Four Estonian cities take meaningful numbers of foreigners, and they are more different from each other than the size of the country suggests. The median wage gap between Harju and Ida-Viru is 28%. Heating costs 2.2× more in Narva than in Tartu. Pärnu gets 214 more hours of sunshine a year than Tartu. You can drive between all four in a day.
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 | Not published | €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 |
| Sunshine, hours/year | 1,923 | 1,736 | Not published | 1,950 |
| Public transport | Free if registered | €21.30/month | €20.00/month | Not published |
| Rail to Tallinn | — | ~10/day, 2h38+ | ~5/day, 3h15+ | None |
| Newcomer service | International House | Welcome Centre — does ID codes | Integration Foundation HQ | None |
Heating and water are excluding and including VAT respectively — see cost of living for why that distinction matters and who publishes what.
The guides
Tallinn
A third of the country, two-thirds of the jobs, and free public transport if you register your address.
🎓Tartu
One university student per six residents, the most average economy in Estonia, and the only welcome centre that issues ID codes.
🌉Narva
Russian-speaking, shrinking, the worst unemployment and the most expensive heating — and €354m of transition money.
🏖️Pärnu
The best climate in Estonia and the weakest economy of the four. No railway, no newcomer service.
How to choose
Start with Tallinn if
These decide it:
- You need an international airport, or a job in tech or finance
- You speak English and not Estonian — 81% of the city speaks a foreign language
- Free transport and the highest wages outweigh the highest housing costs
Look at the others if
Each has one real argument:
- Tartu — you want a normal economy, cheaper housing, and paperwork done for you
- Narva — you speak Russian; it is the softest landing in the country for that
- Pärnu — climate and price matter more to you than career ceiling or connections
The two numbers that should decide it
If you will be employed, the county median wage — €1,958 in Harju against €1,407 in Ida-Viru — matters more than the price of a flat, because it recurs monthly for as long as you stay. If you will be buying, the €/m² gap is the one that compounds: Tallinn's €2,971.00 against Pärnu's €1,988.00 is a 33% difference on the largest purchase you will make here. Almost everything else on this page is smaller than either.
Beyond the four
These are the four cities with enough published data to write an honest guide about. Estonia has others — Kohtla-Järve and Sillamäe in Ida-Viru, Viljandi, Rakvere, Kuressaare on Saaremaa — and we have not written them because the city-level statistics thin out fast below Pärnu's size. If you are considering one, the county figures on this page still apply: Ida-Viru's 9.9% unemployment covers Kohtla-Järve and Sillamäe too.