Dublin vs Helsinki
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Helsinki edges it, 68 to 65, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Dublin is stronger on nothing outright; Helsinki on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Dublin | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 13 | 20 ✓ |
| Safety | 85 ✓ | 85 |
| Healthcare | 84 | 87 ✓ |
| Internet | 62 | 68 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 |
| Getting there & around | 54 | 54 ✓ |
| Climate | 8 | 17 ✓ |
| Air quality | 95 | 99 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 97 ✓ | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Dublin | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,488 | $2,969 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $2,866 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Dublin | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.8 ✓ | 1.1 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 78 | 80.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 86 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 81.6 yrs ✓ | 81.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Dublin | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 34.2 Mbps | 46.5 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 12.5 Mbps | 15.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Dublin | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | unlimited ✓ | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Dublin | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 201 ✓ | 132 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 5 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Dublin | Helsinki |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 2 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.3 µg/m³ | 5.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Dublin or Helsinki?
- Helsinki is cheaper: about $2,969 per month versus $3,488 for one person.
- Is Dublin or Helsinki safer?
- Dublin scores higher on safety (85 vs 85), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Dublin or Helsinki?
- Helsinki: a measured median of 46.5 Mbps versus 34.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.