Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Thessaloniki Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens and Thessaloniki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,696 in Athens versus $1,546 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,642 in Athens versus $2,354 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,588 in Athens versus $3,162 in Thessaloniki.

Living in Athens is roughly 10% more expensive than Thessaloniki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Athens 27% above, Thessaloniki 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 €15.06

$17.27 €14.87

1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €54.7

$57.7 €49.68

10.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.15

$10.30 €8.87

3.11%

Cappuccino

$4.34 €3.74

$4.27 €3.68

1.64%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.14

$2.36 €2.03

5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.56 €0.49

19.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 €5.08

$5.88 €5.07

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$5.74 €4.94

1.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.52 €1.31

25.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.46 €1.25

-3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$2.45 €2.11

18.37%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.38

$4.41 €3.79

15.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 €12.62

$13.67 €11.77

7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.74

$11.10 €9.56

1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 €12.98

$14.79 €12.73

1.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.04 €1.76

13.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.87 €1.61

16.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.68 €1.45

-10.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.38 €2.05

-3.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.26 €1.08

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.33 €1.15

-11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.09 €0.94

15.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$0.88 €0.76

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 €4.81

$5.36 €4.61

4.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.12

$11.70 €10.07

0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.00 €1.73

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.49

$2.80 €2.41

3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.05 €0.91

34.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.49 €29.70

$30.99 €26.69

11.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.98

$4.62 €3.97

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.33 €14.93

$31.91 €27.48

-45.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$2.07 €1.78

3.38%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.4K €24.5K

$31.3K €27.0K

-9.15%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.4K €26.1K

$31.7K €27.3K

-4.07%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 €188

$213 €183

2.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.82 €23.09

$26.13 €22.50

2.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.71 €29.89

$30.44 €26.21

14.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 €49.15

$44.22 €38.07

29.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €22.88

$18.69 €16.09

42.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.90

$9.98 €8.60

3.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$552 €475

$421 €363

31.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,696

$8,408 €7,240

33.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 €79.8

$82.5 €71.0

12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.61 €41.00

$36.95 €31.81

28.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.2

$90.9 €78.2

10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €104

$115 €99.0

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €569

$542 €467

21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €501

$452 €389

28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 €1,017

$940 €809

25.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €886

$742 €639

38.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,114 €3,542

$3,833 €3,300

7.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 €2,917

$2,909 €2,505

16.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,342 €1,155

$1,193 €1,027

12.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.68

6.62%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Athens: June 2, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Athens and $542 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Athens vs $58.0 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $298 per month, with Thessaloniki cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Athens vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Athens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thessaloniki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Athens pays 12% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $660 in Athens versus $542 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thessaloniki – a meal for two runs $58.0 versus $64.0 in Athens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,696 per month in Athens versus $1,546 in Thessaloniki – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,546 in Thessaloniki versus $1,696 in Athens, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thessaloniki but tight or insufficient in Athens. The gap between the two cities makes Thessaloniki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thessaloniki delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,546 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thessaloniki hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Athens and Thessaloniki are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Thessaloniki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Athens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.