Where to Buy a House in Finland: Cities and Regions

When deciding where to buy a house in Finland, it helps to know that prices vary considerably from region to region: in 2025 the average price of old (resale) flats was €4,270 per m² (about £3,600 / $4,800) in the Helsinki capital region (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen) and €1,860 per m² (about £1,600 / $2,100) in the rest of the country, according to Statistics Finland. A flat is usually bought as shares in a housing company (taloyhtiö, a company that owns the residential building), while a detached house or a cottage is usually bought as real property (kiinteistö, a registered land parcel including its buildings); the difference affects tax and, for buyers without EU/EEA citizenship and for certain companies, whether a permit is needed. Åland has its own rules on acquiring real property and, in some cases, housing company shares.

Finland in brief: cities, lakes, coast and Lapland

There is no single “best” place to buy in Finland: the answer depends on the type of home, how you plan to use it and your budget. Instead of a ranking, this article gives every region the same set of dated figures. The profiles cover four kinds of setting:

• Cities, from the Helsinki capital region to Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio and Jyväskylä.
• The Finnish Lakeland, the lake district of eastern and central Finland. Lake Saimaa, Finland’s largest lake, is in the east.
• The coast and the archipelago (coastal island groups, for example the Turku archipelago).
• Finnish Lapland, Finland’s northernmost region.

Finland is often called the land of a thousand lakes: according to the Finnish Environment Institute (Suomen ympäristökeskus, SYKE), it has about 57,000 lakes larger than one hectare, and considerably more lakes and ponds smaller than that. According to Statistics Finland, at the end of 2025 there were 485,475 leisure homes (vapaa-ajan asunto, the official building-use category for holiday homes) in Finland, in other words, cottages (mökki, a cottage, often by a lake).

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, at the summer solstice the day in Helsinki is almost 19 hours long. The limit of the midnight sun runs along the Arctic Circle at Rovaniemi, but the midnight sun is also experienced south of the Arctic Circle, along the Tornio–Kuusamo line.

As a national reference point for prices, the average price of old flats in housing companies was €2,594 per m² (about £2,200 / $2,900) in the whole of Finland in 2025 (Statistics Finland).

How to compare regions: the statistics and the two types of property

Before comparing regions, it helps to understand the two types of property. A buyer of a flat in a block of flats or a terraced house usually buys shares in a housing company, which give the right to occupy a specific flat; the company owns the building, and the plot is either owned by the company or leased. A buyer of a detached house or a cottage usually buys real property, that is, the land and the buildings. The form of the sale, the taxes and the registration differ between the two.

The profiles use three official statistics, always with the year. They measure different things, so this article does not add them together, compare them with one another or convert one into another.

Flats: Statistics Finland’s average (mean) price per m² of old flats in housing companies, given for the regions of Finland (maakunta) and for individual cities.

Houses: according to the National Land Survey of Finland (Maanmittauslaitos, MML), the median price of a built small residential property (a property with a detached or similar small house) was €150,000 (about £130,000 / $170,000) in the whole of Finland in 2025. This is a price per property, not per m². The statistic covers only properties on their own plot that were sold in their entirety, and sales of a määräala (an unpartitioned part of a property being sold); it does not cover housing company shares or houses on leased plots. The profiles give the median separately for areas with a detailed local plan and for sparsely populated areas. If you are searching for houses in the Finnish countryside, the sparsely populated areas are the ones to look at: there, the national median in 2025 was €107,000 (about £90,000 / $120,000), and across the regions it ranged from about €54,000 (about £46,000 / $61,000) in Satakunta to €210,000 (about £180,000 / $240,000) in Uusimaa.

Cottages by the water: the MML category “waterfront holiday properties” covers built holiday properties under 2 hectares with their own shoreline. In 2025 the median was €92,000 (about £78,000 / $100,000) in areas covered by a local master plan or a detailed shore plan (“master or shore plan areas” below) and €74,000 (about £62,000 / $83,000) in sparsely populated areas. The statistic does not separate lake shores from other shores, and no separate figure for lakeside properties is published, so it should not be read as a “lake house price”. The size and condition of the properties vary.

