The Real Costs of eCommerce Fulfillment in Estonia (and How to Calculate Yours)

Every eCommerce founder reaches that point where doing it all yourself stops making sense. Orders pile up, customer expectations rise, and you realize it’s time to find a fulfillment partner.

But one of the first questions is always the same: how much does it actually cost?

Estonia is becoming a small but growing logistics hub in Northern Europe, and for good reason, transparent pricing, efficient infrastructure, and competitive rates compared to Western Europe.

Let’s break down what you can realistically expect to pay if you choose to fulfill from Estonia.

1. The Basics: What You’re Paying For

Fulfillment costs depend on four main areas:

1. Storage – how much space your products take up.
2. Inbound – the cost of receiving and checking new inventory.
3. Order handling – picking, packing, and labeling each order.
4. Shipping – sending it out to customers domestically or across Europe.

Each fulfillment company structures these slightly differently, but once you understand the logic, it’s easy to estimate your monthly spend.

2. Average Fulfillment Prices in Estonia (2025)

Here’s what most small to medium eCommerce businesses can expect to pay in Estonia today:

• Storage (per pallet per day): €0.50–€0.70 – Standard 120x80cm pallet, up to 1.6m high.
• Storage (shelf / carton): €6.50–€8.00 per meter per month – For small eCommerce items.
• Inbound receiving: €5–€10 per pallet – Counting, labeling, entering stock.
• Pick & pack (first item): €1.80–€2.50 per order – Includes packaging materials.
• Additional item in same order: €0.25–€0.40 – For multi-item orders.
• B2C order handling: €2–€3 – All-in pick, pack, and label.
• Domestic shipping (Estonia): €3–€5 – Omniva, DPD, or SmartPosti courier.
• EU shipping: €8–€15 – Average to major EU countries.
• Returns processing: €2.50–€4 – Includes inspection and restocking.
• Setup / integration: €0–€100 one-time – Shopify, WooCommerce, or manual setup.

If you’re shipping between 50 and 500 orders per month, you’ll likely fall within this range.

3. Example: A Small Shopify Brand

Let’s imagine you run a small online store selling fitness accessories. You store 3 pallets of inventory and ship around 150 orders per month.

Here’s a quick estimate of your monthly costs:

• Storage: 3 pallets × €0.60 × 30 days = €54
• Inbound: 2 pallets received × €6 average = €12
• Pick & pack: 150 orders × €2.20 = €330
• Shipping (EU average): 150 × €9 = €1,350
• Returns (5%): 8 returns × €3 = €24

Estimated total monthly cost: around €1,770

That covers your entire logistics operation for an EU-wide eCommerce business, fully outsourced and managed.

If you compare that to doing it yourself in a Western European warehouse or renting space in Germany, you’d likely pay 30–40% more for the same service level.

4. What Affects the Price

Several factors influence the final cost of fulfillment:

• Product size and weight: Bulkier or fragile products take more space and packing time.
• Order volume: Higher volumes usually mean lower per-order rates.
• Storage time: Slow-moving goods increase storage costs.
• Packaging requirements: Branded boxes, inserts, or fragile handling add costs.
• Returns handling: Apparel and footwear tend to have much higher returns.

Knowing these variables helps you budget and negotiate more accurately.

5. How Estonia Compares to Other EU Countries

To give you a sense of scale, here’s how Estonia stacks up against other regions in average fulfillment pricing:

• Estonia: Pick & pack €2.00, pallet storage €0.60/day
• Germany: Pick & pack €2.80, pallet storage €1.00/day
• Netherlands: Pick & pack €2.50, pallet storage €0.90/day
• Poland: Pick & pack €1.80, pallet storage €0.55/day
• Finland: Pick & pack €2.90, pallet storage €0.90/day

Estonia sits in a sweet spot, more affordable than Northern and Western Europe but with higher efficiency and connectivity than cheaper markets like Poland or Romania.

6. How to Calculate Your Own Fulfillment Costs

You can estimate your monthly expenses in a few minutes:

1. Count your storage needs – pallets or shelf meters.
2. Multiply your average monthly orders by the typical pick & pack rate (€2.00–€2.50).
3. Add shipping – roughly €3 for domestic or €9–€12 for EU orders.
4. Include inbound and returns – usually 5–10% of your total.

That gives you a realistic starting point for budgeting.

7. The Real Value Behind the Price

The real benefit of outsourcing fulfillment isn’t just saving money, it’s saving time and staying consistent.

Once a professional 3PL handles your operations, you can focus on growth – product, marketing, and customer experience – instead of boxes and spreadsheets.

In Estonia, most fulfillment centers integrate directly with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Amazon, so you get full real-time visibility of your stock and orders.

That level of automation is one of Estonia’s biggest advantages.

8. Key Takeaway

Fulfillment in Estonia offers one of the best cost-to-quality ratios in Europe. You get EU-wide reach, fast shipping, and reliable digital systems – at a price point that fits early-stage and growing eCommerce brands.

If you’re a small eCommerce business comparing options, take the time to calculate your numbers. Even a modest setup in Estonia could save you hundreds of euros each month while keeping your logistics inside the EU.