AFFORDABLE OULU is a series of articles with a bit of a financial overview, for those of you planning to come and stay in Oulu. In our monthly interviews we will ask several foreigners of various nationalities, marital, family and work backgrounds about the costs of living in Oulu.

Bus Tickets are Out of their Minds! An Italian Scientist Tries to Survive in Oulu

Antonio Calo (30) comes from Italy, but he has lived in Oulu for five years now. He works as an assistant at Oulu University in the Physics Department. He is completing a PhD in Atomic and Molecular Physics . . . which has done little to prepare him for the bus fares . . .

How much do you spend on your home?

I used to live in a rented one-room apartment from PSOAS (Northern Finland’s Student Housing Foundation), but as soon as I got a 3 year contract as an assistant I realised that there was no point paying rent when I could buy a place and repay the loan. Financially it is almost the same with the difference that the place is (becoming) mine. If you buy your very first home in Finland and you are between 18-30, you may apply for a special ‘ASP’ loan. It is a state subsidised home purchase saving scheme. You have to guarantee only 15% from the whole price. Compared to Italy, it was very easy to get a loan here.

I moved into my new apartment (a terraced house) in the Rajakylä area at the end of February. It is a 67.5 m² flat with small garden, a storage place and a private sauna. I pay 156euro per month for house expenses that include water (10.50euro per person) and a parking space (4euro). I also pay 350euro per month towards the loan. The electricity bill (the first I got) was of 76euro for 4 months. I decided to swap all of the lamps for the low energy ones and that reduced by electricity bill by ten percent, without changing my habits in my old apartment, so I try to do the same in my new place. Most of the expenses so far have been on moving in and adapting the new place, but I saved a lot of money by keeping pretty much everything I had in the previous place. A big change came when my girlfriend moved in and we started to adapt the place for two. I spend about 1500euro a month but now all necessary things are done.

I always had only the mobile phone but since my girlfriend and me started to go around for work, the Skype system, where you can chat for free over the Internet, was “a forced” solution. The typical phone bill for me is something like 40euro a month. In my new place the Internet will cost 30euro per month.

What about food costs and eating habits?

I think there has not been any traumatic change. We eat less fish and meat mainly because of less variety and because fish is quite expensive. I eat maybe more fat (butter etc) in Finland when compared to Italy, maybe because of my daily activity and the cold climate.

The food costs are about 250euro per month for two. On average, I’d say we end up eating out twice a month but the cost of it changes drastically if we talk about a kebab place or a restaurant.

I think that the Italian eating ritual and the Finnish sauna ritual serve the same goals and are, in many ways, very similar. Those are important social events where men (usually) talk business and make agreements. In Italy, we talk a lot during our lunch, in Finland the sauna seems to be the place where they are more talkative and relaxed.

How expensive to you find transport costs?

I mainly use the bike. It’s cheap and it’s free physical activity. It’s a bit slow and you need a car for things like big shopping trips, but with the help of some friends you can solve that problem. During the winter, the car seems more practical, but for my lifestyle, when I consider the time it takes to warm it up and clean it in the morning, the bike is better solution. Cars are expensive and compared to Italy I believe you’ve to consider it much more as an investment and really check if you need it or not.

I think bus tickets are out of their minds in Oulu. A single ticket in the city area of Oulu costs 2.60 euro and whatever the service is, it is absurd to ask 5.20 euros to go downtown in the evening (at night 23-04)! And if you live further away it is even more expensive.
(Find out more about buss fares: information www.koskilinjat.fi/in_english/fares/city_tickets/. You can change busses within one hour of the purchase of the ticket. You’ll also save money if you invest in the easy-to-use serie tickets. Author)

What are your hobbies and free time activities?

My girlfriend has become sportier since moving to Oulu. She usually goes to aerobics in the university gym and it costs about 15euro for three months. I’ve always been active, not at a high level but I like something to get me tired. Here, I use the bike regularly and I tried other sports because the closest swimming pool is quite far from us. I go in for sports at least 2/3 times a week. Usually I go the gym in Technopolys and I pay (university staff discount) 30euro for 10 times.

One of my hobbies is a role-playing game. I don’t play it in the Internet, we (my friends and me) gather to play it at our homes where we sometimes play it until late hours. All you need is an imagination and understanding that this is just a game. (Role-playing game -it is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and create narratives together, like ‘Dungeons and Dragons.’ Gameplay progresses according to a predetermined system of rules and guidelines, within which players may improvise freely. Player choices shape the direction and outcome of role-playing games. Some of them even involve costumes. )

Any tips for foreigners preparing themselves to move to Oulu how to plan their budget?

Follow the locals and at least in the beginning try to check different supermarkets. At the end differences in prices and quality are usually not so big. Many times the preferences are quality based on practical things like how close is the place, can I buy food and DIY (Do It Yourself) tools in the same place, how much stuff I usually buy, etc.

Tiina Järvelaid