Everyday Life in Finland
Living in Finland is an enjoyable proposition, there is much to see and do and public services are of high standard. The country has adopted the Euro currency and prices compare well with other prosperous members of the European Union.
Weather
Summer in Finland is warm but winter can be very cold. Helsinki is generally not as cold as some of the more northern cities. Autumn and spring are temperate. The Finnish climate is relatively dry. Coming from Australia you should allow yourself a wardrobe budget to cope with the colder weather. Your best Australian winter clothing is likely to be only barely adequate for the worst of Finland’s Spring and Autumn.
Transport
Public transportation in Finland is very efficient. Means of transportation include buses, trams, metros and trains. Driving is very common and roads are well constructed. There are daily trains from Helsinki to Moscow and St Petersburg, Russia. Boats also travel to Stockholm, making it easy to get to other Nordic countries.
Healthcare & Insurance
Health care in Finland is of a high standard and covers all Finish citizens. The system is however divided in the sources of its coverage. Students have their own public health system, the Finnish Student Health Service (Ylioppilaiden terveydenhoitosäätiö YTHS/Studenternas häsovårdstiftelse SHVS). The FHS is a foundation financed by the Social Insurance Institution, the students and student unions, the university cities and the state of Finland.
Coverage is provided for preventative health care, medical care, mental health care and dental health care. You obtain the health cover by joining the student union.
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Living expenses
The cost of living in Finland is similar to that of most EU countries. Students accepted to degree programmes have to pay for food, accommodation, study materials, clothing, transportation and social activities. Note that Helsinki has a higher cost of living than any of the other cities.
Approximated monthly costs are as follows:
Accommodation - 200-350 Euros
Lunch at student canteens - 60-85 Euros
Self-catering - 95-150 Euros
Other expenses - 90-130 Euros
This estimate does not include social activities, travel and clothing. It has been estimated that an average Finnish student spends 600-750 Euros per month. Students who are members of the student unions are entitled to various discounts for transportation costs and student meals.
Banking
Opening a bank account in Finland is a reasonably straightforward procedure, you will need some identity documents and it will be a good idea to have a native speaker with you when you open our account unless your Finnish is very good. Most banks do have forms in English. Banks do charge fees for some services and types of accounts though most offer what are called self-service packages free of charge.
Automatic teller machines in Finland are called Ottos. To find a list of ATM’s in your area go to the website www.otto.fi and click on Missä Otto with the name of your area filled in.
Mastercard and Visa are accepted widely in Finland.
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