Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lamia and Thessaloniki

For one person, living is cheaper in Lamia: $1,192 a month against $1,649 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lamia
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,192
/mo nomad
Thessaloniki
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,649
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,192 per month in Lamia vs $1,649 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

  • Lamia $1,192
  • Thessaloniki $1,649

A couple spends around $1,853 per month in Lamia vs $2,537 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

  • Lamia $1,853
  • Thessaloniki $2,537

A family of three spends $2,515 per month in Lamia vs $3,425 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

  • Lamia $2,515
  • Thessaloniki $3,425

Lamia is about 28% cheaper than Thessaloniki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lamia sits 12% below the global median, while Thessaloniki is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.07 €15.18
$17.01 €15.13
0.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.8 €48.75
$67.2 €59.8
-18.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.45 €7.52
$11.20 €9.96
-24.55%
Cappuccino
$3.09 €2.75
$4.29 €3.82
-27.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.90 €2.58
-52.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 €0.43
$0.76 €0.67
-35.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.06 €4.50
$5.45 €4.85
-7.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.22 €5.54
$6.53 €5.81
-4.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 €1.49
$1.70 €1.51
-1.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.78 €1.58
-38.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.04 €1.82
$3.71 €3.30
-45.01%
Eggs
$3.45 €3.07
$5.50 €4.89
-37.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.25 €8.23
$14.29 €12.71
-35.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.04 €5.37
$11.48 €10.21
-47.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.18 €8.17
$18.35 €16.32
-49.97%
Apples (1kg)
$1.96 €1.74
$2.51 €2.23
-21.91%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.25 €2.00
-2.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.12 €1.89
-7.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$2.79 €2.48
-22.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.30 €1.15
-6.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.22 €1.09
-6.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.58 €0.51
$1.60 €1.42
-63.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 €0.78
$0.94 €0.84
-6.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.93 €4.39
$5.74 €5.11
-14.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.03 €6.25
$9.93 €8.83
-29.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 €0.80
$2.06 €1.83
-56.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.14 €2.79
-27.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.30 €1.16
$0.65 €0.57
100.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.33 €36.76
$18.07 €16.07
128.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.15 €3.70
$4.07 €3.62
1.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.13 €1.01
0.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.71 €14.87
$16.79 €14.93
-0.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 €1.83
$2.25 €2.00
-8.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$28.0K €24.9K
0.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K €24.2K
$31.0K €27.6K
-12.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$197 €175
$215 €191
-8.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.56 €20.06
$23.24 €20.67
-2.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.37 €27.02
$30.60 €27.22
-0.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.0 €48.94
$52.1 €46.32
5.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.51 €22.69
$16.27 €14.47
56.79%
Cinema Ticket
$7.62 €6.78
$10.36 €9.22
-26.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 €244
$469 €417
-41.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,477 €5,762
$9,075 €8,073
-28.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.11 €35.68
$94.7 €84.2
-57.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.68 €40.63
$44.40 €39.50
2.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.1 €59.7
$125 €111
-46.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €116
$129 €115
0.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$486 €432
$622 €554
-21.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$225 €200
$489 €435
-53.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$497 €442
$1,081 €962
-54.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$389 €346
$838 €745
-53.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,640 €2,349
$3,679 €3,273
-28.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,193 €1,951
$2,799 €2,490
-21.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lamia
Thessaloniki
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,112 €989
$1,177 €1,047
-5.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.34
5.34
-

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

Last update for Lamia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lamia
$250
Thessaloniki
$268 7.5% $19
Eating Out
Lamia
$244
Thessaloniki
$276 13.1% $32
Accommodation & Living
Lamia
$225
Thessaloniki
$489 117% $264
Groceries & Markets
Lamia
$219
Thessaloniki
$336 53.6% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Lamia
$128
Thessaloniki
$177 38.8% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Lamia
$70
Thessaloniki
$73 3.6% $2.5
Getting Around
Lamia
$56
Thessaloniki
$30 46.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $486 in Lamia versus $622 in Thessaloniki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Thessaloniki, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Lamia versus $67.0 in Thessaloniki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $336 – making Lamia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Lamia
🇬🇷 Thessaloniki
🕒 Local time
22:37 10:37 PM
22:37 10:37 PM
Same time as Lamia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
52,006
790,824
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lamia Thessaloniki 200 km
From you
  • Lamia
  • Thessaloniki

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
Lamia vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lamia or Thessaloniki?
Thessaloniki costs about 38% more than Lamia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lamia and in Thessaloniki?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,788 per month in Lamia and $2,474 in Thessaloniki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lamia or Thessaloniki?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lamia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Lamia or in Thessaloniki?
Groceries cost about 54% more in Thessaloniki, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Lamia and in Thessaloniki?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Lamia and $67.0 in Thessaloniki. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Lamia or in Thessaloniki?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lamia, where all-in costs run around $1,192, than in Thessaloniki at $1,649. In Lamia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thessaloniki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lamia or Thessaloniki?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lamia costs $1,192 versus $1,649 in Thessaloniki. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Lamia compared to Thessaloniki?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Lamia or to Thessaloniki?
If budget matters most, go with Lamia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thessaloniki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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