Which place is cheaper, Porvoo or Rovaniemi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Rovaniemi or Porvoo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Rovaniemi and Porvoo. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Rovaniemi or Porvoo?
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland, in northern Finland. Almost totally destroyed during World War II, today it's a modern city known for being the "official" home town of Santa Claus, and for viewing the Northern Lights. It's home to Arktikum, a museum and science center exploring the Arctic region and the history of Finnish Lapland. The Science Centre Pilke features interactive exhibits on northern forests.
Porvoo
Porvoo is a city and a municipality situated on the southern coast of Finland approximately 50 kilometers east of Helsinki. Porvoo is one of the six medieval towns in Finland, first mentioned as a city in texts from 14th century. Even though Porvoo is not exactly a coastal town, it is connected to the Gulf of Finland via the Porvoo River. The river flows through the city, passing Porvoo's most well-known landmarks: the red shore houses. Historically, Porvoo has been an important center of trade. Founded nearly 800 years ago, Porvoo is the second oldest city in Finland and evidence of its long history can still be seen and felt as you walk its charming streets. For centuries, the city has served as both a home and a source of inspiration for many Finnish artists.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Finland, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Finland, The Best Adventure Tours to Finland, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Finland.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRovaniemi €174Porvoo €132
The average daily cost (per person) in Rovaniemi is €174, while the average daily cost in Porvoo is €132. 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 destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Rovaniemi and Porvoo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRovaniemi €93Porvoo €69
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRovaniemi €186Porvoo €138
Compare Hotels in Rovaniemi and Porvoo
Looking for a hotel in Rovaniemi or Porvoo? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Rovaniemi Hotel Prices and Porvoo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Rovaniemi €31Porvoo €56
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rovaniemi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rovaniemi:
- VIP Private Transfer in Rovaniemi : $163
- Transfer from Rovaniemi to Helsinki: $1,918
- Transfer Rovaniemi - Levi by private van: $576
- Transfer Rovaniemi - Kakslautanen by private van: $766
- Transfer Rovaniemi - Ivalo by private van: $863
- Trip to Santa Claus Village with Hotel Transfer: $86
- Santa Claus Village Tour with Transfer: $86
- Santa Claus Village Guided Tour with Transfer: $77
- Rovaniemi Private Transfer from Rovaniemi city centre to Rovaniemi airport: $87
- Rovaniemi Private Transfer from Rovaniemi (RVN) Airport to City centre: $87
- Rovaniemi Private City Transfer by Luxury Vehicule : $83
- Rovaniemi Northern Light Hunt with Campfire and BBQ with Transfer: $86
Is it cheaper to fly into Rovaniemi or Porvoo?
Prices for flights to both Porvoo and Rovaniemi 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
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Food Meals for one dayRovaniemi €47Porvoo €30
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rovaniemi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rovaniemi.
- Snow Restaurant Dinner Tour: $115
- Lappish Cooking Master Class: $133
- Lappish Cooking Master Class: $147
- From SnowHotel Aurora Experience with Dinner: $148
- Best Of Lapland: Sauna, Ice swimming, Dinner & Northern Lights : $168
- Private Sauna, Jacuzzi and Dinner: $176
- Northern Lights dinner in a Glass Igloo: $234
- Aurora Borealis Dinner in a Glass Igloo: $234
- PRIVATE Party dinner in a Glass Igloo Under Northern Lights : $239
- PRIVATE Glass Igloo Dinner Under Northern Lights : $239
- Private Glass Igloo Dinner on the Shore of Frozen Lake: $244
Typical Food Prices in Porvoo
For Porvoo, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for 2€42
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Rovaniemi €48Porvoo €21
Tours and Activities in Rovaniemi
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Rovaniemi are as follows:
- 1-Hour Snowmobile Safari Adventure in Rovaniemi: $106
- 1-Hour Snowmobile Safari Experience : $97
- 5-Hour Tour to Ranua Zoo: $119
- All Day Canoe Adventure to Rovaniemi: $206
- Arctic Animals Combo Safari, Reindeer and Husky Adventure: $190
- Arctic Polar Bear Adventure with Lunch in Rovaniemi!: $140
- Arctic Reindeer Farm & Husky Safari + Aurora BBQ Tour!: $216
- Aurora Hunting Guarantee Tour with Photography: $270
- Aurora Hunting Photo Tour from Rovaniemi with Pickup: $110
- Aurora Hunting Pro Tour: $205
- Aurora Hunting Pro Tour With Photography: $212
- Aurora Magic Cabin Overnight Experience: $959
Tours and Activities in Porvoo
For Porvoo, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Private Tour: Porvoo Exclusive Journey: $602
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRovaniemi €21Porvoo €9.93
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Rovaniemi and Porvoo, we can see that Rovaniemi is more expensive. And not only is Porvoo much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Porvoo would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Porvoo 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 Rovaniemi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rovaniemi than you might in Porvoo.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Rovaniemi Expensive? and Is Porvoo Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Rovaniemi or Porvoo?
