Four Estonian cities take meaningful numbers of foreigners, and they differ more than the size of the country suggests: the county median wage gap between Harju and Ida-Viru is 28%, and heating costs 2.2× more in Narva than in Tartu.
Compare at a Glance
| Tallinn | Tartu | Narva | Pärnu | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 460,584 | 97,451 | 51,020 | 51,333 |
| Change since 2022 | +15,585 | +2,620 | -2,959 | +391 |
| Median wage, county | €1,958 | €1,816 | €1,407 | €1,446 |
| Unemployment | 7.4% (LFS) | 6% (LFS) | 9.9% | 3.9% |
| Apartments, €/m² | €2,971.00 | €2,400.00 | — | €1,988.00 |
| Heating, €/MWh | €77.82 | €62.41 | €137.69 | €68.76 |
| Annual mean temp | 6.4°C | 6.3°C | 5.5°C | 6.8°C |
| Public transport | Free if registered | €21.30/month | €20.00/month | — |
| Rail to Tallinn | — | ~10/day, 2h38+ | ~5/day, 3h15+ | None |
| Newcomer service | International House | Welcome Centre — does ID codes | Integration Foundation HQ | None |
Heating excludes VAT, water includes it — see cost of living.
The City Guides
🏛️
Tallinn
A third of the country, two-thirds of the jobs, free transport once you register.
🎓Tartu
A student per six residents, and the only welcome centre that issues ID codes.
🌉Narva
Russian-speaking, shrinking, worst unemployment, dearest heating — and €354m of transition money.
🏖️Pärnu
Best climate, weakest economy. No railway, no newcomer service.
Other towns take newcomers too — Kohtla-Järve and Sillamäe in Ida-Viru, Viljandi, Rakvere and Kuressaare on Saaremaa.