Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Thessaloniki Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Thessaloniki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,575 in Heraklion versus $1,546 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,474 in Heraklion versus $2,354 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Heraklion versus $3,162 in Thessaloniki.

Living in Heraklion is roughly 2% more expensive than Thessaloniki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heraklion 18% above, Thessaloniki 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.13 €12.17

$17.27 €14.87

-18.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €50.3

$57.7 €49.68

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 €9.95

$10.30 €8.87

12.23%

Cappuccino

$3.89 €3.35

$4.27 €3.68

-8.90%

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

$2.18 €1.87

$2.36 €2.03

-7.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.56 €0.49

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.13

$5.88 €5.07

1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €4.96

$5.74 €4.94

0.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.52 €1.31

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.46 €1.25

2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.33

$2.45 €2.11

10.20%

Eggs

$5.56 €4.79

$4.41 €3.79

26.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.98 €14.62

$13.67 €11.77

24.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 €9.79

$11.10 €9.56

2.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.65 €12.61

$14.79 €12.73

-0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.04 €1.76

10.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.87 €1.61

13.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.68 €1.45

-13.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.38 €2.05

-22.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.26 €1.08

3.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.33 €1.15

15.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 €0.75

$1.09 €0.94

-20.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$0.88 €0.76

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 €4.55

$5.36 €4.61

-1.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.93

$11.70 €10.07

-31.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.00 €1.73

4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.80 €2.41

21.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.05 €0.91

51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.27 €39.84

$30.99 €26.69

49.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.90

$4.62 €3.97

-1.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.60 €9.99

$31.91 €27.48

-63.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.07 €1.78

4.35%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$31.3K €27.0K

11.95%

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

$25.8K €22.2K

$31.7K €27.3K

-18.60%

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

$216 €186

$213 €183

1.32%

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

$22.89 €19.71

$26.13 €22.50

-12.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.02 €31.88

$30.44 €26.21

21.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €45.37

$44.22 €38.07

19.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.87 €34.34

$18.69 €16.09

113.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.36 €8.06

$9.98 €8.60

-6.21%

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

$431 €371

$421 €363

2.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,159 €3,581

$8,408 €7,240

-50.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €86.4

$82.5 €71.0

21.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.48 €40.03

$36.95 €31.81

25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 €77.2

$90.9 €78.2

-1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €114

$115 €99.0

15.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 €478

$542 €467

2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 €365

$452 €389

-6.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 €899

$940 €809

11.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €753

$742 €639

17.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,456

$3,833 €3,300

4.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,848 €2,453

$2,909 €2,505

-2.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,156 €995

$1,193 €1,027

-3.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

4.68

-5.13%

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

Last update for Heraklion: June 2, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Heraklion and $542 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Heraklion vs $58.0 in Thessaloniki. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $298, with Thessaloniki cheaper for home cooking.

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

Heraklion vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Thessaloniki earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $555 in Heraklion versus $542 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Heraklion versus $421 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,546 in Thessaloniki versus $1,575 in Heraklion, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thessaloniki but tight or insufficient in Heraklion. The gap between the two cities makes Thessaloniki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thessaloniki is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Heraklion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Heraklion 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 2% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.