The Best and Worst Things About Life in Estonia
After more than a decade of living here, studying here, working here, and building a business here, I’m often asked one simple question: what is life in Estonia really like?
Not the Instagram version. Not the government marketing brochure. But the everyday reality—what quietly makes your life better, and what slowly wears you down.
This article is a personal, honest look at the best and worst parts of life in Estonia, based on lived experience. Yours may differ. But if you’re thinking of moving here, or already navigating life in Estonia, this will feel familiar.
The Best Things About Life in Estonia
1. Safety, Peace, and Personal Freedom
One of the most underrated aspects of life in Estonia is how safe and calm it feels. Violent crime is rare. Petty theft is uncommon. People genuinely feel secure going about their daily lives.
Recent surveys show that the sense of personal safety has actually increased, with nearly 70% of residents reporting they feel secure in everyday situations. You see this reflected everywhere: young children walking to school alone, people leaving bikes unlocked, late-night walks without anxiety.
There’s also a deeper freedom here. Nobody interferes. Nobody asks questions. You can live quietly, differently, or unconventionally—and no one bothers you. For people coming from chaotic or over-policed societies, this peace is transformative.
2. No Crowds, No Chaos, No Traffic
Estonia’s small population—around 1.3 million—changes everything.
Traffic is light. Lines are short. Crowds are rare. On average, people in Estonia spend less than 20 hours per year stuck in traffic, compared to hundreds of hours in cities like London, Toronto, or Los Angeles.
You can cross the country in a few hours. Tallinn to Tartu takes about two. Weekend trips don’t require planning—they just happen. And most of your driving time is spent moving, not sitting.
This lack of friction quietly improves your quality of life. You don’t notice it on day one. You feel it after a year.
3. Digital Life That Actually Works
Much has been said about Estonia’s digital government, and while some of the hype is exaggerated, the mindset is real.
Taxes, medical records, business registrations, prescriptions—almost everything can be handled online. Over half of national election votes are now cast digitally. Paperwork is minimal. Bureaucracy is streamlined by default.
The real advantage isn’t technology—it’s expectation. In Estonia, anything that can be done online should be done online. That cultural shift saves time, energy, and mental space. And once you’re used to it, going back feels painful.
The Worst Things About Life in Estonia
4. The Cost of Living Shock
Life in Estonia is no longer cheap—especially when compared to local salaries.
Inflation hit hard. At its peak in early 2023, it reached nearly 20%, among the highest in Europe. Electricity, groceries, rent—everything jumped, and the aftershocks are still felt today.
Food prices continue to rise, VAT on basic food sits at 24%, and wages have not kept pace. Over 80% of residents report financial anxiety. Some people now travel to Finland just to buy groceries—something that would have sounded absurd a decade ago.
If you earn several times the average salary, you’ll be fine. Most people don’t.
5. Weather That Tests Your Mind
This is the part that breaks people.
Winters are long, dark, and grey. In December, daylight can shrink to six hours—or less. But it’s not just winter. Much of the year is overcast, dim, and sunless.
Seasonal depression is real. Surveys show significant portions of the population at risk of depression or anxiety, including native Estonians who have lived here for generations.
You can take vitamin D. Use light therapy. Exercise. But eventually, most people leave—if only temporarily—to escape the darkness. Sun becomes medicine.
6. Racism, Silence, and Feeling Unseen
This is the hardest part to talk about—and the most important.
Estonia is peaceful, but that doesn’t mean everyone feels welcome. Reports from the Equality Ombudsman show that passive, everyday discrimination is common for foreigners and people of color.
Not violence. Not shouting. But staring. Comments. Jokes about accents. Being told to “go home.” Being spoken to in English even when you reply in Estonian.
What makes it worse is the silence. In many places, someone would step in. Here, the culture of minding your own business often means no one does. And that silence hurts more than the comment itself.
Many locals don’t even recognize these behaviors as racism. They’re dismissed as isolated incidents. For those experiencing them, they’re anything but.
