Tampere Students Face €813 Monthly Living Costs, Second-Highest in Finland

Studying in Tampere will cost students an average of €813 per month in 2026, making it the second most expensive university city in Finland, according to a Rahalaitos comparison reported by Tamperelainen. The study compared living costs in ten university cities and calculated monthly totals from housing, public transport, grocery shopping, student lunches, sports services and the student union fee.

Housing is the biggest single expense and drives most city-to-city differences. Tampere’s average housing cost was €547 a month, while Lappeenranta had the cheapest housing at €415. Overall figures placed Helsinki first at €937, followed by Tampere (€813), Lahti (€810), Rovaniemi (€795) and Turku (€793). Food costs showed little variation. Tampere’s grocery bill averaged €142.70 per month, based on a food-basket comparison that assumed two baskets a month. Rent data were collected from student housing providers including HOAS, TOAS, TYS, Lahden Talot, KOAS, Joensuun Elli, PSOAS, VOAS, LOAS and DAS.

Tampere also remains highly recommended among young people: the city was recently named Finland’s most recommended city for under-30 students in a nationwide survey.