Cost of Living Comparison Between Melissia and Thessaloniki Cost of Living Comparison Between Melissia and Thessaloniki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,592 in Melissia versus $1,544 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,355 in Melissia versus $2,338 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,118 in Melissia versus $3,132 in Thessaloniki.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melissia 19% above, Thessaloniki 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.08 €11.17

$17.51 €14.95

-25.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 €49.82

$56.7 €48.44

2.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 €8.06

$10.55 €9.01

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.63

$4.24 €3.62

0.24%

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

$1.67 €1.43

$2.43 €2.07

-31.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.80

$5.67 €4.84

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.82

$5.96 €5.09

-5.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.53 €1.31

20.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.46 €1.24

4.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.43

$2.48 €2.12

14.92%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.38

$4.32 €3.69

18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 €11.80

$13.48 €11.51

2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 €8.96

$11.36 €9.70

-7.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 €12.81

$14.98 €12.79

0.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 €1.89

$2.06 €1.76

7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$1.87 €1.60

4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.63 €1.39

-34.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.35 €2.00

-14.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.28 €1.09

10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.33 €1.13

-9.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.09 €0.93

-9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.89

$0.87 €0.75

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 €4.73

$5.23 €4.47

5.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 €9.13

$9.29 €7.93

15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.74

$2.00 €1.71

2.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.69 €2.30

-13.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.02 €0.87

55.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 €40.29

$30.99 €26.46

52.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.07

$4.62 €3.94

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.46 €11.49

$32.74 €27.96

-58.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.85

$2.12 €1.81

2.36%

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

$29.4K €25.1K

$31.3K €26.7K

-5.84%

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

$29.4K €25.1K

$31.7K €27.1K

-7.39%

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

$293 €250

$218 €186

34.20%

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

$23.36 €19.95

$25.70 €21.95

-9.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.52 €26.92

$30.50 €26.05

3.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.28 €41.23

$44.50 €38.00

8.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 €22.76

$18.35 €15.67

45.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.05 €8.59

$10.22 €8.73

-1.66%

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

$513 €438

$422 €360

21.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,621 €4,800

$8,462 €7,226

-33.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.1

$83.6 €71.4

33.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.70 €33.05

$37.16 €31.74

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €85.0

$92.0 €78.6

8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €106

$116 €99.0

6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 €421

$547 €467

-9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 €331

$454 €388

-14.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 €663

$930 €794

-16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 €519

$738 €630

-17.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,072 €2,623

$3,856 €3,293

-20.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 €2,150

$2,795 €2,387

-9.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,390 €1,187

$1,183 €1,010

17.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

4.68

6.62%

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

Last update for Melissia: April 28, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $493 in Melissia and $547 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melissia pays 18% 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 Melissia vs $57.0 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $294 per month, with Thessaloniki 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

Melissia vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Melissia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thessaloniki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Melissia pays 18% more on average, 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: $493 in Melissia versus $547 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,592 per month in Melissia versus $1,544 in Thessaloniki – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Thessaloniki runs roughly 52% less than in Melissia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,544 in Thessaloniki versus $1,592 in Melissia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thessaloniki but tight or insufficient in Melissia. The gap between the two cities makes Thessaloniki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thessaloniki delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,544 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thessaloniki hard to pass up.

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