There's no way around it: Helsinki isn't cheap. Luckily, there are plenty of tricks for making your euros go farther. We'll tell you where to save (hotels) and where to splurge (restaurants, as if you had any choice!).
Expect to Spend: Helsinki
Hotel Rates
For such a pricey city, Helsinki has a surprisingly decent selection of budget-friendly hotels and hostels. Most of the properties we've recommended in our guide fall in the €65-125 range. Helsinki hostels, from €22 per person, are the cheapest option but offer few amenities. The city is a destination for business travelers, so visiting when a conference is in town might mean higher rates. Summer, the peak tourist season, can mean higher rates as well.
Restaurant Prices
Eating out in Helsinki will cost you. In a city with a fair share of Michelin-starred restaurants, budget options are few and far between. Expect to spend €10-20 for a main dish—not including drinks.
Tipping is not customary in Finland. If service is particularly good, feel free to leave some change. However, the tip is included in the price. (That ought to soften the blow of paying €8 for a bowl of noodles.)
In Helsinki, "budget eats" are anything within the €4-8 range. Kebab, pizza, and Thai joints are most likely to have the cheapest fare. Additionally, food stands known as "grilli" offer up hot dogs and other fried delights for €3-10. You'll find the cheapest eats in the central Kamppi and Kluuvi neighborhoods.
All hotel reviews
Hotels by neighborhood
From our Helsinki blog
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Europe’s ferry schedules are famously fluid, and it’s often devilishly hard to keep pace with new route developments. Here is our choice of a quartet of interesting ferry options for spring and summer 2011. 1. St. Pe ... read
March is the month when many Europeans crawl out from their winter shells and start exploring. And with spring beckoning, we have come up with a handful of easy daytime rail journeys that just clamor to be taken. There i ... read
