Should you visit Helsinki or Paris?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Helsinki and Paris can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital of Finland and dates back to 1550. Helsinki is an international metropolis with a diverse population, but also a small town vibe. The city itself has a population of just over 600,000 but the metropolitan area, including Espoo and Vantaa, has a population of more than 1.3 million. There are many outdoor bars and cafes that take advantage of the warmer summer months. During this time there are long days, and the population floods into the street after a long and cold winter, so visiting during the summer is a fun and lively experience.
Paris
Paris is a dream destination for many people. It's location on the river Seine contributes to its stunning beauty and you can spend many days wandering through its wonderfully diverse neighborhoods. It's known as a city of culture, fashion, food and fun. There is never a shortage of entertainment and activities around town and a highlight of many people's trips to Paris is to explore the city at night, when it truly comes to life. It is not hard to see why this city has received the nickname as the "City of Lights."
Which city is cheaper, Paris or Helsinki?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Helsinki is €112, while the average daily cost in Paris is €184. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Helsinki and Paris in more detail.
Accommodation
Travelers usually pay around €118 for a double occupancy room in Helsinki If you want to be in a premiere location or have high end amenities, you can expect to pay a bit more.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about €242 in Paris For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Local Transportation
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Helsinki than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €18 on transportation in Helsinki on average per day.
To get around in Paris, the average visitor spends €17 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Helsinki
Also for Helsinki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Private Transfer: Helsinki to Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport (HEL):
$622
-
Private Transfer: Helsinki-Malmi Airpor (HEM) to Helsinki:
$622
-
Private Transfer: Helsinki to Helsinki-Malmi Airpor (HEM):
$622
-
Helsinki Private Panoramic Tour with Airport Transfer:
$375
-
Helsinki Private Departure Airport Transfer:
$203
-
Airport Private transfer via Marimekko & Iittala with Japanese Speaking Driver:
$195
-
Private arrival OR departure transfer in Helsinki (airport or hotel pick up):
$185
-
Helsinki Stopover Tour with Round-Trip Airport Transfers:
$170
-
Helsinki airport transfer to all Helsinki area hotels:
$166
-
Helsinki Airport Transfers: Helsinki City to Helsinki Airport HEL in Luxury Van:
$113
-
Helsinki Departure Private Transfer from Helsinki City to Helsinki Airport HEL:
$110
-
Helsinki Private Transfer : Port of Helsinki to Helsinki City in Luxury Van:
$104
Typical Local Transportation prices in Paris
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Paris are as follows:
-
Metro
€6.40
-
Train from Airport
€9.00
-
Metro tickets
€6.80
-
Train
€20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Paris
Also for Paris, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Your private transfer from Disneyland to Paris:
$53
-
Versailles Guided Tour Including Priority Access & Hotel Transfer from Paris:
$159
-
VIP Airport Transfer between Orly Airport & Paris Hotel:
$90
-
Ultra - Private Transfer from Paris to Giverny to visit Claude Monet's Garden:
$9.57
-
Ultra - Paris Airport Transfer from City Centre to Charles de Gaulle Airport CDG:
$94
-
Transfert from Paris To Airport Roissy Charles De Gaulle:
$120
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Paris City to Paris Orly Airport:
$44
-
Transfer in private vehicle from Paris City to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport:
$46
-
Transfer from Paris to Geneva or from Geneva to Paris:
$1,431
-
Transfer from Paris to Beauvais Airport:
$112
-
Transfer from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris - ROUND TRIP:
$189
-
Transfer from Paris (any hotel) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport:
$96
Is it cheaper to fly into Helsinki or Paris?
Prices for flights to both Paris and Helsinki change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
The average traveler spends about €27 per day in Helsinki for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
Food in Paris costs travelers about €31 per day on average. Restaurants can vary significantly in price, so choose wisely if you're trying to save money. Fast food and street stalls are typically your cheapest options, which sit down restaurants can be significantly more expensive.
