Living in Helsinki

Hi!

I am from London and am currently studying abroad in Helsinki, Finland from January-May 2014 with Erasmus. It is a great city, really beautiful and I thoroughly recommend it as a study abroad location.

Tips for Living Cheaply

It is no secret that the Nordic countries are expensive to live in; here are a few pointers I have picked up so far on my travels to save you money.

Sales

Coming in January to study abroad is fantastic because of the post-Christmas sales! (Sorry anybody who studies abroad from September because this won’t be as useful to you) I managed to buy bedding and kitchen towels for around 75% off in Hemtex when I arrived. I also managed to buy a cheap toaster on sale and some good substantial winter clothes like a new coat and a jumper – very handy in Finland.

Visit Hakaniemi

Hakaniemi is the 5th stop on the metro line and is a much cheaper area than the city centre. In this area you will find many Black and Asian shops where you can find things cheaper than in supermarkets. Around here you will also find many discount stores where you can buy basic goods.

Visit Estonia

So a little further than Hakaniemi I know, but Tallinn the capital of Estonia is a substantially cheaper city than Helsinki. You can take the ferry there really cheaply (depending on when you go and if you use discounts it can cost betweent 7€-25€) it only takes 2 hours and you can stock up on basic things here like shampoo, washing powder, moisturizers as they are around half the price that you will pay in Finland. This is a great place to buy alcohol cheaply and is something practically all Erasmus students in Helsinki do upon their arrival.

Lidl

Lidl is cheap. Buy all food here.

Eat at the uni-cafe

Uni-cafes are super cheap government subsidized restaurants around the university. A meal cost € 2. 60 and it is definitely good value for money.

Things to do

As somebody born and raised in London, Helsinki can seem like a much smaller city with much fewer people and not that much going on. However you can always find something worth doing here and here are some of my favourite things to do in the city.

Visit Cafes

Unlike the rest of the world Finland has somehow managed to escape the clutches of Starbucks franchises. Because of this there are lots of really cool café’s in the city worth going to. I would recommend Café Regatta by the coast, it’s really quirky and looks like a little shed, they also give you free refills on coffee and tea. It is definitely worth checking out the cafes of Helsinki.

Walk by the Coast

I love being by the sea. There are boats lined up on the coast by the Upsenski Cathedral. It’s very picturesque and taking a walk here is a nice way to clear your head. You can also catch a great sunrise or sunset by the coast and if the temperature has been below zero here for long enough you can ice skate on the Baltic Sea.

Ice Fishing

The fun level of this past time is incredibly subjective but personally I like it. Drill a hole in the ice. Put in your rod. Wait for a fish. You may end up waiting all day and catching nothing, you may catch a couple within 5 minutes – it really is pot luck!

Museums, Fazer Chocolate Factory and Parliament

You can visit the Finnish parliament for a free guided tour almost any day of the week. I recommend it even if it is just to see the elevator there (you’ll know what I mean when you go). Also many museums have a free entrance day once a month for example you can visit the Kiasma museum of contemporary art on the first Friday of every month. And for lovers of chocolate you can of course go to the Fazer chocolate factory for free.

Go to an ice-hockey match

This is pretty self explanatory. I went and loved it, although the Finnish crowds aren't very rowdy but they do chant a little bit and it's fun to join in.

Live like a local

You are in Helsinki, so you will want to experience a Finnish way of life. Here are some things worth noting about the Finnish and also some things worth experiencing that you can only experience in Finland.

1. The Finnish are a very timely nation. There is no sense of urgency here so expect to queue for ages for everything and expect to be ok with it – nobody seems to complain about it.
2. February 5th– this is Runeberg day, a very Finnish national day named after famous Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg. Expect to see flags flying from all buildings and make sure you eat a Runeberg torte – a very Finnish dessert.
3. Go to Senate Square – this is the main square in the centre of Helsinki and home to the Helsinki Cathedral, which is beautiful to look at.



4. Go to Lapland – I haven’t been yet but I am planning to. Here you can see reindeer, meet santa, go on husky rides. All very uniquely Finnish.



Source

5. Learn Finnish - It is incredibly difficult but have a crack at it – why not!
6. Finnish people are very friendly but not very approachable. But if you ask somebody for anything they are more than willing to assist.

Photo gallery