Moving to Finland from Estonia

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Estonia to Finland? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Estonia to Finland, you would find that Finland is 28.6% more expensive than Estonia overall. A €67,000 salary in Estonia would need to be roughly €86,100 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Finnish and Swedish.

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Is Finland cheaper than Estonia?

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 9.8% more

Groceries

pay 31.1% more

Transportation

pay 49.8% more

Housing

pay 31.5% more

Childcare

pay 16.4% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 35.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Finland?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €86,100

To maintain the same standard of living in Finland

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Finland cost about 20% more than cities in Estonia.

Estonia

Narva 40%

Finland

Lahti 55%
Jyvaskyla 51%
Joensuu 51%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Estonia to Finland.

Moved in 2023
1,401 ↓ 23% vs 2022

people moved from Estonia to Finland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Finland?

Top countries of origin for Finland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Finland compared to Estonia.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

EE
1.5
FI
1.0
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

EE
75%
FI
86%

Finland performs significantly better than Estonia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

EE
$3,741
FI
$6,433
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

EE
34.7
FI
36.1

Finland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

EE
13.0
FI
7.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

EE
7.8t
FI
5.5t

Finland performs significantly better than Estonia across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

EE
35.4
FI
36.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

EE
13.1%
FI
7.1%

Finland performs significantly better than Estonia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

EE
8.3%
FI
9.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

EE
$34,418
FI
$56,149

Estonia generally does better on employment & economy, though Finland leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

EE
79.3 yrs
FI
82.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

EE
1.5
FI
1.9

Finland generally does better on family life, though Estonia leads in infant mortality.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Estonian Tax and Customs Board (2016), Finnish Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Finland vs Estonia

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tallinn Rain: 27.3 in/yr (693 mm)
48° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Helsinki Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
48° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tallinn Helsinki
Jan–Mar 31°/21°F (0°/-6°C) 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 57°/41°F (14°/5°C) 58°/40°F (14°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 65°/51°F (19°/10°C) 65°/49°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 40°/31°F (4°/-1°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Tallinn Helsinki
Jan 29°/20°F (-1.4°/-6.6°C) 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C)
Feb 29°/18°F (-1.8°/-7.5°C) 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C)
Mar 36°/24°F (2.0°/-4.3°C) 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C)
Apr 47°/32°F (8.2°/0.1°C) 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C)
May 59°/41°F (14.9°/5.0°C) 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C)
Jun 66°/49°F (19.1°/9.7°C) 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C)
Jul 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.1°C) 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C)
Aug 68°/53°F (19.9°/11.6°C) 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C)
Sep 58°/45°F (14.5°/7.2°C) 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C)
Oct 48°/38°F (9.1°/3.3°C) 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C)
Nov 38°/30°F (3.3°/-1.2°C) 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C)
Dec 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.6°C) 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C)

Data: Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Finnish Meteorological Institute Finnish Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Estonia to Finland?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Estonia and Finland. To live, work, or study long-term in Finland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Finland's immigration authority.

Estonia passport

Estonia passport holder visiting Finland

Visa Free
Estonia passport holders can enter Finland without a visa.
Finland passport

Finland passport holder visiting Estonia

Visa Free
Finland passport holders can enter Estonia without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Finland than Estonia?

On average Finland is around 29% pricier than Estonia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Finland?

Budget about €21,525 for 3 months in Finland (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Finland?

Connectivity is usually fine (Finland: 36.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Finland offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Finland safe for expats?

Finland performs significantly better than Estonia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.5 in Estonia. About 86% of people in Finland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Finland compared to Estonia?

Finland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Estonia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 34.7 in Estonia. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Estonia: 79).

What's the weather like in Finland compared to Estonia?

The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 48°F in Tallinn. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Tallinn gets 27.3 in.

What language do they speak in Finland?

The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Estonia, the official language is Estonian.

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At a Glance

EE FI
Population 1,366,475 5,646,436
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Estonian Finnish, Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +372 +358
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112