Moving to Minnesota from Finland

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Finland to Minnesota — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Finland to Minnesota, you would find that Minnesota is 19.7% more expensive than Finland overall. A €67,000 salary in Finland would need to be roughly $89,900 in Minnesota to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

Is Minnesota cheaper than Finland?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 4.1% more

Groceries

pay 31.4% more

Transportation

pay 26.0% less

Housing

pay 53.0% more

Childcare

pay 2.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 6.0% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (October 2026)

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 Minnesota?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → $89,900

To maintain the same standard of living in Minnesota

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 Minnesota cost about 14% more than cities in Finland.

Finland

Lahti 55%
Jyvaskyla 51%
Joensuu 51%

Minnesota

Mankato 62%
Rochester 60%
Duluth 50%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Minnesota

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Finland to Minnesota, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
330 ↓ 1% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to United States?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Finland to Minnesota.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

FI
24.2%
MN
33.9%

Finland performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2024

share of households with internet

FI
93.7%
MN
91.0%

Finland performs better than Minnesota across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

FI
9.5%
MN
4.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

FI
$56,149
MN
$68,478

Minnesota performs significantly better than Finland across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

FI
82.3 yrs
MN
79.1 yrs

Finland performs better than Minnesota across all family life metrics.

Weather in Minnesota vs Finland

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Minneapolis Rain: 30.6 in/yr (778 mm)
55° / 37°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Helsinki Minneapolis
Jan–Mar 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C) 31°/15°F (0°/-10°C)
Apr–Jun 58°/40°F (14°/4°C) 69°/48°F (20°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 65°/49°F (19°/10°C) 78°/59°F (26°/15°C)
Oct–Dec 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C) 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Helsinki Minneapolis
Jan 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C) 24°/8°F (-4.6°/-13.6°C)
Feb 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C) 29°/13°F (-1.7°/-10.7°C)
Mar 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C) 41°/24°F (5.2°/-4.3°C)
Apr 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C) 58°/37°F (14.3°/2.9°C)
May 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C) 69°/49°F (20.8°/9.4°C)
Jun 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C) 79°/59°F (26.0°/14.9°C)
Jul 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C) 83°/64°F (28.6°/17.8°C)
Aug 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C) 80°/62°F (26.9°/16.6°C)
Sep 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C) 72°/52°F (22.1°/11.3°C)
Oct 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C) 58°/40°F (14.4°/4.3°C)
Nov 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C) 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C)
Dec 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C) 27°/12°F (-2.7°/-10.9°C)

Data: Finnish Meteorological Institute Finnish Meteorological Institute, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Can you move from Finland to Minnesota?

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

Finland passport

Finland passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Finland passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Finland

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Finland 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 Minnesota than Finland?

No — Minnesota is on average about 20% more expensive than Finland. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Minnesota?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $22,475 in Minnesota on a €67,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Minnesota?

Usually fine from major cities in Minnesota. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Minnesota compared to Finland?

Finland performs better than Minnesota across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Minneapolis is 55°F, compared to 48°F in Helsinki. Minneapolis receives around 30.6 in of rainfall per year, while Helsinki gets 25.6 in.

What language do they speak in Minnesota?

The official language in Minnesota is English. In Finland, the official languages are Finnish and Swedish.

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At a Glance

FI
Population 5,646,436 5,830,405
Currency Euro (€) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Finnish, Swedish English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +358 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 112 911