How to manage with a student budget?

When studying in Finland students are required to bear the costs for their own living. Living costs in Finland are close to Western European average. The costs of student life consist mainly of accommodation, food, public transport, study materials, clothing, and leisure activities. Average monthly living costs for students are estimated to be about 750 – 1200 euros, depending on the housing, habits, and needs of an individual. International students must make sure that their incomes cover basic living costs for the entire time spent studying in Finland and that they have valid health insurance with adequate coverage. Additional information.

  • housing (student accommodation) 270-500 euros + initial expenses, such as the housing deposit.
  • food 300 euros
  • bus tickets about 60 euros
  • leisure and other expenses 100-150 euros
  • Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences are obliged to charge tuition fees for those students who are not citizens of countries of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) and starting their degree studies 1 August 2017 and onwards. The legislation concerns degree programmes taught in English and leading to a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Read more.

Tips to an affordable student life

Apply for housing at KOAS or Soihtu

The rental fees of student accommodation are far more affordable than renting from the private market.

Join JAMKO 

Students who have paid the membership fee and present a student card are entitled to discounts in student restaurants, public transport, leisure activities, services, and in some shops. Keep your student card at hand and remember to ask for student discounts. In addition JAMKO members have a completely free gym at their use in the Main Campus.

Buy second hand

Second hand shops and flea markets are a Finnish thing and very popular in Finland. Finnish second hand shops sell used but usually very good quality clothing, furniture, kitchenware and home decoration. Finns have high standards also for recycled items. You can find great bargains for a fraction of the item’s original cost. You’ll find a good amount of nice shops in the centrum area, but if you feel like exploring, there is interesting option a bit further.

Check the best places for bargains here. 

Plan your travels

When you buy your train ticket weeks beforehand you might save up to 50-70 percent. If you travel a lot inside Jyväskylä, consider buying a Linkki – bus card which is valid inside Jyväskylä. It is much cheaper in the long run than a one time payment everytime. Jyväskylä is also a quite compact city, so you might want to consider investing in a bike or renting one.

Buy together or borrow

Small packages of groceries might be relatively more expensive than the larger one’s, so it pays off to team up with friends or room mates and buy together larger quantities of food and share the expenses. KOAS’ and Soihtu’s recidence committees have tools and other items for shared use, so it wise to check if you can lend something rather than buy. JAMKO offers also sports and recreational equipment, like outdoor games, basket and footballs and such that can be borrowed.

Financial support for students

The majority of Finnish students are financially supported by the Finnish state in the form of

International students are entitled to the Finnish financial aid for students only on certain conditions, but meal subsidy and discounts from bus tickets, train tickets etc. are intended for all full-time students and exchange students with a valid student card.

Affordable transport during your stay