Two cautions apply throughout: averages based on few sales can change considerably from year to year, and statistics describe homes that were sold, not their condition or size.

Prices by region and city are covered in more detail in How much does a house cost in Finland?.

Where to buy in Finland: region profiles from Helsinki to Lapland

Each profile follows the same order: location, flats, houses, waterfront holiday properties and, where available, summer temperature.

Helsinki, the capital region and Uusimaa

Location: southern Finland, on the coast. The capital region consists of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen; the profile also covers the Uusimaa region.

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Uusimaa region €3,826 (about £3,200 / $4,300); Helsinki €4,983 (about £4,200 / $5,600); Espoo €3,773 (about £3,200 / $4,200); Vantaa €2,675 (about £2,300 / $3,000).

Houses (median price of a built small residential property in areas with a detailed local plan, 2025): Espoo €612,500 (about £520,000 / $690,000); Helsinki €468,500 (about £400,000 / $530,000); Vantaa €368,000 (about £310,000 / $410,000).

Houses in sparsely populated areas (median, 2025): Uusimaa €210,000 (about £180,000 / $240,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): Uusimaa, areas with a detailed local plan, €303,000 (about £260,000 / $340,000) (1,739 sales).

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): Uusimaa €183,000 (about £150,000 / $210,000) in master or shore plan areas.

In sparsely populated areas of Uusimaa, the median was €150,000 (about £130,000 / $170,000) (81 sales).

Summer: the July mean temperature in Helsinki is 18.1 °C (Kaisaniemi station, 1991–2020 reference period, Finnish Meteorological Institute).

Turku, Varsinais-Suomi and the archipelago

Location: south-western Finland, on the coast; the region includes archipelago areas. The profile covers the Varsinais-Suomi (Southwest Finland) region.

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Varsinais-Suomi €2,293 (about £1,900 / $2,600); Turku €2,653 (about £2,200 / $3,000).

Houses (median price of a built small residential property in areas with a detailed local plan, 2025): Turku €272,500 (about £230,000 / $310,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): Varsinais-Suomi €197,000 (about £170,000 / $220,000) in areas with a detailed local plan (950 sales) and €120,000 (about £100,000 / $140,000) in sparsely populated areas (583 sales).

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): Varsinais-Suomi €145,000 (about £120,000 / $160,000) in master or shore plan areas (242 sales) and €110,000 (about £93,000 / $120,000) in sparsely populated areas (76 sales).

Summer: the July mean temperature is 17.5 °C (Turku airport station, 1991–2020).

According to Statistics Finland, Parainen in Varsinais-Suomi had 8,994 cottages at the end of 2025; only Kuopio and Mikkeli had more.

Tampere and Pirkanmaa

Location: inland southern Finland, north of the capital region.

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Pirkanmaa region €2,580 (about £2,200 / $2,900); Tampere €2,979 (about £2,500 / $3,400).

Houses (median price of a built small residential property in areas with a detailed local plan, 2025): Tampere €310,000 (about £260,000 / $350,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): Pirkanmaa €230,000 (about £190,000 / $260,000) in areas with a detailed local plan (950 sales) and €140,000 (about £120,000 / $160,000) in sparsely populated areas (531 sales).

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): Pirkanmaa €125,000 (about £110,000 / $140,000) in master or shore plan areas (295 sales) and €85,000 (about £72,000 / $96,000) in sparsely populated areas (121 sales).

Summer: at the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s stations in southern and central Finland, the average daily maximum temperature in July is about 21–23 °C (1991–2020).

Lahti, Hämeenlinna and Häme

Location: inland southern Finland, north of the capital region. Lahti and Hämeenlinna are in different regions: Lahti in Päijät-Häme and Hämeenlinna in Kanta-Häme.

