Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Volos Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Volos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,643 in Heraklion versus $1,594 in Volos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,592 in Heraklion versus $2,405 in Volos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Heraklion versus $3,216 in Volos.

Living in Heraklion is roughly 3% more expensive than in Volos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heraklion 20% above, Volos 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.37 €13.21

$20.81 €17.89

-26.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €49.76

$58.2 €50.1

-0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 €9.12

$10.47 €9.00

1.34%

Cappuccino

$4.13 €3.55

$4.70 €4.04

-12.13%

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

$2.55 €2.20

$2.88 €2.48

-11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.64

$0.67 €0.57

11.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €4.88

$5.82 €5.01

-2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.70

$5.83 €5.01

-6.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.62 €1.39

14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.58 €1.36

-1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 €2.23

$2.93 €2.52

-11.26%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.10

$4.96 €4.27

-3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.53 €14.21

$13.83 €11.89

19.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 €9.38

$10.57 €9.09

3.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 €13.32

$15.20 €13.06

1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.50 €2.15

-6.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.89

$2.11 €1.81

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.77 €1.52

-18.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.19 €1.88

-5.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$0.94 €0.81

34.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.05 €0.91

24.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 €0.85

$0.95 €0.82

4.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.67

$1.07 €0.92

-26.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 €4.46

$5.66 €4.86

-8.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 €6.59

$9.20 €7.91

-16.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.29 €1.97

-6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.63

$2.52 €2.16

21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.38 €1.19

7.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.5 €58.9

$62.7 €53.9

9.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 €4.01

$4.10 €3.52

13.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.03 €0.88

10.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.47 €9.86

$20.40 €17.54

-43.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.88

$2.27 €1.96

-3.52%

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

$29.6K €25.4K

$28.7K €24.7K

3.15%

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

$25.7K €22.1K

$25.6K €22.0K

0.62%

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

$204 €175

$224 €193

-9.22%

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

$32.27 €27.75

$23.96 €20.60

34.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.36 €34.70

$30.27 €26.02

33.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 €43.37

$54.3 €46.68

-7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.01 €35.26

$48.71 €41.88

-15.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.43 €8.11

$9.23 €7.93

2.17%

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

$420 €361

$286 €246

46.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 €3,606

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 €74.9

$100.0 €86.0

-12.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 €38.70

$60.7 €52.2

-25.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 €75.7

$89.6 €77.0

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €121

$91.4 €78.6

54.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 €557

$522 €449

24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 €442

$405 €348

26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 €998

$777 €668

49.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 €884

$618 €531

66.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,893 €3,347

$2,511 €2,159

55.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,836 €2,438

$1,707 €1,467

66.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,158 €995

$1,057 €909

9.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

4.47

-0.67%

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

Last update for Heraklion: August 31, 2026

Last update for Volos: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $648 in Heraklion and $522 in Volos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 9% 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: $58.0 in Heraklion vs $58.0 in Volos. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $303, with Volos 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 Volos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Volos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Heraklion, 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: $648 in Heraklion versus $522 in Volos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $420 in Heraklion versus $286 in Volos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,594 in Volos versus $1,643 in Heraklion, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Volos but tight or insufficient in Heraklion. The gap between the two cities makes Volos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Heraklion and Volos 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 Volos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.