Until recently, the Republic of Estonia was known as a popular tourist destination for those who are attracted by excursions and hiking in cool weather. And only permanent residents of Estonia know how much it has changed in recent years. Digitalization and the widespread introduction of electronic services, right up to e-residency, have forever changed the perception of this country as slow and phlegmatic. And for those who decide to settle in this new digital world, it is better to immediately understand what prices in Estonia await them upon arrival.
Cost of short visits and tourist trips
Tourists should remember that since the beginning of 2021, Estonia has completely switched to using the euro as the only legal tender.
About the history of money, the possibilities of cashless payments, the use of ATMs and other issues related to currency in the territory of Estonia, read the article “Currency of the Republic of Estonia”.
The budget for a short trip to Tallinn for two can consist of (excluding travel and visa costs):
- Living costs. Hotels 3-4 * cost from 50 euros per day, rest in a hotel room in 5 * will cost 80-150 euros per night. For a private apartment (apartment) will be asked from 25 euros.
- Transportation costs. The standard fare in the city is 2 euros per trip. Tallinn Card holders can use public transport free of charge. For 26 euros, the service can be used for 24 hours by one adult and two children up to 6 years old.
- The cost of food. You can eat at an inexpensive cafe for 6-10 euros. Lunch for two in a middle-class establishment will cost 35-60 euros.
- Prices for excursions. The minimum cost of a seat in a group is 7 euros, an individual guided walk will cost 50 or more.
The total amount of spending on vacation depends on financial capabilities. If you live in an apartment and buy groceries on your own, then you can keep within 27 euros per person per day.
What a visa to Estonia is required and what needs to be done to obtain it will be described in the article "How to apply for a visa for CIS citizens to travel to Estonia".
Food costs
The cost of living here is considered relatively low in comparison with the prices of Western European countries.
An article on the example of one European country - “How much money is needed to live in Germany in 2021” will help to make sure of this.
However, food prices in Estonia cannot be called low. Rather, they are in the middle of the average European rating: cheaper than in Berlin, Rome or Paris, but at the same time more expensive than in Prague or Warsaw.
A basket of 48 items in 24 product groups costs approximately 315 euros per month (for a family of four).
If there is no desire or opportunity to cook at home, numerous cafes and restaurants will help to avoid unnecessary everyday problems. Here the expected principle of price formation remains: the farther from the historical center, the cheaper.
The average check also depends on the specifics of the institution:
- an inexpensive cafe without a choice of authentic national dishes - 8 euros per person;
- street food - 5-7 euros each;
- a combined menu in a fast food - 6 euros;
- mid-range restaurants - 40 euros for a lunch for two (no alcohol).
It should be noted that the final price strongly depends on which city you decide to visit.
| Facility type | Tallinn | Narva | Tartu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inexpensive cafe, euro per person | 8 | 7 | 6.5 |
| Restaurant, euro for lunch for two | 40.5 | 35 | 40.5 |
| Fast food, euros per person | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
For those traveling with babies, Estonian restaurants and cafes often offer a children's menu. But the most convenient thing is that most establishments have play areas where the child can find something to do while the adults eat quietly.
If the baby is not yet accustomed to the common table, parents can easily find baby food of local brands, world famous manufacturers (Hipp, Nan, Heinz, Nestle), as well as Russian brands (Frutonyanya, Babushkino Lukoshko and Agusha ”). The average price of a pack of porridge will be 2.2–2.5 euros, a jar of vegetable puree - 1–1.5 euros apiece, juice - up to 1.5 euros per 200 ml.
Take a sociological survey!
Prices in shops and supermarkets
Large grocery stores in Estonia, which are represented by the chains Maxima, Rimi, Selver and Coop, are gaining more and more popularity among local residents. 
Up to 60% of the population buy food there twice a week. At the same time, 79% of supermarkets already have customers, and only 1% of buyers remained regulars on the markets. The same number of consumers regularly replenish stocks in online stores.
Digitalization is also penetrating into familiar areas: for example, in Maxima and Rimi stores, an electronic price tag is introduced in test mode, allowing the buyer to see the actual cost of the goods without errors. In the future, the network plans to test self-service consoles.
The introduction of technological innovations is convenient for both buyers and the traders themselves, therefore, it does not affect the price level too much. They are more influenced by seasonality and some international events.
For example, Estonia expects a rise in gasoline prices after the fire in Saudi Arabia, as well as an increase in the cost of meat after the outbreak of African swine fever in China.
