Page 41 - Guide for International Students

livinG exPenSeS
On average, the cost of living in Tallinn is 300- 400 € per month, not including housing costs. The accommodation prices range from 120 € (in the dormitory) to 200-400 € in private flats.
Meals in student cafeterias cost from 3-7 €. Dinner at a pub or restaurant costs from 5-25 €.
Public transport ticket prices range from 0.55
€ to 1.6 €, monthly cards from 8.50 € (for students) to 23 €. Public transport is free for the citizens of Tallinn.
money and banKinG
Most of the banks are open from 9.00 - 17.00 on weekdays. The largest banks are Swedbank, SEB and Nordea bank. All banks offer currency exchange and cash advances on major credit cards. You can use most of the common international credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard, American Express, etc.) in the banks and stores. There are plenty of cash machines that accept international credit and debit cards 24 hours a day.
You can easily apply for a debit card from one of the Estonian banks. Debit cards are widely used for making payments, thus avoiding carrying excess cash with you. Internet banking is also widespread and makes everyday transactions,
telePhone
For international long distance calls you have to dial: the country code + area code + local number
Estonia’s country code is + 372
The cheapest way of making international calls is by using your PC (personal computer). There are several programs that allow you to make Internet calls. The most known of them is Skype, which was developed in Estonia. You can find further information and download the program at www.skype.com.
Mobile Operators in estonia
If you do not want to sign a contract with the local operator, you can get a starter kit and a prepaid
such as paying your bills, a lot easier.
Swedbank (Narva Road 5), www.swedbank.ee
SEB (Tornimäe Street 2), www.seb.ee
Nordea pank (Hobujaama Street 4), www.nordea.ee
currency exchange
It is advisable to exchange your currency in a bank office (SEB, Swedbank, Nordea) or in the office of the biggest currency exchange service provider Tavid (the city centre office is located at Aia Street 5). For further information and special offers see www.tavid.ee.
mobile phone card from any of the Estonian mobile companies. You just have to pay for your talking time by purchasing a prepaid card. In addition to the offices of the mobile operators, different starter kits and prepaid cards are also available at most of the newsstands and shops around Tallinn.
The biggest mobile operators are: EMT - www.emt.ee
Elisa - www.elisa.ee
Tele2 - www.tele2.ee
EMT also offers discount starter kits with prepaid cards, which have lower calling rates:
Diil - www.diil.ee