Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Thessaloniki

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilion: $1,564 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ilion, Greece
Thessaloniki, Greece
Ilion
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,564
/mo nomad
Thessaloniki
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,660
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilion 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 Ilion and in Thessaloniki actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,564 in Ilion versus $1,660 in Thessaloniki.

  • Ilion $1,564
  • Thessaloniki $1,660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,458 in Ilion versus $2,529 in Thessaloniki.

  • Ilion $2,458
  • Thessaloniki $2,529

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,351 in Ilion versus $3,398 in Thessaloniki.

  • Ilion $3,351
  • Thessaloniki $3,398

Living in Ilion costs roughly 6% less than in Thessaloniki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilion 15% above, Thessaloniki 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.18 €11.85
$16.83 €15.12
-21.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.3 €53.2
$66.9 €60.1
-11.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.96 €8.05
$11.04 €9.92
-18.84%
Cappuccino
$4.17 €3.75
$4.29 €3.85
-2.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 €2.17
$2.85 €2.56
-15.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 €0.51
$0.75 €0.68
-24.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.69 €5.11
$5.49 €4.93
3.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.45 €4.89
$6.53 €5.87
-16.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 €1.44
$1.72 €1.54
-6.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 €1.27
$1.71 €1.54
-17.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 €2.31
$3.69 €3.32
-30.35%
Eggs
$5.14 €4.62
$5.52 €4.96
-6.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.17 €10.93
$13.99 €12.57
-13.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.38 €9.32
$11.20 €10.07
-7.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.74 €16.84
$18.82 €16.91
-0.43%
Apples (1kg)
$2.21 €1.99
$2.49 €2.24
-11.24%
Banana (1kg)
$2.00 €1.80
$2.14 €1.93
-6.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.37 €1.23
$2.16 €1.94
-36.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.15 €1.93
$2.75 €2.47
-21.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 €0.99
$1.28 €1.15
-14.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.11 €1.00
$1.23 €1.11
-9.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 €0.81
$1.53 €1.37
-41.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.03
$0.89 €0.80
28.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.46 €4.90
$5.48 €4.93
-0.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.87 €7.07
$10.00 €8.99
-21.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.08 €1.87
-16.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 €2.88
$3.25 €2.92
-1.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.35 €1.21
$0.66 €0.59
104.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.57 €44.54
$18.02 €16.19
175.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.34 €3.90
$4.14 €3.72
4.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 €0.89
$1.10 €0.99
-10.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.56 €14.88
$16.48 €14.81
0.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.26 €2.03
$2.38 €2.13
-5.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K €24.6K
$27.9K €25.0K
-1.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K €21.9K
$27.4K €24.7K
-10.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 €179
$210 €189
-5.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.82 €23.20
$23.21 €20.86
11.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.73 €24.91
$30.46 €27.37
-8.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.4 €45.30
$52.1 €46.83
-3.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.60 €23.00
$16.26 €14.61
57.44%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.76
$10.45 €9.39
-6.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$475 €427
$481 €432
-1.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,757 €4,274
$8,979 €8,067
-47.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.6 €75.1
$97.4 €87.5
-14.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.56 €34.65
$45.50 €40.88
-15.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.2
$124 €111
-17.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 €96.4
$130 €117
-17.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$591 €531
$623 €560
-5.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$496 €445
$507 €455
-2.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,070
$1,096 €985
8.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$976 €877
$823 €739
18.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,693 €3,318
$3,708 €3,331
-0.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,904 €2,609
$2,866 €2,575
1.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ilion
Thessaloniki
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,278 €1,148
$1,176 €1,056
8.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.4
5.34
-17.60%

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

Last update for Ilion: October 26, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ilion
$496
Thessaloniki
$507 2.3% $11
Groceries & Markets
Ilion
$299
Thessaloniki
$333 11.6% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ilion
$252
Thessaloniki
$264 4.5% $11
Eating Out
Ilion
$234
Thessaloniki
$274 17.3% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Ilion
$149
Thessaloniki
$178 19.4% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Ilion
$70
Thessaloniki
$73 4.4% $3.1
Getting Around
Ilion
$64
Thessaloniki
$30 52.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $591 in Ilion and $623 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59 in Ilion vs $67 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $333 per month, with Ilion cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Ilion
🇬🇷 Thessaloniki
🕒 Local time
09:41 9:41 AM
09:41 9:41 AM
Same time as Ilion
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
84,793
790,824
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ilion Thessaloniki 300 km
From you
  • Ilion
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Ilion vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ilion and in Thessaloniki?
Ilion and Thessaloniki differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,564 vs $1,660 including rent). Ilion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Ilion or Thessaloniki?
Average pay runs 9% higher in Ilion, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Ilion and in Thessaloniki?
Rent for a central apartment: $591 in Ilion versus $623 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ilion and Thessaloniki?
Childcare runs $475 in Ilion versus $481 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $2,000 go in Ilion compared to Thessaloniki?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ilion gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Ilion and Thessaloniki?
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.
Is Ilion or Thessaloniki safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ilion 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.

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