Moving to Finland from Italy

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Italy to Finland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Italy to Finland, you would find that Finland is 8.0% more expensive than Italy overall. A €65,700 salary in Italy would need to be roughly €66,521 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Finnish and Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helsinki averages 48°F vs 69°F in Rome, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Italy to Finland.

What does your salary buy?

€65,700 €66,521

To maintain the same standard of living in Finland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 7.9% more

Groceries

pay 6.8% less

Transportation

pay 15.4% more

Housing

pay 9.1% less

Childcare

pay 12.9% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 59.7% 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Italy to Finland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
363 ↓ 7% vs 2022

people moved from Italy 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

How Italy and Finland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

IT
0.6
FI
1.2
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

IT
61%
FI
86%

Finland generally does better on safety, though Italy leads in homicide rate.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

IT
$4,993
FI
$6,433
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

IT
42.5
FI
43.8

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

IT
15.0
FI
7.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

IT
5.1t
FI
5.5t

Italy generally does better on environment, though Finland leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

IT
31.5
FI
34.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

IT
29.6%
FI
7.1%

Finland performs significantly better than Italy across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

IT
7.6%
FI
7.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

IT
$52,700
FI
$57,500

Finland generally does better on employment & economy, though Italy leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

IT
82.6 yrs
FI
81.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

IT
3.2
FI
2.1

Finland generally does better on family life, though Italy leads in life expectancy.

Data: Italian Revenue Agency, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Rome Rain: 31.7 in/yr (804 mm)
69° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Rome Helsinki
Jan–Mar 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) 58°/40°F (14°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) 65°/49°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Rome Helsinki
Jan 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C)
Feb 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C)
Mar 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C)
Apr 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C)
May 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C)
Jun 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C)
Jul 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C)
Aug 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C)
Sep 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C)
Oct 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C)
Nov 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C)
Dec 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C)

Data: Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology, Finnish Meteorological Institute Finnish Meteorological Institute

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Italy 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.

Italy passport

Italy passport holder visiting Finland

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

Finland passport holder visiting Italy

Visa Free
Finland passport holders can enter Italy 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 Italy?

Headline costs are within a few percent between Finland and Italy; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.

How much money do I need to move to Finland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €65,700 comparable salary, that's around €16,630 in Finland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Finland?

With 34.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Finland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Italy and Finland.

Is Finland safe for expats?

Finland generally does better on safety, though Italy leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Italy. About 86% of people in Finland feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Finland compared to Italy?

Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 43.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 42.5 in Italy. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Italy: 84).

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

The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 69°F in Rome. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Rome gets 31.7 in.

What language do they speak in Finland?

The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Italy, the official languages are Catalan and Italian.

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At a Glance

IT FI
Population 61,095,551 5,601,547
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Catalan, Italian Finnish, Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +39 +358
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112