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Päijät-Häme €1,510 (about £1,300 / $1,700); Kanta-Häme €1,532 (about £1,300 / $1,700); Lahti €1,675 (about £1,400 / $1,900); Hämeenlinna €1,784 (about £1,500 / $2,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): Päijät-Häme €150,000 (about £130,000 / $170,000) in areas with a detailed local plan and €98,000 (about £83,000 / $110,000) in sparsely populated areas; Kanta-Häme €170,500 (about £140,000 / $190,000) and €109,000 (about £92,000 / $120,000) respectively.

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): Päijät-Häme €130,000 (about £110,000 / $150,000) in master or shore plan areas and €111,000 (about £94,000 / $120,000) in sparsely populated areas (36 sales); Kanta-Häme €127,000 (about £110,000 / $140,000) and €120,000 (about £100,000 / $140,000) (45 sales) respectively.

Summer: the July mean temperature is 17.2 °C (Lahti Laune station, 1991–2020).

South-eastern Finland: Kotka, Kouvola and Lappeenranta

Location: south-eastern Finland, covering the regions of Kymenlaakso and Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia).

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Kymenlaakso €1,127 (about £950 / $1,300); Etelä-Karjala €1,354 (about £1,100 / $1,500); Kotka €1,184 (about £1,000 / $1,300); Kouvola €1,088 (about £920 / $1,200); Lappeenranta €1,733 (about £1,500 / $2,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): Kymenlaakso €100,000 (about £84,000 / $110,000) in areas with a detailed local plan and €58,000 (about £49,000 / $65,000) in sparsely populated areas; Etelä-Karjala €100,000 (about £84,000 / $110,000) and €72,950 (about £62,000 / $82,000) respectively.

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): in master or shore plan areas, €100,000 (about £84,000 / $110,000) in Kymenlaakso (111 sales) and €72,500 (about £61,000 / $82,000) in Etelä-Karjala (151 sales).

Lake Saimaa and Etelä-Savo

Location: eastern Finland, in the Finnish Lakeland, where Lake Saimaa, Finland’s largest lake, is located. This profile covers the region of Etelä-Savo (South Savo).

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Etelä-Savo €1,108 (about £930 / $1,200); Mikkeli €1,459 (about £1,200 / $1,600); Savonlinna €1,141 (about £960 / $1,300) (323 sales).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): Etelä-Savo €96,500 (about £81,000 / $110,000) in areas with a detailed local plan and €70,000 (about £59,000 / $79,000) in sparsely populated areas.

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): Etelä-Savo €90,000 (about £76,000 / $100,000) in master or shore plan areas. Municipal examples from the same statistic (number of sales / median): Savonlinna 53 / €74,000 (about £62,000 / $83,000), Mikkeli 72 / €88,000 (about £74,000 / $99,000) and Mäntyharju 61 / €107,500 (about £91,000 / $120,000).

In sparsely populated areas of Etelä-Savo, the median was €55,500 (about £47,000 / $62,000) (54 sales).

Summer: the July mean temperature is 17.3 °C at Savonlinna’s Punkaharju Laukansaari station (1991–2020).

At Mikkeli airport station, the July mean temperature is 17.0 °C (1991–2020).

According to Statistics Finland, Mikkeli had 9,567 cottages at the end of 2025, the second-highest number of any municipality after Kuopio.

Kuopio, Jyväskylä and Joensuu: the Lakeland cities

Location: the Finnish Lakeland, in eastern and central Finland. The profile covers the regions of Pohjois-Savo (North Savo), Keski-Suomi (Central Finland) and Pohjois-Karjala (North Karelia).

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Pohjois-Savo €1,690 (about £1,400 / $1,900); Keski-Suomi €1,701 (about £1,400 / $1,900); Pohjois-Karjala €1,502 (about £1,300 / $1,700); Kuopio €2,086 (about £1,800 / $2,300); Jyväskylä €2,038 (about £1,700 / $2,300); Joensuu €1,875 (about £1,600 / $2,100).

