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Helsinki
#84 of 124
Europe

Helsinki

Finland

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Helsinki compare to Florianopolis?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Helsinki is 9% better off vs in Florianopolis

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Helsinki compared to Florianopolis, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$82,895
+$52K (+169%) vs Florianopolis
Based on 149 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$48,908
+$28K (+137%) vs Florianopolis
Tax Rate: 41%

Community Insights

New

Helsinki offers a high-stability, low-stress lifestyle that appeals to those prioritizing well-being over wealth accumulation. While the city ranks poorly on financial metrics like purchasing power (#87) and net income (#71) compared to other tech hubs, it compensates with top-tier safety (#19) and clean air (#1).

However, the current sentiment is dampened by a stagnant job market and the perennial challenge of social integration. It is a "soft landing" for families and seniors but a "hard wall" for ambitious juniors or extroverts seeking a fast-paced career and social life.

Resident Sentiment

Sentiment is currently mixed to cautious. Long-term residents (5+ years) often praise the peaceful, functional life and have no desire to leave, citing the "golden handcuffs" of comfort and work-life balance.

In contrast, recent arrivals and job seekers express significant frustration with the hiring freezes and the difficulty of breaking into Finnish social circles. Many threads feature expats debating whether the quality of life improvements justify the lower savings potential and winter gloom.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Florianopolis.

Rankings

Pollution Score

Top 1%

#1

of 124 cities

12.4/100

Current value (lower is better)

Safety Index

Top 14%

#17

of 124 cities

74.7/100

Current value

Community Events

Top 24%

#30

of 124 cities

7 events on luma

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Helsinki compared to Florianopolis?

Avg. Property Price
$7,353 / m²
244% more expensive than Florianopolis
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Helsinki to maintain the same standard of living.

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Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
118% more expensive than Florianopolis
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Helsinki

Mapbox logo
Mapbox
Unity logo
Unity
Wolt logo
Wolt

The Good

  • Exceptional Work-Life Balance: The culture strictly respects personal time; overtime is rare, holidays are generous (often 5-6 weeks), and "family first" is the norm.
  • Flat Hierarchies: Workplaces feature low power distance, where juniors can openly challenge seniors and managers, fostering a collaborative environment.
  • English-Friendly Tech Scene: Most software engineering roles operate entirely in English, meaning you can work effectively without fluency in Finnish initially.
  • Proximity to Nature: Even in the capital, you are never far from forests, lakes, or the sea, making it easy to decompress outdoors.
  • Safety and Stability: Residents consistently praise the feeling of physical safety, low crime, and the reliability of public services.
  • Occupational Healthcare: Tech employers typically provide private occupational healthcare, bypassing some of the wait times associated with the public system.

The Bad

  • Tough Job Market: The current market is described as "shit" by many, with frequent layoffs and a hiring freeze that makes it extremely difficult for juniors or those without local networks to land roles.
  • Social Isolation: The "lonely expat" experience is common; Finns are famously reserved, and making close local friends can take years, leading to a reliance on transient expat bubbles.
  • Winter Darkness (SAD): The long, dark winters (Sunlight hours #98/124) are a major mental health struggle, with many expats citing Seasonal Affective Disorder.
  • High Taxes & Lower Savings: With a 41% tax rate and lower net salaries compared to the US or Switzerland, aggressive saving (FIRE) is significantly harder.
  • Language Barrier in Daily Life: While work is in English, integrating into society, understanding letters from the government, or chatting in the breakroom often requires difficult-to-learn Finnish.
  • Cost of Eating Out: Services and dining are expensive relative to salaries, leading many to cook at home to save money.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Senior engineers with a secured job offer who are burnt out from the "grind" culture of other tech hubs will thrive here. It is ideal for families seeking a safe environment for children and nature lovers who don't mind the cold. Introverts who appreciate personal space and silence will also find the culture welcoming.

Skip it if...

Junior developers without a job offer should avoid moving now, as the entry-level market is brutal. Social butterflies who need constant interaction or those prone to seasonal depression will likely struggle. Additionally, engineers focused on maximizing net worth or achieving early retirement (FIRE) will find the high taxes and cost of living frustrating.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather2.8/10-46% vs Florianopolis
Safety75+39%
Pollution12-69%
Events7+7
2.8/10TechCities weather score vs 5.2/10 in Florianopolis

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
9°C(vs 25°C in Florianopolis)
Average Low
2°C(vs 18°C in Florianopolis)
Sunshine Hours
1,838h/yr-182h/yr(-9%)
Hottest Month High
21°C(vs 29°C in Florianopolis)
Coldest Month Low
-8°C(vs 14°C in Florianopolis)
Rainy Days
72/yr-71/yr(-50%)

Community & Quality

Helsinki community pulse

Helsinki has 7 Luma events listed.

Florianopolis has no listed Luma events for comparison.

Cost of Living

Middle of the pack

#69

of 124 cities

55/100

Current value (lower is better)

Net Income

Middle of the pack

#70

of 124 cities

$48,908/yr

Current value

Purchasing Power

Bottom 33%

#84

of 124 cities

Home Affordability

Bottom 31%

#87

of 124 cities

≈12 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Comfortable Weather

Bottom 19%

#102

of 124 cities

28/100 weather score

Current value

Tax Rate

Bottom 7%

#116

of 124 cities

41%

Current value (lower is better)

SWE Affordability
12.0 years
3.7 years longer than Florianopolis
Muggy Days
1/yr-171/yr(-99%)
Cloud Cover
59%(vs 44% in Florianopolis)