Many Romanians look at northern countries, see high salaries and imagine that these people are rich. Things don’t quite go that way. For example, the cost of living in Finland is quite high, and many are left with no money in their pocket or with a maximum of 200 euros at the end of the month. HotNews.ro talked to Karolina, a Finnish student and freelancer living in Helsinki.

How much do Finns earn and where does the money go?

According to Statistics Finland, the average wage income (gross income before taxes) in June 2023 was €3,822.

A quarter of those with the lowest income earn €2,362 or less. At the same time, the incomes of the top four are more than 5,642 euros.

In December 2022, the average house price was higher in Helsinki and the rest of the Helsinki metropolitan area for both single-person households and multi-person households. In these areas, the average monthly housing costs for one-person households were €667 and for multi-person households €1,018.

After that we have the cost of food and other food items which are more expensive than before. Food prices have also risen sharply in Finland, says Karolina.

“A young person living alone, like me, spends at least 350 euros a month on food. This is the minimum cost. Other people have to spend on other necessities like medicine,” says the student.

Obviously, money is also spent on leisure, transport, restaurants, bars, cafes, clothes, pets, etc.

How much does transportation cost and how much money do many people have left at the end of the month

“My mother, as a nurse in Helsinki, has a gross income of just under €3,000 per month and pays around €700 to the housing association every month. He has about 1,000 euros left over every month, which can be spent on food, transport, recreation and other things (or, of course, on savings),” Karolina explained.

Her mother uses public transport, which is expensive in Finland, and pays about 70 euros a month in Helsinki.

Her sister earns better (middle class salary) and lives by herself in a rented apartment in the Capital area, so she estimates that after paying for food, rent, electricity, etc., she has just under €1000 left over.

Karolina tells us that at the end of the month before the salary is paid, many people have almost no money, or maybe only 200 euros at most.

How much is an electricity bill in Finland?

For example, in an apartment for two in an apartment building heated by central heating (consumption 2500 kWh/year), the electricity bill is about 30-50 euros per month. It depends on whether you have a sauna at home.

At the same time, in an individual house with electric heating with an area of ​​120 square meters, the bill reaches 200-300 euros/month.

What products are considered expensive and how much alcohol costs

Finns consider fish and seafood, berries and some exotic vegetables and fruits (for example, avocado) expensive.

“I think we still eat salmon quite often. For example, as a student, I rarely buy it, although I would like to do it more often,” the student admits.

The price of a 0.5-liter draft beer (or other light alcoholic beverages, such as cider) in a bar or restaurant costs about 8-9 euros, and in a store – about 4 euros.

A bottle of wine in a liquor store costs on average maybe 10 euros, and a 0.5 liter bottle of vodka can be around 15 euros.

How often do Finns drink alcohol?

“Some people spend every week, while others only spend a few times a year. I do it once every few months or recently less often,” says Karolina.

According to statistics, last year Finns drank 9 liters of pure alcohol per person. Persons aged 15 and over are considered.

“If we exclude from here those people who have real problems with alcohol and who drink more than average, I would say that in everyday life we ​​don’t drink that much: a glass of wine or a beer with dinner. . But when we drink, the goal is to get drunk and consume a lot at once,” she says.

According to her, young Finns are drinking less and less alcohol, but on the other hand, the use of cannabis and drugs at parties has increased among young people.

How the salaries of Finns are taxed

“Finland has a progressive tax system. Therefore, the more you earn, the more taxes you pay to the state,” she says.

From the data provided by Kaloliina, we note that for a single person aged about 35, without children, with an income of 1,500 euros, the tax is 2%. At 2,000 euros, it increases to 7.5%. At 2,500 euros, it is 11.5%.

It gradually increases to 34% for an amount exceeding EUR 10,000.

It should be noted that in addition to these percentages, there are some related to the pension contribution of just over 7% and the unemployment contribution of 1.5%.

Photo source: Dreamstime.com