14.10.2026 · Aleksandra Sandström · 37 views
In July I was planning to sell my apartment and move to central Tallinn. I started preparing and got the apartment in order. Then I took a careful look at what I could buy instead. And I changed my mind.
My budget was around €350,000. There is choice in the city centre for that money, but with my requirements it turned out to be very narrow. One building stood on a busy road and was noisy. Another was a share in co-ownership — kaasomand. Some options had no parking, or only on the street, and I need a proper space where I can charge a car. There were also apartments that would have needed serious investment after the purchase.
And the ones I really liked cost more than I am prepared to spend right now.
I decided to stay and to make my next purchase an investment. The search showed clearly that comparing apartment prices starts with your own requirements; district averages are only a reference point.
What apartments cost in eight Tallinn districts
Below are the average asking prices for apartments on KV.EE in September 2026. These are listing prices, not transaction prices. The sample includes apartments of different age, size and condition.
The portal counts Kadriorg and the Old Town separately from the rest of the city centre, so they have their own rows in the table. Kalamaja is part of Põhja-Tallinn.
To make the gap easier to see, I added a rough calculation for 60 m²: the average price per square metre multiplied by the area. A specific apartment of that size may cost something quite different.
| District | Average asking price, €/m² | Rough figure for 60 m² |
|---|---|---|
| City centre: Kadriorg | 4,792 | about €288,000 |
| City centre: Old Town (Vanalinn) | 4,770 | about €286,000 |
| Põhja-Tallinn | 4,699 | about €282,000 |
| City centre: rest of Kesklinn | 4,601 | about €276,000 |
| Pirita | 4,474 | about €268,000 |
| Kristiine | 4,058 | about €243,000 |
| Haabersti | 3,730 | about €224,000 |
| Nõmme | 3,565 | about €214,000 |
| Mustamäe | 3,241 | about €194,000 |
| Lasnamäe | 2,930 | about €176,000 |
Source: KV.EE price statistics, September 2026; data checked on 12 October 2026. The 60 m² figure is rounded to the nearest thousand euros and is not a valuation.
Between the most expensive and the most affordable area in the table, Kadriorg and Lasnamäe, the difference is €1,862 per square metre. For a notional 60 m² that is about €112,000. But you cannot apply that gap to any two apartments: very different properties sit behind an average.
What hides behind a district average
In the city centre and in Põhja-Tallinn the spread within the district is especially wide. An apartment on a noisy street, one in a restored old building and a new apartment with underground parking end up in the same row of the table, even though living in them is completely different.
In Kristiine and Haabersti I would first compare the street, the building and the journey to work, school or shops. In Pirita and Nõmme, also how convenient it would be to live there with your schedule. The right address often matters more than a small difference in price per square metre.
Mustamäe and Lasnamäe are more affordable on average, but there too you need to look at the condition of the apartment and the building, the monthly payments to the apartment association, parking and future costs. The same district has both apartments needing a full renovation and ready homes in new buildings.
Two things people trip over most often
Kaasomand — co-ownership. You are not buying a separate apartment as an independent property, but a share in the whole building or plot together with other co-owners. Which apartment you use is set by an agreement on the use of the property. It matters that this agreement is entered in the land register; otherwise a new co-owner does not have to follow it. Banks are more cautious about financing such purchases, and many decisions about the building depend on the consent of the other co-owners. It is not always a bad option, but the price and risks have to be judged separately from ordinary apartment ownership.
Parking and charging. A space on the street or parking “by arrangement” is not the same as your own or an assigned space. In an existing building, car charging usually has to be agreed with the apartment association, and you need to check whether there is enough electrical capacity. If this matters to you, find out before the deal, not after.
Why €350,000 did not solve it for me
If you divide my budget by the average price per square metre in the centre, you get about 76 m². On paper that looks convincing.
But that calculation says nothing about noise, the condition of the apartment, the form of ownership or parking. I needed a home worth selling my current apartment for and going through the whole move. Among what I could buy, there was no such home. And I am not ready to raise my budget to the price of the options I liked.
That is my decision with my requirements. For another buyer, the same money and the same listings may be a perfect fit.
What to calculate before selling your apartment
If you plan to sell one home and buy another, start with four questions:
- How much will actually be left after the sale? Account for paying off the mortgage and transaction costs, not just the price you hope to list at.
- Which apartments fit that budget? Collect specific options, taking parking, condition and form of ownership into account.
- What will it cost to bring the purchase to the condition you need? Renovation, furniture, a parking space and the move are all part of the budget.
- What are you prepared to give up? Size, street, floor, age of the building. Better to decide before the sale than to search for a home in a hurry later.
You can get a first estimate of the transaction costs in the calculator on my website. Add renovation, the move and everything else separately.
Why I am now looking at an investment apartment
I have one set of requirements for my own home and another for an investment. A low price per square metre does not make a purchase profitable on its own. For a rental apartment I look at the full purchase budget, the condition of the building and documents, realistic rent, owner’s costs, taxes and a reserve for vacancy and repairs. For a buy-to-resell purchase, at the investment needed and the price the apartment can realistically be sold for later. These are two different tasks with different maths.
I am not going to buy the first affordable apartment that comes along just because I gave up on moving. I am looking for a property for a specific purpose. How I choose it and what I end up buying, I will describe in one of my next notes. To make sure you do not miss it, subscribe at the bottom of the page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an apartment in Tallinn cost per square metre in 2026?
According to KV.EE, in September 2026 the average asking price for apartments in eight Tallinn districts ranged from €2,930/m² in Lasnamäe to €4,792/m² in Kadriorg. These are listing prices: the transaction price of a specific apartment may differ.
Which Tallinn district is the most affordable and which is the most expensive?
By average asking price, the most affordable are Lasnamäe (€2,930/m²) and Mustamäe (€3,241/m²). The most expensive are Kadriorg (€4,792/m²) and the Old Town (€4,770/m²), followed by Põhja-Tallinn including Kalamaja (€4,699/m²).
What is kaasomand, and is it worth buying an apartment in co-ownership?
Kaasomand means buying a share in the whole building or plot together with other co-owners, not a separate apartment property. It can be bought, but check whether the agreement on the use of the property is entered in the land register, and ask your bank in advance whether it will lend. Compare the price with these risks in mind.
What apartment can you buy in central Tallinn for €350,000?
Based on the average asking price, roughly 73–76 m², depending on the part of the centre. In practice, noise, the condition of the building and apartment, the form of ownership and parking narrow the choice, so an apartment that meets your requirements may be smaller or cost more.
If you are also choosing between moving and an investment purchase, book a consultation. We will go through your budget, requirements and costs and work out which options are worth considering.
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