Cost of Living Comparison Between Ioannina and Thessaloniki Cost of Living Comparison Between Ioannina and Thessaloniki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,322 in Ioannina versus $1,582 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Ioannina versus $2,341 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,641 in Ioannina versus $3,100 in Thessaloniki.

Living in Ioannina costs roughly 16% less than in Thessaloniki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ioannina is 2% below, Thessaloniki is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.78

$17.07 €14.71

0.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.05 €29.33

$57.8 €49.78

-41.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 €8.25

$10.45 €9.00

-8.42%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.28

$4.27 €3.68

-11.01%

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

$2.28 €1.96

$2.38 €2.05

-4.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$0.56 €0.48

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 €3.87

$5.93 €5.11

-24.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 €5.03

$5.95 €5.13

-1.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.47 €1.27

1.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.43 €1.23

-16.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.41 €2.08

-1.24%

Eggs

$3.28 €2.83

$4.21 €3.63

-22.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 €9.13

$13.51 €11.64

-21.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$11.27 €9.71

-28.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 €9.34

$14.56 €12.55

-25.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.07 €1.78

-2.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.87 €1.61

4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.60 €1.38

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.37 €2.05

2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.30 €1.12

-8.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.37 €1.18

-21.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.05 €0.90

-2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 €4.48

$5.21 €4.49

-0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €5.93

$11.31 €9.75

-39.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.96 €1.69

2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.68 €2.31

4.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.07 €0.92

47.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.29 €30.41

$31.02 €26.73

13.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €3.89

$4.54 €3.91

-0.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 €6.04

$32.80 €28.26

-78.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.13 €1.83

-1.41%

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

$24.9K €21.5K

$30.6K €26.4K

-18.72%

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

$26.6K €22.9K

$31.6K €27.2K

-15.87%

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

$219 €189

$214 €184

2.75%

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

$20.73 €17.86

$25.90 €22.31

-19.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.09 €26.79

$30.34 €26.14

2.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.65 €40.19

$43.92 €37.84

6.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.10 €39.72

$18.31 €15.78

151.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 €8.21

$10.00 €8.61

-4.70%

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

$342 €295

$430 €371

-20.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 €7,150

$8,312 €7,162

-0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 €59.9

$82.6 €71.2

-15.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 €32.69

$37.69 €32.48

0.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 €66.9

$89.5 €77.1

-13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$115 €99.1

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 €352

$562 €484

-27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 €269

$468 €403

-33.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 €593

$948 €817

-27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 €483

$748 €645

-25.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,068 €2,644

$3,906 €3,365

-21.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,551 €2,198

$2,806 €2,417

-9.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,125 €969

$1,158 €998

-2.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

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

Last update for Ioannina: June 8, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Ioannina and $562 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 3% 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: $34.00 in Ioannina vs $58.0 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $295 per month, with Ioannina 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

Ioannina vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ioannina and Thessaloniki differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,322 vs $1,582 including rent). Ioannina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

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: $408 in Ioannina versus $562 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $342 in Ioannina versus $430 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,322 in Ioannina versus $1,582 in Thessaloniki, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ioannina but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Ioannina 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, Ioannina 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 Ioannina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.