In 2021, supermarkets in Estonia are offering food at these prices.
| Name | Prices, EUR | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tallinn | Narva | Tartu | |
| Milk, 1 l | 0,6-0,9 | 0,5-0,9 | 0,6-1 |
| Bread, 500 g | 0,6-1,4 | 0,5-0,7 | 0,5-1 |
| Rice, kg | 1-3 | 0,6-1 | 0,6-1,6 |
| Eggs, 12 pcs | 1,2-1,9 | 1,-1,6 | 1,2-1,8 |
| Local cheese, kg | 5-8,6 | 5-8,6 | 5-10 |
| Chicken fillet, kg | 4,5-6 | 4,5-6 | 5-6 |
| Beef pulp, kg | 5-10 | 5-10 | 5-15 |
| Apples, kg | 0,5-1,8 | 0,45-1 | 0,4-1,7 |
| Bananas, kg | 0,9-1,3 | 0,9-1,2 | 1-1,4 |
| Oranges, kg | 1-2 | 1-1,4 | 1,4-1,5 |
| Tomatoes, kg | 1,2-3 | 1,2-2,9 | 1,50-2,9 |
| Potatoes, kg | 0,3-0,9 | 0,25-0,5 | 0,3-0,5 |
| Onions, kg | 0,3-1 | 0,2-0,4 | 0,2-0,4 |
| Middle class wine, bottle | 6-8 | 5-5,5 | 8 |
| Beer, 0.5 L | 1-1,6 | 0,5-1,5 | 1,1-1,5 |
| Cigarettes, 1 pack | 4-4,5 | 3,5-4,3 | 4-4,4 |
Depending on the place of shopping, the cost of fresh fish will range from 6 to 17 euros per kilogram. There is no uniformity in the prices of sweets: a serving of ice cream or a cake will cost 0.55 euros, and a bar of chocolate - 1.3.
Lunches in cafes in restaurants
Eating out is expected to be more expensive than a home-cooked meal. And if the traveler nevertheless decided to taste Estonia, one should be prepared for additional expenses.
A visit to a restaurant located within the historic center of Tallinn or Narva can cost 60 euros, even if the couple did not order alcohol. Dishes from the national cuisine are even more expensive, if only because you can taste bear meat (55 euros per serving) or beef flesh with porcini mushroom sauce (36 euros) only here.
Slightly cheaper is a portion of baked shank (23 euros), smoked ham with stewed cabbage (15 euros) or fried salmon (18 euros). A glass of wine will add another 6-8 euros to the bill.
Inexpensive cafes or fast food will offer menus no more than 6-10 euros per person. If you add beer or a drink to this, you will have to pay about 4 euros more per bottle, and for cappuccino or espresso you will have to pay 2–2.5 euros per serving. Street food is also inexpensive: fried potatoes, sausage and coffee will cost only 5 euros.
The cost of buying or renting a home
Buying a home in Estonia is not cheap. If you ask yourself what are the prices in Estonia in 2021, it is useful to know that in June the metropolitan prices broke the ceiling of 2,000 euros per square meter. But at the same time, there is no fall in the real estate market.
This is mainly due to the fact that the expected increase in wages is 8% and offset the increase in property prices.
For information on how to look for a job in Estonia, the procedure for official employment, a work visa, the level of salaries and taxes and many other important issues related to the labor market, see the article “How to find a job in Estonia: vacancies, salaries, employment procedures”.
Disaggregated by city, the cost of 1 sq. m fluctuates significantly.
| Housing type | Price, euro for 1 sq.m. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tallinn | Narva | Tartu | |
| Downtown | 2372 | 1993 | 1530 |
| On the outskirts | 1544 | 1158 | 1108 |
The cost of living in Estonia must include the cost of housing and communal services. The average price tag for standard utilities (gas, electricity, heating, water) ranges from 105 to 250 euros per month; in Tartu and Narva the basic complex costs a little less - from 95 euros.
The tariffs in the country are lower than the average for the EU, but from the point of view of the Russian consumer, they are quite high: the average price for 1 kW is 0.135 euros, 1 cubic meter of gas is 0.277 euros (the price is not fixed, but market). In this case, payment is charged according to individual metering devices, so the consumer decides for himself whether he needs to save.
If purchasing your own home is not affordable, you can look for a rental option.
| Housing type | Rental price, euro per sq. m | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tallinn | Narva | Tartu | |
| In the center (1 bedroom / 3 bedrooms) | 513 / 867 | 290 / 455 | 368 / 636 |
| Outside (1 bedroom / 3 bedrooms) | 354 / 599 | 100 / 200 | 275 / 417 |
An interesting situation has been developing in recent years with housing rent.
