Accommodation in Vaasa
For further questions about the apartments, we recommend you to be in touch directly with the companies offering apartments. Admission Services and Mobility Services at the University of Vaasa cannot provide further assistance regarding apartments.
You should apply for an apartment as soon as you have received an acceptance letter from the University of Vaasa.
Cost of Living
The cost of living in Finland is on average comparable to the rest of Western Europe. For basic expenses such as food, rent, and transportation, a student will need 500 – 800 euros per month, which will be roughly spent in the following way:
- Rent 250 – 400 €
- Food 150 – 250 €
- Other expenses 150 – 200 €
Please note that costs can vary a lot from student to student depending on lifestyle.
Good to remember! If you need a residence permit, the Finnish Immigration Services require sufficient means of support from students applying for residence permit. More information is available on Migri's webpage.
VOAS (Vaasa Student Housing Foundation)
Most students apply for apartments at VOAS (The Vaasa Student Housing Foundation). VOAS provides accommodation for approximately 3 700 students. Please note that VOAS is a private company and not part of the University of Vaasa.
Student accommodation facilities are situated in various parts of the city, generally in the form of terraced houses or blocks of flats. The rent for a room in a student flat varies approximately from 230 euros to 350 euros per month depending on size and location. In general, costs of electricity and internet are included in the rent. VOAS also has furnished apartments.
University campus is situated in the Palosaari district, so if you want to live very close to the University, it's best to apply for an apartment in Palosaari or Downtown–Vöyrinkaupunki districts. The distance between Palosaari and city centre, i.e. Downtown–Vöyrinkaupunki is approximately 1 kilometer. However, bus connections in Vaasa are fairly good, which means that you will be able to travel to the city and to the University with the buses even if you choose to live a bit further away from the university.
Kiinteistö Oy Pikipruukki Fastighets Ab
Pikipruukki is one of the main housing companies in Vaasa.The company owns a large variety of well-maintained apartments, with attention to making the locations comfortable, peaceful and safe places to live. Pikipruukki offers apartments in various locations in Vaasa, the apartment offerings can be found from their website. The apartments are non-furnished.
Svenska Lärarhögskolans Bostadsstiftelse
The foundation Svenska Lärarhögskolans Bostadsstiftelse owns two houses on Vöyrinkatu 4 and 6 (”Lärkan”) in Vaasa, between the city centre and the University of Vaasa. There are both individual and shared (furnished) apartments, and the two buildings host about 200 students. Note that these housing offers are prioritized for the Swedish-speaking students (for example in Åbo Akademi).
Private Market
You may also want to search for an apartment from the private market. There are quite a lot of apartments available, but naturally the price may vary a lot and many of the apartments available might not be furnished. Below you can find some useful links that can help you in finding an apartment in the private market.