_bin]

So where is the company, what is the opportunity?

[marco.marsella]

As I wrote in a previous post the locations could be Helsinki, Vantaa or Oulu.

The opportunity is for a digital electronics designer

Thanks

[dusty_bin]

So now we are getting somewhere.

You don't have a job offer.
The locations are not as you posted 'many' but in fact three.

At what level is the opportunity?

Graduate entry, or with experience? I know you have some employment experience but that may or may not be included in the offer...

[marco.marsella]

The opportunity is perfectly fit for me: they required an Electrical engineer with 3/4 year experience.

Marco

[Hank W.]

Firstly I need to have an idea about the salary I can ask: MSc Engineer in Electronics, 4 year experience, full time - regular, in electronic industry, something lika a Nokia employee

Depends. Something like 2,5-3 to even 4 grand. Depends.

I'd love to know more in detail the taxation on gross income, to extract more precisely the net salary.

http://www.vero.fi ballpark 3000 gross = 2000 net

- rent for a small apartment

say 500

- heating, electricity, water, gas...

included, ~20, 10-12, around 1.10-1.20/liter 95 unleaded

- monthly pass for swimming pool;

with or without axe to hack the hole in the ice?

- public transport;

http://www.ytv.fi (also at http://www.vero.fi in the filling-in instructions)

- common foodstuff (bread milk, vegetables, fruit...)

http://www.lidl.fi

- cost of a bank account (are there any low cost on-line accounts?)

online + automat card usually costs under an euro, but you don't get much interest either.

Are there any other hidden expenses I have to consider?

22% VAT? silly taxes on stuff so thawing a cazzo gelato is quie expensive

(if I go into a grocery shop, will they understand me? Even outside Helsinki?)

I don't think they understand even the locals in grocery shops...

[haahatus]

Hello

The situations with swimming pools is not so desperate like Hank says. Altough maybe you like to make holes in ice and jump in there. I certainly would not do that

http://www.hel.fi/liv/lajit/uhallit.html
List of swimming posibilities in Helsinki. Click on the links http://www.oulu.ouka.fi/liikunta/liikpa ... oulun.html

Prices translated for Itäkeskus
# aikuiset = adults
- kertamaksu 4,50 e = once
- 10 kerran sarjakortti tai kuukausikortti 40,50 e
= 10 times or month card
- 100 kertaa 364,50 e
=100 times
- kausikortti 4 kk 121,50 e
=season card 4 months


http://www.vantaa.fi/i_perusdokumentti. ... ;6758;6766
Uimhalli in Vantaa
http://www.oulu.ouka.fi/liikunta/liikpa ... oulun.html
One in Oulu