Cost of Living Comparison Between Katerini and Thessaloniki Cost of Living Comparison Between Katerini and Thessaloniki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,367 in Katerini versus $1,554 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,040 in Katerini versus $2,354 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,713 in Katerini versus $3,155 in Thessaloniki.

Living in Katerini costs roughly 12% less than in Thessaloniki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Katerini 2% above, Thessaloniki 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 €11.51

$17.08 €14.94

-22.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 €51.1

$57.3 €50.1

2.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 €8.00

$10.55 €9.23

-13.36%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.62

$4.45 €3.89

-6.97%

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

$1.61 €1.41

$2.38 €2.08

-32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$0.59 €0.52

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 €4.46

$5.77 €5.05

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 €5.14

$5.87 €5.14

0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.46 €1.28

-0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.46 €1.28

11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.42 €2.12

-11.98%

Eggs

$3.70 €3.23

$4.20 €3.67

-11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 €9.68

$13.47 €11.78

-17.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.76 €8.54

$11.06 €9.68

-11.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 €11.40

$14.86 €13.00

-12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 €1.63

$2.01 €1.76

-6.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$1.86 €1.62

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.68 €1.47

-35.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.60

$2.38 €2.08

-23.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 €0.94

$1.26 €1.10

-15.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.33 €1.16

-3.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 €0.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 €0.39

$0.82 €0.72

-45.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 €4.14

$5.26 €4.60

-10.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.44 €6.51

$10.93 €9.56

-31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$2.03 €1.78

-41.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.40

$2.82 €2.47

-42.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.05 €0.92

29.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 €35.57

$31.21 €27.30

30.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.61

$4.70 €4.12

-36.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.06 €14.93

$32.11 €28.09

-46.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$2.13 €1.86

-1.88%

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

$28.1K €24.6K

$31.7K €27.7K

-11.11%

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

$24.5K €21.5K

$31.4K €27.5K

-21.99%

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

$301 €263

$215 €188

40.24%

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

$23.70 €20.73

$25.87 €22.63

-8.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.89 €25.27

$31.15 €27.26

-7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €44.34

$43.87 €38.38

15.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.55 €22.35

$18.18 €15.91

40.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 €8.64

$9.99 €8.74

-1.20%

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

$364 €319

$423 €370

-13.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,714 €4,124

$8,336 €7,294

-43.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 €86.5

$83.0 €72.6

19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.47 €33.66

$37.20 €32.54

3.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 €59.2

$91.0 €79.6

-25.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 €62.8

$117 €102

-38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$304 €266

$544 €476

-44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 €233

$457 €400

-41.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 €447

$936 €819

-45.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 €367

$740 €648

-43.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,617 €1,415

$3,666 €3,207

-55.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,296 €1,134

$2,819 €2,467

-54.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,132 €990

$1,156 €1,011

-2.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

4.68

-7.26%

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

Last update for Katerini: July 12, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $304 in Katerini and $544 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 2% 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 Katerini vs $57.0 in Thessaloniki. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $294, with Katerini 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

Katerini vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Katerini and Thessaloniki differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,367 vs $1,554 including rent). Katerini is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Thessaloniki. 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: $304 in Katerini versus $544 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $364 in Katerini versus $423 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,367 in Katerini versus $1,554 in Thessaloniki, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Katerini but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Katerini 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, Katerini 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 Katerini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.