Should you visit Vilnius or Helsinki?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Vilnius and Helsinki. 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. So, let's dig into it.
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital and largest city in the country of Lithuania. It has a population of more than 500,000 residents and is located in the valley between the Neris River and the Vilnia River in the southeastern part of the country. Visitors come to the city for its beautiful Old Town, impressive architecture, and fascinating culture. In 2009 it was named the European Capital of Culture along with the city of Linz, in Austria.
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.
Which city is cheaper, Helsinki or Vilnius?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Vilnius is €76, while the average daily cost in Helsinki is €112. 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 Vilnius and Helsinki in more detail.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary by location and style, but travelers pay on average about €68 for a double occupancy room in Vilnius.
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.
Food
On average, meal and food prices in Vilnius cost around €32 per person, per day. While this price can vary widely by location, the type of restaurant, and the amount of food ordered, a typical meal often costs around €13.
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.
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Food
Meals for one day
Vilnius €32
Helsinki €27
Typical Food prices in Vilnius
Some typical examples of dining costs in Vilnius are as follows:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vilnius
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Vilnius.
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Vilnius - City of Contrasts - The Original City Tour by bicycle (bike+food tour):
$32
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National Dinner with Folk Show in Vilnius:
$49
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Dinner in local family:
$66
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Cooking Class in Vilnius:
$71
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Cooking Class:
$74
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Vilnius Dinner in the Darkness:
$115
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Dinner in the Dark Dining Experience in Riga:
$281
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Helsinki
For Helsinki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Helsinki Food Tour Including Tastings:
$137
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Vilnius is €6.64 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public 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.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vilnius
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vilnius:
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Vilnius to Riga transfer with Sightseeing:
$347
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Vilnius Airport Departure Private Transfer:
$14
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Vilnius Airport Arrival Private Transfer:
$17
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Private transfer: Vilnius to Vilnius Airport (VNO):
$622
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Private transfer: Vilnius Airport (VNO) to Vilnius:
$622
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Private transfer from Vilnius to Riga or Riga International Airport:
$323
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Private transfer from Vilnius to Kaunas:
$118
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Private transfer Vilnius - Riga:
$319
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Private low cost transfer from Vilnius to Minsk:
$254
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Private Vilnius VNO Airport - Vilnius City Round-Trip Transfer:
$33
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Private Vilnius Airport Departure Transfer:
$16
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Private Vilnius Airport Arrival Transfer:
$37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Helsinki
Also for Helsinki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Ultra - Helsinki Private Transfer from City Centre to Helsinki Cruise Port:
$8.71
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Ultra - Helsinki Private Transfer from Helsinki Cruise Port to City Centre:
$8.71
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Private Airport Transfer: from Helsinki to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL):
$33
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Private Departure Transfer from Helsinki City Center to Helsinki Airport (HEL):
$34
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Private Departure Transfer from Helsinki City to Helsinki Vantaa Airport:
$40
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Airport transfer in Helsinki:
$50
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Best Transfer Helsinki:
$50
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VIP Transfer Helsinki Airport:
$53
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Private Chauffeur Transfer Helsinki:
$56
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VIP car Airport Transfer Helsinki:
$56
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Departure Private Transfer Luxury Van Helsinki City to Helsinki Port:
$62
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Arrival Private Transfer Business Car Helsinki Port to Helsinki City:
$62
Is it cheaper to fly into Vilnius or Helsinki?
Prices for flights to both Helsinki and Vilnius 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.
Entertainment
Vilnius's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €7.78 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
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.
Typical Entertainment prices in Vilnius
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Vilnius are as follows:
Tours and Activities in Vilnius
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Vilnius are as follows:
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10-Day Self-Driving Tour to Baltic States:
$912
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2-Hour Segway Tours in Vilnius:
$57
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2-Night Amber Spa Experience in Vilnius:
$956
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3 Hour Vilnius Food Walking Tour:
$83
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3-Hour Vilnius Food Insider Walking Tour and Tastings:
$96
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6-Hour Trakai National Park Private Walking Tour from Vilnius:
$187
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8 Days Baltic Tour: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia:
$1,095
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9-Day Lithuania and Latvia Small-Group Tour from Vilnius:
$1,680
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Audio Tours to Curonian Spit UNESCO sand dunes:
$399
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Audio Tours to Geographical Center of Europe:
$96
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Audio Tours to Grutas Park Soviet Time Museum:
$239
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Audio Tours to Hill of Crosses:
$319
Tours and Activities in Helsinki
For Helsinki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Skip the Line: Flying Cinema Tour Of Helsinki Experience, single ticket:
$15
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Skip the Line: SEA LIFE Helsinki Entrance Ticket:
$19
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Helsinki Self-Guided Audio Tour:
$20
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Sightseeing Boat Tour in Archipelago of Helsinki:
$27
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Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour (ticket for 24 hours):
$37
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City Sightseeing Helsinki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$37
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City Sightseeing Helsinki Hop On Hop Off Tour:
$37
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Artificial Intelligence City Tour of Helsinki:
$37
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Helsinki Like a Local: Customized Private Tour:
$38
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Private Helsinki Budha Tour Half Day:
$40
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Helsinki Music Walking Tour:
$50
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Helsinki Shared group tour:
$51
Alcohol
The average person spends about €5.10 on alcoholic beverages in Vilnius per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Helsinki spend on average €13 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Typical Alcohol prices in Vilnius
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Vilnius from other travelers:
Sample the Local Flavors in Vilnius
Also in Vilnius, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Vilnius and Helsinki, we can see that Helsinki is more expensive. And not only is Vilnius much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Vilnius would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Vilnius 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 Helsinki would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Helsinki than you might in Vilnius.
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