Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Thessaloniki

For one person, living is cheaper in Thessaloniki: $1,643 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Thessaloniki

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Berlin and in Thessaloniki actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,643 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Thessaloniki $1,643

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $2,545 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Thessaloniki $2,545

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $3,446 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Thessaloniki $3,446

Berlin costs about 55% more than Thessaloniki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Berlin and Thessaloniki sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Thessaloniki by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €14.99

$16.85 €15.02

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$66.5 €59.3

19.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.93

$11.00 €9.81

21.64%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$4.30 €3.83

-0.70%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$3.01 €2.68

12.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$0.75 €0.67

316.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.88

$5.76 €5.14

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.06

$6.86 €6.12

-33.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.76 €1.57

-27.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.18

$1.70 €1.51

44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$3.55 €3.17

-7.04%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$5.46 €4.87

-18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.25

$13.95 €12.44

22.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.87

$11.13 €9.92

9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.32

$18.27 €16.29

0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$2.49 €2.22

43.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.76

$2.22 €1.98

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.91

$2.11 €1.88

54.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$2.81 €2.50

35.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.30 €1.15

63.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.24 €1.11

78.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.53 €1.37

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.91 €0.81

10.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.36

$5.64 €5.03

85.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$10.00 €8.92

-32.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$2.08 €1.86

-35.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$3.22 €2.87

-34.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.65 €0.58

572.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$17.84 €15.91

297.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$4.29 €3.83

23.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.72

$1.10 €0.98

177.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.36

$16.55 €14.76

119.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.33 €2.08

-2.15%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$27.8K €24.8K

19.38%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$30.6K €27.3K

27.43%

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

$379 €338

$217 €193

74.98%

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

$19.31 €17.22

$23.23 €20.71

-16.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.17

$30.69 €27.37

57.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.94

$51.7 €46.09

-22.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.66

$16.72 €14.91

112.38%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.85

$10.50 €9.36

47.90%

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

$144 €128

$468 €418

-69.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$9,132 €8,142

72.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.4

$96.4 €85.9

-1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.31

$44.70 €39.86

3.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.1

$123 €110

-16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$133 €119

6.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,327

$627 €559

137.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €979

$487 €434

125.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,376

$1,109 €989

140.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,855

$850 €757

144.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,648

$3,774 €3,365

127.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,849

$2,867 €2,556

89.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,109

$1,166 €1,040

199.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

5.34

-28.84%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Thessaloniki

$487 29.5% 55.7% $611

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Thessaloniki

$271 16.4% 39.4% $176

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Thessaloniki

$331 20.1% 5.5% $19

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Thessaloniki

$277 16.8% 4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Thessaloniki

$179 10.9% 3.1% $5.4

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8% 72.2% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4% 1.8% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $627 in Thessaloniki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 199% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $66.0 in Thessaloniki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $331 – making Thessaloniki the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

1 h ahead of Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

790,824

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Berlin Thessaloniki 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Berlin
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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

Berlin vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,465 in Thessaloniki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thessaloniki, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $1,643 in Thessaloniki. That's a gap of about 55%.

Public transport costs about 298% less in Thessaloniki. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Thessaloniki, where all-in costs run around $1,643, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Thessaloniki it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Thessaloniki – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Thessaloniki. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.