Porvoo has a larger population, and is about 36% larger than the population of Rovaniemi. When comparing the sizes of Rovaniemi and Porvoo, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Rovaniemi or Porvoo?
Both places have a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. As both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Rovaniemi or Porvoo in the Summer?
Both Porvoo and Rovaniemi during the summer are popular places to visit.
In the summer, Rovaniemi is around the same temperature as Porvoo. Typically, the summer temperatures in Rovaniemi in July average around 15°C (60°F), and Porvoo averages at about 17°C (62°F).
In Porvoo, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Rovaniemi. In the summer, Rovaniemi often gets more sunshine than Porvoo. Rovaniemi gets 304 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Porvoo receives 275 hours of full sun.
Rovaniemi usually gets less rain in July than Porvoo. Rovaniemi gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Porvoo receives 58 mm (2.3 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyRovaniemi 15°C (60°F)Porvoo 17°C (62°F)
Should I visit Rovaniemi or Porvoo in the Autumn?
The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Rovaniemi and Porvoo.
It's quite cold in Rovaniemi in the autumn. In October, Rovaniemi is generally much colder than Porvoo. Daily temperatures in Rovaniemi average around 2°C (36°F), and Porvoo fluctuates around 6°C (42°F).
Rovaniemi usually receives less sunshine than Porvoo during autumn. Rovaniemi gets 82 hours of sunny skies, while Porvoo receives 90 hours of full sun in the autumn.
In October, Rovaniemi usually receives less rain than Porvoo. Rovaniemi gets 64 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Porvoo receives 71 mm (2.8 in) of rain each month for the autumn.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberRovaniemi 2°C (36°F)Porvoo 6°C (42°F)
Should I visit Rovaniemi or Porvoo in the Winter?
The winter brings many poeple to Rovaniemi as well as Porvoo.
Porvoo can get quite cold in the winter. Be prepared for some very cold days in Rovaniemi. Rovaniemi is much colder than Porvoo in the winter. The daily temperature in Rovaniemi averages around -12°C (10°F) in January, and Porvoo fluctuates around -6°C (21°F).
In the winter, Rovaniemi often gets less sunshine than Porvoo. Rovaniemi gets 19 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Porvoo receives 39 hours of full sun.
Rovaniemi usually gets more rain in January than Porvoo. Rovaniemi gets 44 mm (1.7 in) of rain, while Porvoo receives 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryRovaniemi -12°C (10°F)Porvoo -6°C (21°F)
Should I visit Rovaniemi or Porvoo in the Spring?
Both Porvoo and Rovaniemi are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities.
Porvoo can be very cold during spring. Rovaniemi can get quite cold in the spring. In the spring, Rovaniemi is much colder than Porvoo. Typically, the spring temperatures in Rovaniemi in April average around -1°C (31°F), and Porvoo averages at about 3°C (37°F).
Rovaniemi usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Porvoo during spring. Rovaniemi gets 194 hours of sunny skies, while Porvoo receives 183 hours of full sun in the spring.
In April, Rovaniemi usually receives less rain than Porvoo. Rovaniemi gets 29 mm (1.1 in) of rain, while Porvoo receives 41 mm (1.6 in) of rain each month for the spring.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilRovaniemi -1°C (31°F)Porvoo 3°C (37°F)
Typical Weather for Porvoo and Rovaniemi
| Rovaniemi | Porvoo | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | -12°C (10°F) | 44 mm (1.7 in) | -6°C (21°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Feb | -12°C (11°F) | 32 mm (1.3 in) | -7°C (20°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) |
| Mar | -7°C (19°F) | 35 mm (1.4 in) | -3°C (27°F) | 34 mm (1.4 in) |
| Apr | -1°C (31°F) | 29 mm (1.1 in) | 3°C (37°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) |
| May | 6°C (43°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) | 9°C (49°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) |
| Jun | 13°C (55°F) | 41 mm (1.6 in) | 15°C (59°F) | 40 mm (1.6 in) |
| Jul | 15°C (60°F) | 50 mm (2 in) | 17°C (62°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) |
| Aug | 13°C (56°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 16°C (60°F) | 72 mm (2.8 in) |
| Sep | 8°C (46°F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) | 11°C (51°F) | 74 mm (2.9 in) |
| Oct | 2°C (36°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 6°C (42°F) | 71 mm (2.8 in) |
| Nov | -4°C (24°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) | 1°C (33°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Dec | -10°C (15°F) | 42 mm (1.7 in) | -4°C (26°F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.