In Finland, wages are typically higher and even social care payments are way higher than that, but then.. our rents are high. In a small city, the rent for a single room apartment is typically over around 500 euros. We are lucky to have a moderate priced three room apartment for rent and it's a bit over 700 euros per month.

So even though we have more money, we have to pay more. Food is ok though, as nobody really has to starve and we can afford basic food (1 kilo potatoes ~0,49 euros)

But Finns are crazy about gardening, but not the useful kind of gardening usually. Planting flowers and such, spending big money on making the garden beautiful, typically having some berry bushes or an apple tree, not that much of vegetables to eat though :)