Houses (median price of a built small residential property in areas with a detailed local plan, 2025): Jyväskylä €215,500 (about £180,000 / $240,000); Kuopio €207,000 (about £170,000 / $230,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): in areas with a detailed local plan / sparsely populated areas, Pohjois-Savo €139,000 (about £120,000 / $160,000) / €97,500 (about £82,000 / $110,000); Keski-Suomi €152,000 (about £130,000 / $170,000) / €90,000 (about £76,000 / $100,000); Pohjois-Karjala €125,000 (about £110,000 / $140,000) / €65,000 (about £55,000 / $73,000).

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): Pohjois-Karjala €57,000 (about £48,000 / $64,000) in master or shore plan areas. A municipal example from the same statistic: Kuopio, 70 sales, median €75,000 (about £63,000 / $84,000).

In master or shore plan areas / sparsely populated areas, the median was €64,000 (about £54,000 / $72,000) / €45,000 (about £38,000 / $51,000) in Pohjois-Savo and €80,000 (about £68,000 / $90,000) / €70,000 (about £59,000 / $79,000) in Keski-Suomi. In sparsely populated areas of Pohjois-Karjala it was €34,000 (about £29,000 / $38,000) (33 sales).

Summer: the July mean temperature in Jyväskylä is 16.7 °C (Jyväskylä airport station, 1991–2020).

At Kuopio’s Maaninka station, the July mean temperature is 17.1 °C (1991–2020).

According to Statistics Finland, Kuopio had 10,261 cottages at the end of 2025, more than any other municipality in Finland.

The west coast and Ostrobothnia: Vaasa, Seinäjoki, Kokkola and Pori

Location: the west coast and the areas inland from it. The profile covers the regions of Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia), Etelä-Pohjanmaa (South Ostrobothnia), Keski-Pohjanmaa (Central Ostrobothnia) and Satakunta.

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Pohjanmaa €1,798 (about £1,500 / $2,000); Etelä-Pohjanmaa €1,644 (about £1,400 / $1,800); Keski-Pohjanmaa €1,705 (about £1,400 / $1,900); Satakunta €1,236 (about £1,000 / $1,400); Vaasa €2,028 (about £1,700 / $2,300); Seinäjoki €1,960 (about £1,700 / $2,200); Kokkola €1,831 (about £1,500 / $2,100) (422 sales); Pori €1,325 (about £1,100 / $1,500).

Houses in sparsely populated areas (median, 2025): Satakunta about €54,000 (about £46,000 / $61,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): in areas with a detailed local plan / sparsely populated areas, Pohjanmaa €129,999 (about £110,000 / $150,000) / €70,000 (about £59,000 / $79,000); Etelä-Pohjanmaa €140,000 (about £120,000 / $160,000) / €55,000 (about £46,000 / $62,000); Keski-Pohjanmaa €167,000 (about £140,000 / $190,000) / €82,000 (about £69,000 / $92,000); Satakunta €115,000 (about £97,000 / $130,000) / €54,448 (about £46,000 / $61,000).

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): in master or shore plan areas, Pohjanmaa €92,500 (about £78,000 / $100,000), Etelä-Pohjanmaa €80,000 (about £68,000 / $90,000) and Satakunta €120,000 (about £100,000 / $140,000); in sparsely populated areas of Satakunta, €78,750 (about £66,000 / $89,000).

Worth noting: in small regions there are few sales (for example 473 sales of old flats in Keski-Pohjanmaa in 2025), so individual sales can affect the average.

Oulu, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa and Kainuu

Location: northern Finland; Kainuu and Kuusamo are in the east. The profile covers the regions of Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (North Ostrobothnia) and Kainuu. Kuusamo belongs to the Pohjois-Pohjanmaa region, not to Lapland.