-
Food
Meals for one day
Helsinki €27
Paris €31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Helsinki
For Helsinki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Helsinki Food Tour Including Tastings:
$137
Typical Food prices in Paris
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Paris:
-
Ice Cream
€8.00
-
Breakfast
€7.00
-
Breakfast for 2
€30
-
Dinner on River Cruise
€86
-
Dinner
€57
-
Cheese
€13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Paris
For Paris, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Paris en Scene Boat 3-Course Dinner Cruise:
$49
-
Paris River Seine Lunch or Dinner Cruise:
$60
-
Italian dinner on the river Seine:
$61
-
Seine River Cruise with French Dinner on Champs-Elysees Avenue:
$61
-
Seine River Cruise & Dinner on Champs Elysées Avenue:
$62
-
Choux cooking class for kids in Paris:
$62
-
Capitaine Fracasse Boat 3-Course Dinner Cruise:
$67
-
Paris Small-Group Gourmet Food Tour With Optional Lunch and Wine Tasting:
$75
-
Bistro Parisien Dinner and Seine River Sightseeing Cruise Combination:
$75
-
NO DIET CLUB - Unique Bike and Food tour in Paris !:
$75
-
Romantic Cruise with 3-course Dinner on Seine River:
$76
-
Fondue Cooking Party - Winter is Coming:
$78
Entertainment
Sightseeing expenses in Helsinki, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €22 per day, per person.
In Paris, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average €62 per person, per day.
Tours and Activities in Helsinki
For Helsinki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
-
2 Days tour to Moominworld and Turku Castle from Helsinki:
$955
-
2-Hour Guided Tuk Tuk Tour in Helsinki:
$274
-
2-Hours Helsinki Professional Photography Walking Tour:
$70
-
2-Hours Photogenic Helsinki Walking Tour with a Local:
$67
-
3.5 Hour Helsinki Highlights Private Tour:
$350
-
5-hour sightseeing in Helsinki and Winterworld:
$199
-
90-minute Helsinki Boat Sightseeing on Beautiful Canal Route:
$28
-
Architecture Tour of Helsinki with a city planner:
$68
-
Artificial Intelligence City Tour of Helsinki:
$37
-
Central Helsinki Tour:
$84
-
City Sightseeing Helsinki Hop On Hop Off Tour:
$37
-
City Sightseeing Helsinki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$37
Typical Entertainment prices in Paris
For Paris, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
-
Louvre Entry for Two
€18
-
Admission to Pantheon
€5.00
-
Catacombs (2)
€23
Tours and Activities in Paris
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Paris.
-
1 Day Private Walking Tour Of Montmartre, Latin Quarter, Champs Élysées:
$180
-
1 Day in Eiffel Tower, Cruise, City Tour, and Louvre:
$139
-
1 Hour Real time Virtual Tour in Paris:
$150
-
1 hour Sainte Chapelle- skip the line access - English or Español:
$51
-
14-day Taste of Europe Tour: France, Italy, Monaco,Switzerland,Germany and more.:
$1,565
-
15+ Top Sights Paris Tour with Fun Guide:
$52
-
180° Paris by Night Tour: Exclusively for You & Your Group:
$54
-
1:30 hours tour of Louvre museum:
$261
-
1st Day in Paris Discovery Private Tour: 'How-to' Orientation & Sightseeing Fun!:
$63
-
2 Hours Paris city center walking tour:
$16
-
2 Hours Photoshoot tours at the Eiffel tower, Trocadero, Champs de Mars and more:
$423
-
2-Day Loire Valley Castles Tour from Paris:
$521
Alcohol
Typically, people visiting Helsinki spend on average €13 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Paris, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is €19.
Typical Alcohol prices in Paris
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Paris are as follows:
Sample the Local Flavors in Paris
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Paris:
-
Pub Crawl in Latin Quarter:
$37
-
Guided Visit and Wine Tasting in a Royal Wine Cellar in Paris:
$40
-
Guided tour and wine tasting in a historic cellar in the center of Paris:
$41
-
Cheese and Wine Tasting in the Latin Quarter with Chef Alex:
$47
-
Organic wine tasting in Paris:
$56
-
Wine Tasting In Paris:
$83
-
Paris Art of Pairing Cheese and Wine Tasting in a Cheese Cellar:
$87
-
Paris Wine Tasting Session with Expert Sommelier:
$89
-
Walk & Wine Tour in the Latin Quarter:
$97
-
Paris Wine Tasting plus Cheese & Cured Meat Lunch with an Expert Sommelier Guide:
$97
-
Paris Evening Wine Tour and Tasting:
$112
-
Montmartre Hill Sweet & Savory French Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour:
$112
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Helsinki and Paris, we can see that Paris is more expensive. And not only is Helsinki much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Helsinki would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Helsinki and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Paris would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Paris than you might in Helsinki.
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