Did you know that students can get a full meal lunch at a very cheap price in Finland? And it’s like a buffet! You can take as much as you want in one go!
When I came to the University of Oulu as a student, I could have lunch for just 2.70 euros. I understood how cheap it was when I went out to the restaurants outside of the university. Do you want to know what you can expect and how much it costs now? Let’s dive in.
How much does it cost for a meal?
I would say between 2.5 euros to 3.5 euros. Why am I not saying the exact price? As I said, when I came in 2022, it was 2.70 euros. At the end of the year, the prices went up and it became 3.10 euros. In 2024, it was reduced to 2.95 euros. So I am giving a range you can expect it to be.
What does the meal include?
- Salad: Cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, black olives, mushrooms, etc.
- Main Course: The main course usually contains fish, chicken, beef, or pork items. If you are a vegetarian, do not worry; you will also have a vegetarian dish as your main course. You either have to take the vegetarian or non-vegetarian option; otherwise, you will have to pay more.
- Warm Side dishes: Pasta, whole grain rice, boiled potatoes, etc.
- Breads: Different types of bread are offered with 2-4 types of spreads like butter.
- Sauces: There are different kinds of sauces available, such as tomato sauce, mayonnaise, and chili sauce.
- Drink: There is water, milk, non-alcoholic drinks, and sometimes juice.
How is the taste of the food?
Honestly, I think it is quite good. During lunch, I prefer food that will fill my tummy and at the same time will not make me feel sleepy after eating. These meals are designed absolutely for that. You will not feel hungry or tired at all after the meal. At the same time, you are getting carbs, proteins, fats, and everything in the same meal. So it is super healthy and pretty tasty.
Where will you get the menu?
The universities have several restaurants. You do not need to go to all of them. As soon as you have registered as a student, you will get access to the “Tuudo” App. Go to the app, open the menu, and click on restaurants. There you can easily see what kind of meals the restaurants are offering today. Choose the one you would like to eat and visit the restaurant.
How low is the price compared to outside restaurants?
If I want to go for lunch in a lunch restaurant, that will cost me around 10-20 euros depending on the place. If I want to grab a burger meal in the traditional burger chain shops, it will cost me 7-12 euros. I cannot really think about anything cheaper than these student meals at the universities. At the same time, they are healthy, balanced, nutritious, and fresh.
How was my first impression?
To be honest, at first, I did not like the food. The reason was that it took me a while to get used to the lunch culture in European countries. As I am from an Asian country, I was familiar with different, more heavy, and spicy lunches. It took me some time to accept this different culture. But once I became comfortable with it, it was my regular companion for mainly two reasons:
- Very cheap compared to outside restaurants
- Very healthy meals with quite a lot of varieties.
Interesting Fact:
Now let me tell you a secret. You can use your student ID to eat literally in any university in Finland. For example, I was a student of the University of Oulu but I was in Helsinki for 7 days at some point. During that time, I had lunch at the same price at one of the campuses of Aalto University. I just had to show my student ID and that’s it.
Remember: This price is not applicable to everyone. This price is subsidized by “Kela” only for students so that students are ensured to get proper nutrition at a cheaper price. If someone who is not a student wants to have the same meal, it might cost them about 10-11 euros.
Grab a tray and cutlery, take your food, and go to the checkout. Show your student ID card in Tuudo and pay with cash/card. Enjoy the meal. Thank you for reading.