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Pohjois-Pohjanmaa €1,920 (about £1,600 / $2,200); Kainuu €1,234 (about £1,000 / $1,400) (567 sales); Oulu €2,105 (about £1,800 / $2,400); Kajaani €1,240 (about £1,000 / $1,400) (391 sales); Kuusamo €1,427 (about £1,200 / $1,600) (174 sales).

Houses (median price of a built small residential property in areas with a detailed local plan, 2025): Oulu €254,000 (about £210,000 / $290,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): in areas with a detailed local plan / sparsely populated areas, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa €175,000 (about £150,000 / $200,000) / €118,000 (about £100,000 / $130,000); Kainuu €131,000 (about £110,000 / $150,000) / €100,000 (about £84,000 / $110,000).

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): a municipal example from the statistic is Kuusamo, with 56 sales and a median of €75,000 (about £63,000 / $84,000) in master or shore plan areas.

At region level, in master or shore plan areas / sparsely populated areas, the median was €68,000 (about £57,000 / $77,000) / €35,000 (about £30,000 / $39,000) in Pohjois-Pohjanmaa and €65,500 (about £55,000 / $74,000) / €40,000 (about £34,000 / $45,000) in Kainuu.

Summer: the July mean temperature in Oulu is 16.7 °C (Oulu airport station, 1991–2020).

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, in the Oulu–Kuusamo area the northern lights are seen on average on one in four clear, dark nights.

Finnish Lapland: Rovaniemi, Kemi and Tornio

Location: the northernmost part of Finland (Finnish Lapland).

Flats (average €/m², old flats, 2025): Lapland region €1,547 (about £1,300 / $1,700); Rovaniemi €1,953 (about £1,600 / $2,200); Kemi €878 (about £740 / $990) (208 sales); Tornio €1,447 (about £1,200 / $1,600) (139 sales). In small tourist municipalities in Lapland, few old flats were sold in 2025 (for example 45 in Inari and 26 in Kittilä), so average prices vary from year to year.

Houses (median price of a built small residential property in areas with a detailed local plan, 2025): Rovaniemi €169,000 (about £140,000 / $190,000).

Houses, region level (median, 2025): Lapland €121,000 (about £100,000 / $140,000) in areas with a detailed local plan and €80,000 (about £68,000 / $90,000) in sparsely populated areas.

Waterfront holiday properties (median, 2025): Lapland €60,000 (about £51,000 / $68,000) in master or shore plan areas.

In sparsely populated areas of Lapland, the median was €50,000 (about £42,000 / $56,000) (113 sales).

Summer: the July mean temperature in Rovaniemi is 15.6 °C (Rovaniemi airport station, 1991–2020).

The July mean temperature is 16.0 °C at Kemi-Tornio airport station and 14.3 °C at Inari’s Ivalo airport station (1991–2020).

Light and darkness: according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, in Nuorgam the midnight sun begins on 16 May and ends on 29 July. Kaamos, the period when the sun does not rise, lasts there from 25 November to 17 January.

Northern lights: according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the northern lights are seen most often in northern Lapland. Based mainly on observations from the 1990s, they are seen on average on three out of four clear, dark nights around Kilpisjärvi and on every other such night around Sodankylä. The number varies with solar activity.

Buying in the north is covered in Buying a cabin in Lapland.

Åland: separate rules

Åland has its own land acquisition legislation. Acquiring real property there usually requires a land acquisition permit from the Government of Åland (Ålands landskapsregering) if the buyer does not have Åland right of domicile; according to the Government of Åland, buying housing company shares does not require a permit unless the company’s own land acquisition permit requires it. There is more on this in the permit section below.

For built small residential properties on Åland in 2025, the median was €217,500 (about £180,000 / $240,000) in areas with a detailed local plan (62 sales) and €131,000 (about £110,000 / $150,000) in sparsely populated areas (88 sales), according to the National Land Survey of Finland.

