Students can eat in the student restaurant Fox located in the campus area of the UAS. At present lunch costs 2 - 2,35 euros. There are also two cafes in the campus area.
Students are granted some discounts, for example when travelling or visiting museums and restaurants. Discounts vary from place to place so remember to ask. Some places require an International Student Card to get a discount.
The used currency in Finland is the Euro (€) as in most European Union member countries. The same products can be bought in Helsinki, Kajaani and Utsjoki in Northern Lapland. Most bigger grocery stores are really department stores, so if you have forgotten to buy warm winter clothing there’s no need to worry. Finnish shops also sell local specialities. In Kajaani you can buy ‘rönttösiä’, i.e. berry pie made with rye pastry and lingonberries. Reindeer meat is also sold frozen but it is not the most popular food. Many Finnish people list pizza as their number one favourite!
All major credit cards are accepted and you can use your credit card or bank card to withdraw cash from cash points anywhere in the country. Cheques are not in general use. International Students must be able to pay for food, lodgings, social life etc. The average cost for a single student is about 500 - 600 euros per month. Living expenses are relatively high in Finland, though comparable to the EU average. Please note that it is normally not possible for students to find a part time job in Finland. The number of available places is limited and often Finnish language skills are required.
Finland is known for its mobile phones. Most foreign students buy pre-paid phone cards for their mobile phones after their arrival in Finland. When calling to Finland the code is +358 then the area code with the 0 left out and then the number you are ringing. For international calls from Finland there are various codes used by different telephone companies. Check international codes in the telephone directory.