Jul 8, 2025 🕒 5 min read

What It's Like to Study and Live in Jyväskylä, Finland: A Local's Guide for Students

What It’s Like to Study in Jyväskylä, Finland

An honest and unofficial guide from someone who lives here.

I’ve lived in Jyväskylä for several years and met a lot of people, including students, through work, school, and just everyday life. Whether you’re planning to move here for a full degree or just an exchange semester: here’s what to expect. This post isn’t official, but it is personal: what I’d tell a friend considering living or studying in Jyväskylä - THE student city in Finland.

Let’s dive into what makes this small Finnish city a great (and sometimes surprising) place to study.

🌆 General Vibes: What Jyväskylä Is Like

A small city (150k people) that feels peaceful, safe, and student-friendly
Packed with bikes, trees, lakes, and students
Everyone speaks English surprisingly well
Public transport is solid, but you can easily walk or bike almost anywhere
Known as the “Athens of Finland” because of its educational history

Jyväskylä doesn’t try to be a big city. That’s part of the charm. If you want green surroundings, friendly people, and a slower pace, you’ll feel at home.

🏫 Universities & Study Life

Jyväskylä has two main higher ed institutions:

University of Jyväskylä (JYU)

Classic university vibe, split into multiple campuses: Seminaarinmäki, Mattilanniemi, and Ylistönrinne
Offers several programs and courses in English
Great support for exchange students

JAMK University of Applied Sciences

More hands-on and practical in focus
Very active with international programs
Many Erasmus students go here

Both offer orientation, buddy programs, and student unions that organize trips and events.

Tip: Look up ESN Jyväskylä. They host parties, trips, movie nights, and sauna evenings. Super worth it.

🏡 Student Housing in Jyväskylä

There are two big student housing providers:

KOAS – Jyväskylä’s student housing foundation
Soihtu – Manages Kortepohja, one of the largest student village areas

Most exchange students end up in:

Kortepohja – Iconic, full of international students, social atmosphere
Roninmäki – Also popular, more peaceful

Prices range between €300–€500/month, and most rents include water, electricity, and internet. Not bad.

Pro tip: Try to get a room with your own kitchen and bathroom if you value privacy. If not, shared flats are a great way to make friends.

🍻 Nightlife & Student Culture

Jyväskylä isn’t Helsinki — but it holds its own.

Bars I would recommend: Pommi, Vihreä Haltiatar, Vakiopaine, Freetime, Onni
Student events: sitsit (themed dinners), pub crawls, themed parties
Student overalls (haalarit): yes, people really wear these to bars and events. It’s a thing.

Expect a lot of theme nights, board game evenings, karaoke, and even saunas in student apartments.

🍲 Everyday Life: Food, Shops & Costs

Student lunch: €2.95 for a proper hot meal, including salad and drink
Groceries: Lidl is usually the cheapest. K-Market is everywhere and super convenient. Prisma is huge and has everything, especially good for bulk shopping.
- Minimani is be worth checking out: sometimes they have pretty good discounts.
- Lidl has a free app with weekly deals. K-Market offers student discounts if you sign up. The S-group (which includes Prisma, S-market, and some restaurants) has an S-card loyalty program, but it costs €100 to join. Unless you’re staying in Finland long-term, it’s probably not worth it.
- Tip: S-markets have red discount stickers on items that expire the same day: these go for 30% off. After 8pm, they drop to 60% off. Great for grabbing something for dinner or stocking up on discounted meat and freezing it for later. I use this trick a lot - it’s an easy way to eat better without spending more.
Eating out: There are plenty of options, but honestly, Google will give you better restaurant recommendations than I can.

Apps to know: Wolt (food delivery), Foodora (same) ResQ (discount restaurant leftovers), Frank (student discounts)

🧸 Nature & Free Time

You’re never far from water or forest here.

Harju – a ridge in the city with stairs, paths, and views
Jyväsjärvi – lake loop for running/walking
Laajavuori – skiing in winter, hiking in summer
Saunas & Swimming – Try Viilu or AaltoAlvari

Also: student gyms, climbing, yoga, floorball, and lots of clubs and hobby groups. Most places offer student discounts, it never hurts to ask for it.

😷 Winter & Darkness: Is It Really That Bad?

Short answer: yes and no.

November and December are dark and grey. But snow helps a lot.
January–February: full winter with skiing and frozen lakes
Dress in layers and get real shoes
Seasonal depression lamps exist for a reason ☺️

📉 Is It Expensive?

Compared to Southern Europe, yes. Compared to other Nordic countries, not really.

A simple monthly budget example of cost of living in Jyväskylä:

Rent: €350–500
Food & groceries: €200-400
Public transport: €0–40 (student discounts)
Going out: €50–100 depending on lifestyle

You can live somewhat well with €700–1000/month.

If you are planning on getting a part-time job alongside studying, that might be hard because of the current economic situation. So unless you don’t have a job offer ready, don’t count on getting one.

🔔 Who Should Come to Jyväskylä?

If you want:

A quiet, safe student city with tons of nature
English-friendly culture
Social student life without the pressure of a capital city

…then Jyväskylä is for you.

It’s not flashy, but it’s warm in its own Nordic way.

🔎 What I Wish Someone Had Told Me

There are hills everywhere: don’t expect a flat surface when walking around.
People seem shy, but they’re genuinely kind once you talk.

🔧 Links & Info

Links for stuff I talked about in the post:

📢 Final Word

If you’re planning a semester abroad or planning to move to Jyväskylä, it won’t be the most hyped destination. But it just might be the one that feels most like home. I’ve lived here since 2016 and not planning on moving from here anytime soon.

If you have questions or want to hear more — feel free to get in touch via email.