Finnish cities at a glance

The table brings together the city figures from the profiles above, in the same order.

Notes: MML is the National Land Survey of Finland (Maanmittauslaitos). Flat prices for Espoo, Savonlinna, Kemi, Tornio and Kuusamo are from Statistics Finland’s municipal table (13mx). Some figures rest on fewer sales: Kokkola 422, Kajaani 391, Kemi 208, Kuusamo 174 and Tornio 139. The house prices are medians for areas with a detailed local plan only, so the national median of €150,000 (about £130,000 / $170,000), which also covers sparsely populated areas, does not belong in this column. A dash means that no figure is given here.

Across the regions of mainland Finland, the average price of old flats in 2025 ranged from €1,108 per m² (about £930 / $1,200) in Etelä-Savo to €3,826 per m² (about £3,200 / $4,300) in Uusimaa (Statistics Finland). Where prices are lowest is covered in Cheap houses in Finland.

Permit rules: one law for mainland Finland, separate rules on Åland

The same permit law applies everywhere in mainland Finland, from the capital region to Lapland. What matters is what you buy and who the buyer is.

Real property. Under Finnish law (Act 470/2019), a permit from Finland’s Ministry of Defence (Puolustusministeriö) is required when real property (kiinteistö) is acquired by a person without EU or EEA citizenship, or by a company or other entity in which a party from outside the EU/EEA holds at least 10% ownership or equivalent influence. The permit concerns real property, for example a detached house with its plot or a cottage property, and not housing company shares. A permanent residence permit does not remove the need for a permit. The law provides for certain exceptions.

EU and EEA citizens. If you are a citizen of an EU or EEA country, the Ministry of Defence permit is not required.

Russian and Belarusian citizens. Since 15 July 2025, permits are not granted to buyers who hold only Russian and/or Belarusian citizenship, or to entities based in those countries or in which such parties have majority control. There is an exception for persons who hold a valid Finnish permanent residence permit or a Finnish-issued EU long-term residence permit both at the time of the acquisition and when the permit application becomes pending. The list of countries may change.

Åland. The Ministry of Defence permit law does not apply to Åland, which has its own land acquisition legislation. On Åland, acquiring real property, including a cottage property, usually requires a land acquisition permit from the Government of Åland if the buyer does not have Åland right of domicile. According to the Government of Åland, buying housing company shares does not require a permit unless the company’s own land acquisition permit requires it. Åland’s rules differ from those of mainland Finland, and it is advisable to check them with the Government of Åland.

The buying process, costs, taxes, permit deadlines and fees are covered in our guide to buying property in Finland as a foreigner.

Living in the region: what owning a home means for residence

According to the Finnish Immigration Service, owning land, real property or housing company shares in Finland is not in itself sufficient grounds for a residence permit or citizenship.

Citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland can stay in the Schengen area for short periods (with a visa or visa-free) for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The limit applies to the Schengen area as a whole, and whether a visa is needed depends on nationality.

Information on residence permits and registration: Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Settling in is covered in Moving to Finland: finding a home.

How to choose where to buy in Finland: questions and next steps

The profiles give figures, not a recommendation. These questions can help you narrow down where to look:

• Flat or real property? Are you looking for a flat (shares in a taloyhtiö) or real property (kiinteistö), such as a detached house or a cottage? The answer decides which statistics are relevant and whether the permit rules may apply.
• Summer or all year? Will you use the home in summer only or all year round? For a summer cottage (kesämökki, not always insulated for winter), it is worth asking whether the cottage is insulated for winter use.
• Budget: Based on the statistics above, is the region’s price level within your budget? Remember that a price per m² and a price per property cannot be compared directly.
• Number of sales: In a small town or municipality, are the averages based on many sales or only a few?
• Åland: Are you considering Åland, which has its own rules?

