Updated 5 October 2026
Is it cheaper to rent or to buy? The answer depends on the area, on how long you plan to stay and on a few assumptions. This guide compares the same flat in two Helsinki areas with the Asumisvalinta comparison and shows where the differences come from.
How the comparison works
The comparison looks at three ways to live in the same flat: renting, right of occupancy and buying. Each option starts with the same amount of money and spends the same amount each month. When one option is cheaper in a month, the difference is saved.
At the end of the period everything is turned into money: the flat is sold, the right-of-occupancy fee is refunded, the savings are withdrawn and taxes are paid. The option that leaves the most money is the cheapest under the chosen assumptions. The methodology explains the calculation in full.
Example: a 50 m² one-bedroom flat in two areas
Both examples are 50 m² one-bedroom flats, and every assumption is the comparison's default. The figures were calculated on 5 October 2026 with Statistics Finland's latest data: prices per m² from the first quarter of 2026 (preliminary) and rents per m² from the second quarter.
| Kallio (00530) | Etelä-Vuosaari (00980) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per m² | €4,822 | €2,997 |
| Rent per m² a month | €21.65 | €16.40 |
| Price-to-rent ratio | 18.6 years | 15.2 years |
| Assumed price change a year | +0.7% | −1.2% |
Money left at the end of the period:
| Buy | Rent | Right of occupancy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kallio, 5 years | €73,900 | €72,600 | €81,400 |
| Kallio, 15 years | €160,400 | €106,900 | €135,900 |
| Etelä-Vuosaari, 5 years | €32,200 | €46,100 | €53,000 |
| Etelä-Vuosaari, 15 years | €59,500 | €70,600 | €93,200 |
In Kallio, buying overtakes renting at five years, and over 15 years buying leaves the most money. In Etelä-Vuosaari, buying overtakes renting only at 21 years, and right of occupancy does best over both periods.
Average monthly housing cost in the first year:
| Buy | Rent | Right of occupancy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kallio | €1,363 | €1,083 | €920 |
| Etelä-Vuosaari | €1,009 | €820 | €697 |
Why the results differ
Price development. The comparison assumes prices develop like the area's price index did on average over the last ten years. In Kallio's price area the index rose by about 0.7% a year, in Etelä-Vuosaari's price area it fell by about 1.2% a year. The owner gains from a rise and loses from a fall; the tenant and the right-of-occupancy resident do not.
Fixed costs per m². The maintenance charge (€5.90 per m² a month in Greater Helsinki) and own repairs (€15.50 per m² a year) are the same in both areas. In a cheaper flat they are a bigger share of the total cost, which weakens buying in Etelä-Vuosaari.
The price-to-rent ratio alone does not decide. Kallio has the higher ratio, which would favour renting, yet buying does better there. Price development and fixed costs matter more. Read more in the guide on reading the price-to-rent ratio.
Time. Transfer tax and selling costs are paid once. The longer you stay, the smaller their share per year, so buying improves with time.
Right of occupancy. The comparison assumes a fee of 15% of the debt-free price and a monthly charge of 85% of the market rent. The low monthly cost and the index-linked refund make right of occupancy strong when prices rise slowly or fall. Read more in the guide what is right of occupancy.
Which assumptions change the result
The example uses the comparison's defaults: a fixed loan rate of 3.22%, own funds of 20% of the price, a 25-year loan, rents rising 2.1% a year and savings kept in a savings account. You can change every assumption in the comparison. These usually matter most:
- price development
- the loan rate
- the length of the period
- whether savings are invested or kept in an account.
The comparison also has a "What if" view that shows how the result changes if one assumption turns out differently.
Limits
The figures are estimates based on area averages. The condition, year built, charges and renovations of a particular flat can change the result a lot. Right-of-occupancy flats are available only with a queue number, and not every area has free flats. The figures update as new data is published, so the comparison may differ from the figures in this guide.
Sources
- Prices of old dwellings in housing companies and rents of dwellings, Statistics Finland.
- Housing companies' finances, Statistics Finland: charges and repair costs.
- Housing market review of right-of-occupancy flats 2025, Varke: development of monthly charges.
- Methodology, Asumisvalinta: formulas, assumptions and sources.