Helsinki is a fascinating combination of influences that aren’t found elsewhere and it’s clean and well organized, but it’s notoriously expensive as well. From a visitor’s perspective it’s not quite as expensive as Stockholm, but compared to nearly anywhere else in Europe it will seem pricey.
The main attractions are actually quite inexpensive, with many of the better museums in the city actually being free. Those wanting to see most of the famous sights in a short time should consider a look at the Helsinki Card. Food and drinks will, unfortunately, eat into your budget, so those on a backpacker fund will want to seek out casual places rather than the sit-down restaurants in the tourist area. You’ll find many affordable kebab shops in the city center, and if you head out to the somewhat bohemian suburb of Kallio you’ll find better deals on food and even beer.
| Population | 600,000 |
| Area | 1,300,000 |
| Timezone | UTC+2 |
| Currency | Euro |
| Airports | Helsinki Airport (HEL) |
| Budget breakfast | Most hotels and hostels will include breakfast, but if not you can find local cafes nearby. | $4.35 - $8.70 |
| Budget lunch | There are fast-food joints plus pizzas and kebabs at reasonable prices in the tourist districts. | $7.61 - $11.96 |
| Budget dinner | Sitting down for a proper meal usually means spending quite a bit, but some cheaper options do exist. | $10.87 - $17.39 |
| Beer (.5L) | Beer is expensive in the city center, so those on a backpacker budget should head to the Kallio neighborhood for bargain pints. | $6.52 - $8.70 |
| Beer .33L (retail) | Cans of local lager are available in supermarkets, and for a bit more in mini-markets. | $1.09 - $2.17 |
| Wine (bottle) | You have to go to the state-run liquor stores for anything stronger than beer. Plenty of wine choices are around €10/bottle. | $11.96 - $43.48 |
| Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29 | 20 | 1.9 |
| February | 28 | 18 | 1.4 |
| March | 34 | 24 | 1.5 |
| April | 44 | 33 | 1.4 |
| May | 57 | 43 | 1.3 |
| June | 66 | 52 | 1.9 |
| July | 70 | 57 | 2.4 |
| August | 67 | 55 | 3.1 |
| September | 57 | 47 | 2.6 |
| October | 48 | 39 | 2.9 |
| November | 39 | 31 | 2.7 |
| December | 32 | 23 | 2.3 |
For obvious reasons summer is the time to visit Helsinki if you are able to. The days are warm and very long, with comfortable evening temperatures. Outside of the May through September window things really do cool down, although not as much as you might guess based on the northern latitude. Winters are chilly and the days are usually gray in addition to being short.
| 21 Mar | 6:20am | 6:37pm |
| 21 Jun | 3:54am | 10:50pm |
| 21 Sep | 7:02am | 7:24pm |
| 21 Dec | 9:24am | 3:13pm |
Hotels in Helsinki are quite expensive by most standards, but at least the quality is usually very high so you may not feel like you are being taken advantage of. It’s tough to find a real budget hotel, though if you are coming on a weekend you might find prices at the nicer places are within your range since so many business travelers aren’t in town. Hostels are all fairly expensive by international standards as well.
Hotels in Helsinki are quite expensive in general, and especially during the busy summer season. This is a big business city so hotel prices are often cheaper on weekends, at least at the higher end places. From October through April prices are usually down a bit, and some hotels become real bargains if you can put up with the weather and short days. Hostels in Helsinki tend to be expensive as well, with little price variation through the year.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 30.43 - 54.35 |
| 69.57 - 78.26 |
| 71.74 - 141.30 |
| 78.26 - 167.39 |
| 203.26 - 326.09 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 22.83 - 29.35 |