When in Helsinki: Groceries, Transportation, Connectivity, Clothing

Here are the useful tips that I learned after visiting Helsinki in May until July 2019.

Before we go further, almost every transaction here is using a visa card (debit or credit) or cash. I only used coins once in the baggage storage of the central station.

Daily cost and groceries

How much was the spending there? It depends on many things, for example, whether we're cooking or not. We can save a lot, of course, by cooking. Here are the daily costs that similar to the actual price I found in the city.

For buying groceries: do it in hypermarket (like Prisma or K-city market) since shopping there is cheaper than in a minimarket or supermarket. Most hypermarkets not really in the center of the city, but fortunately, convenient public transportation will take us there in no time.

Please bring your own shopping bag, because plastic is not free here.

The quality of groceries here is undoubtedly outstanding. My favorite is the dairy product and its derivatives, because they are tasty and not too pricey. 😋

Besides hypermarkets, we can buy Asian products like spices, ingredients, instant noodles, etc. in Asian food stores. However, if you like spicy food, it's better to bring chili sauce from your origin country.

Based on my experience, the recommended place to eat for fellow Muslims is the kebab restaurant. There are some of them in the nearest mall from the central station (Rautatieasema). I also passed some halal-labeled restaurants in Itäkeskus district. Or, just cook 😉

Public transportation

Like I mentioned before, as someone who currently living in a jam-packed city (Jakarta), public transportation in Helsinki is convenient, safe, and clean. 😊

There are several types of public transportation provided by HSL service: bus, tram, metro, train, and ferry.

  

HSL is a must-downloaded application in this city. Through this app, we can access public transportation routes, maps, schedules, and buying tickets. By having the ticket in the application, anybody just has to show the ticket page to the bus driver.

We can buy tickets from application, ticket machines, or kiosks. The public transportation system here is based on the zone. The further from the central or the longer the destination, the higher price it will costs.

The single ticket is valid for 80-110 minutes based on zone, while the day ticket is valid for 24 hours. Within this time, we can go anywhere inside a particular area by any mode of transportation.

Seasonal (30 days) ticket fare is more expensive for tourists than locals. It costs 144.7 euros for tourists, compared with 59.7 euros for locals.

In short, my tips are: purchase day ticket (or seasonal ticket for a longer duration of stay) from the application, and choose zone based on the place where you will spend most of your time. You can buy the extension ticket if you want to go to another zone, by paying the fare difference.

Looking for a cheaper option? We can use city bikes. It's only 30 euro for the whole season (from May until October). The price reflects the effort, though.

For someone who posses a small body and not get used to cycle like me, it's better to pick another option for commuting. The bicycle is quite heavy, and the cycle rider (especially in central places) use it in a swift pace.

But overall, it's an excellent option for those who can fit in, wants to be healthier, and supports the environment for a long term purpose. I recommend to try it once, at least in the quieter part of the city.

Or, we can also try application-based scooter like Tier or Voi. It's not too expensive and easy to ride. However, the availability is still limited in the central part of the city.

Connectivity

Finland is currently leading the world's mobile data usage, thanks to the operators (DNA, Elisa, Telia) that offer unlimited data plans. The price for the SIM card and the 30-day data package is around 25-30 euros.

For those who want free WiFi, I recommend to use it in Oodi Central Library. It is strong, fast, and the coverage is quiet far (my phone was still connected to it when I was about 500 m outside the library).

Clothing

Clothing is one of the aspects that we should also pay attention to during traveling. Moreover, if it's the first time we go to new places with a climate that is different from our home.

Actually, what to wear during spring and summer is simple. However, based on my experience, I have several notes that may be useful for you.

First rule, it's unnecessary to bring a lot of clothes. Due to its geographical location, the air in Finland is dry. I was rarely sweating back then. Based on the activity and temperature, one cloth can be used 2-3 times.

I was staying in Finland from the last week of May. It was still spring, the temperature was around 8-10 degrees, and it was often raining. Therefore, I wore a thick waterproof jacket and boots.

From June until early July, the weather is mostly sunny but windy. The temperature is about 15-22 degrees Celcius. Occasionally it was raining there, or it becomes as hot as 27 degrees in the noon. So it's better to wear a shirt and outer, or just a summer dress or jumpsuit. And of course, check the weather forecast daily.

Being a hijab traveler like me, patterned or dark-colored hijab is one of the best choices to wear. So we can save time to not iron it every morning, since this style can hinder creases on folded hijab.

Last but not least, wearing disposable underwear also can be helpful.

Take home message: by the time we travel, we are already far from home, so make it as simple as possible.

Cheers!

Btw, I was joining a bilateral student exchange program during my stay in Finland. It helped me a lot in saving money, especially for accommodation and meals. I think it's one of the options we can choose as a student.