Choosing the region is only the first step. How the purchase works, what it costs and what owning from abroad involves are covered in separate articles, starting with our guide to buying property in Finland as a foreigner. For specific purchases, see Buying a summer cottage in Finland and Buying an apartment in Helsinki; renting out is covered in Airbnb in Finland: rules and tax for property owners. Home Of Homes aims to make buying, owning and renting out a home in Finland simpler – in one place, also when you live abroad.

FAQ

Where can I buy a lake house in Finland?

Finland’s lake district, the Finnish Lakeland, lies in eastern and central Finland and is covered above in the Lake Saimaa and Kuopio, Jyväskylä and Joensuu profiles. The National Land Survey of Finland (MML) does not publish a separate figure for lakeside properties; the median price of built waterfront holiday properties in its statistic was €90,000 (about £76,000 / $100,000) in Etelä-Savo and €57,000 (about £48,000 / $64,000) in Pohjois-Karjala in 2025, in areas covered by a local master plan or a detailed shore plan (the statistic does not separate lake shores from other shores). A cottage is usually real property (kiinteistö), and a buyer without EU or EEA citizenship, or a company or other entity in which non-EU/EEA parties hold at least 10% or equivalent influence, needs a Ministry of Defence permit to buy it. Åland has its own rules: acquiring real property there usually requires a permit from the Government of Åland if the buyer does not have Åland right of domicile (see the permit section above).

Is property cheaper outside Helsinki?

For old flats in housing companies, the average price per m² was lower outside the capital region in 2025: €1,860 per m² (about £1,600 / $2,100) compared with €4,270 per m² (about £3,600 / $4,800) in the Helsinki capital region (Statistics Finland). Across the regions of mainland Finland, the average ranged from €1,108 per m² (about £930 / $1,200) in Etelä-Savo to €3,826 per m² (about £3,200 / $4,300) in Uusimaa. Keep in mind that statistics describe homes that were sold, not their condition or size.

Can I buy a house in Finnish Lapland as a foreigner?

The same permit law applies in Lapland as elsewhere in mainland Finland. A buyer who is not an EU or EEA citizen, or a company or other entity in which non-EU/EEA parties hold at least 10% or equivalent influence, needs a permit from the Ministry of Defence to buy real property (kiinteistö), such as a house or a cottage with its own land; buying shares in a housing company (taloyhtiö) does not need this permit. Åland has its own rules: acquiring real property there usually requires a permit from the Government of Åland if the buyer does not have Åland right of domicile (see the permit section above).

What should I consider when choosing a region in Finland?

There is no single “best” place to buy in Finland: the answer depends on the type of home, how you plan to use it and your budget. It helps to decide first whether you want a flat or real property, whether you will use the home in summer only or all year, and whether the price levels in the profiles fit your budget.

Related articles

• How much does a house cost in Finland? Prices by region
• Cheap houses in Finland: where prices are lowest
• Buying a summer cottage (mökki) in Finland
• Buying a cabin in Finnish Lapland

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Sources

• Statistics Finland: table 13mw, table 13mx, Summer in the light of statistics and table 15f7
• National Land Survey of Finland: press release 25 February 2026, purchase price statistics service and Apartments
• Finnish Meteorological Institute: Reports 2021:8, normal period 1991–2020, Astronomical seasons, Sun and moon and Northern lights
• Finnish Environment Institute: Lakes
• Ministry of Defence: Authorisation to non-EU and non-EEA buyers to buy real estate and Kiinteistönostajien luvat
• Government of Åland: Jordförvärv på Åland
• Finnish Immigration Service: FAQ on residence permits
• Finnish Border Guard: Travel FAQ; European Commission: Short-stay calculator
• European Union: EU countries; EFTA: The EEA
• Finlex (in Finnish): Act 470/2019, Act 328/2025, Decree 840/2025, Act 1599/2009

Information checked: October 2026. Rules and prices change; check current details from the sources above.

Currency conversions are approximate and based on the European Central Bank's reference rates of 16 October 2026.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Home Of Homes is a platform, not a real estate agent.