Finland, Helsinki

Country Full Name: Republic of Finland.

Location: Finland is in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia.

Country Climate: Cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes.

Country Terrain: Mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills.

Major Languages: Finnish, Swedish.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 1.3 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Finland is a highly industrialized, free-market economy with a per capita output equal to that of other western economies such as France, Germany, Sweden or the United Kingdom. The largest sector of the economy is services at 65.7 percent, followed by manufacturing and refining at 31.4 percent.

Currency: Euro (EUR). Make an international currency transfer to Finland.

Inflation: 3.3% (2011 est.).

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland.

The Helsinki metropolitan area generates approximately one third of Finland's GDP. GDP per capita is roughly 1.5 times the national average, making Helsinki one of the wealthiest capitals in Europe.

The cost of living in Helsinki in Finland is very high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Helsinki in Finland is currently ranked 69 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are high compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 160 places that are more expensive, and 619 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are average compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 406 places that are more expensive, and 373 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 720 places that are more expensive, and 59 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 504 places that are more expensive, and 275 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 119 places that are more expensive, and 660 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 255 places that are more expensive, and 524 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are average compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 350 places that are more expensive, and 429 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are very high compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 90 places that are more expensive, and 689 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 23 places that are more expensive, and 756 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are average compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 429 places that are more expensive, and 350 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 50 places that are more expensive, and 729 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 57 places that are more expensive, and 722 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 39 places that are more expensive, and 740 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Helsinki in Finland are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Helsinki in Finland is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Helsinki in Finland are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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