Oulu is five hours north from Helsinki by train and a good deal colder and darker each winter than the Finnish capital. From November to March its 220,000 residents are lucky to see daylight for a couple of hours a day and temperatures can reach the minus 30s.
Even on two teachers' salaries my partner and I have felt the sting of inflation as goods have increased by 20% in three years. With beer now costing 8 or more in a city centre pub, going out becomes an ever rarer expense.
A survey conducted by the National Institute for Health and Welfare found 25% of students struggling to afford food, while reductions in housing benefit mean tenants are being forced to move or absorb the shortfall in rent payments.
Healthcare is faring little better. Finland's two-tier system means that while civil servants and local government employees, those with decent salaries can access better healthcare, others are left with limited options.
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