More and more young Estonian families prefer to look for apartments in small towns. In this case, the price is lower, and the quality of the housing itself is better: modern design, new communications and infrastructure.
At the same time, a two-room or three-room apartment with central heating in Vilndimaa, Põlva, Võru and Valga can be found for 200-300 euros per month, while in Tallinn or Tartu you will have to pay at least 350 euros for the same living space.
The real estate market and housing rental opportunities are discussed in detail in the article "Instructions for those who want to rent an apartment in Tallinn".
Transport costs
Traveling by public transport will become more economical if you purchase a travel pass or Tallin Card.
| Trip type | Trip cost, euro | |
|---|---|---|
| National average | "Fork" prices | |
| Single-use public transport ticket | 1.5 | 0,85-2 |
| Pass for a month | 22 | 10-23 |
| Taxi (landing) | 2.5 | 2-3 |
| Taxi, 1 km | 0.6 | 0,5-0,8 |
It is more important for owners of a personal car to know how much gasoline costs. On average, a liter of fuel in Estonia costs 1.35 euros. Do not forget also about insurance - an annual policy costs from 150 to 300 euros.
An important question for car owners is the availability of parking spaces and their cost, which is described in detail in the article “Parking in Tallinn: rules, cost and general information”.
Cost of education
Free education in Estonia is possible only in Estonian. Programs in English are available exclusively for a fee.
Despite this, many immigrants from the former USSR are ready to enter Estonian universities, realizing that upon graduation they will receive a diploma, which is recognized in all EU states. Moreover, a year of study at the State University of Tallinn or Tartu will cost 3,000-3,300 euros, and at the private Tallinn University of Technology - from 2,300 euros.
Teaching children, school and preschool, will also require material investments. On average, you will have to pay for a kindergarten a month from 75 euros if the baby is in a public institution, and up to 500 euros if in a private one. Estonian authorities are discussing a law obliging parents to send their children to pre-school institutions so that they receive compulsory basic education.
Schooling is more expensive: from 3,860 to 19,000 euros per year.
How the Estonian education system works is described in the material “Education in Estonia: features, stages, cost”.
Manufactured goods
For those planning to arrange shopping in Estonia, you can pay attention to several large Tallinn shopping centers: Rocca al Mare, Kaubamaja, Stockmann, Kristiine.
According to tourists, Humana may also be of interest - this is a whole chain of used clothing stores, where you can buy a branded item in excellent condition for reasonable money.
Average prices for new clothes and shoes are in the range:
- jeans - 40-100 euros;
- women's dress - 19–45 euros;
- sneakers - 50–90 euros;
- leather men's shoes - 60–120 euros.
The cost of household appliances is comparable to the average European prices. For example, a washing machine without additional functions will cost 360-400 euros, a TV set - 600-700 euros, a standard refrigerator - 400-500 euros.
Other
Medicine in Estonia is insurance. 
At the expense of the social tax paid by the employer for his employees, a solidarity fund is formed, from which the costs of medical treatment for workers, minors and disabled persons are financed. The minimum contribution is 165 euros per month (33% of 500 euros), 13% of which goes to the Estonian Health Insurance Fund.
The service is based on family medicine. On a referral from a specialist, Estonians will receive vital services and medications free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
If a person wants to visit a narrow specialist without a referral or out of turn, they will have to pay at least 50 euros for an appointment. Then all procedures and analyzes will also be paid.
Residents of other EU member states who are insured at home can also expect to receive emergency assistance free of charge. In all other cases, you will have to pay for:
- treatment in a surgical hospital - 100–205 euros per day;
- stay in therapy - 75–90 euros per day;
- simple surgical procedures (outpatient) - 66-275 euros;
- endoscopy - 115–250 euros;
- dental care - 50–88 euros.
A weekly treatment of an inflammatory disease in a hospital can cost 1,500 euros, including the cost of medicines.
The main issues from different aspects of life in Estonia are highlighted in detail in the article “The pros and cons of living in Estonia”.
Conclusion
The cost of living in Estonia is inexorably approaching the average Western European level. Therefore, tourists coming to the country need to be prepared for comparable spending. Self-catering or eating in a fast food restaurant, using the Tallinn Card, or renting an apartment farther from the center will allow you to save money.
