Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Novara and Thessaloniki

For one person, living is cheaper in Novara: $1,483 a month against $1,642 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Novara
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,483
/mo nomad
Thessaloniki
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,642
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,483 in Novara versus $1,642 in Thessaloniki.

  • Novara $1,483
  • Thessaloniki $1,642

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,293 in Novara versus $2,537 in Thessaloniki.

  • Novara $2,293
  • Thessaloniki $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,103 in Novara versus $3,431 in Thessaloniki.

  • Novara $3,103
  • Thessaloniki $3,431

Living in Novara costs roughly 10% less than in Thessaloniki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Novara 9% above, Thessaloniki 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.78 €14.92
$16.79 €14.94
-0.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.6 €50.3
$67.8 €60.3
-16.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.25 €9.12
$11.04 €9.82
-7.16%
Cappuccino
$1.74 €1.55
$4.24 €3.77
-58.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 €3.08
$2.93 €2.61
18.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 €1.53
$0.76 €0.68
126.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.57 €4.96
$5.52 €4.91
0.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.09 €4.52
$6.77 €6.02
-24.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.39 €1.24
$1.78 €1.58
-21.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.76 €1.57
10.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.88 €2.56
$3.66 €3.26
-21.31%
Eggs
$3.33 €2.96
$5.47 €4.86
-39.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.40 €10.14
$13.97 €12.42
-18.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.76 €7.79
$11.15 €9.91
-21.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.22 €11.76
$18.27 €16.25
-27.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$2.54 €2.26
-0.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 €1.46
$2.17 €1.93
-23.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.41 €3.04
$2.06 €1.84
65.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 €1.92
$2.79 €2.48
-22.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$1.25 €1.11
55.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.24 €1.10
-8.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 €0.91
$1.54 €1.37
-33.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 €0.67
$0.89 €0.79
-15.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.23 €5.55
$5.55 €4.94
12.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.58 €4.96
$9.95 €8.85
-43.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 €1.63
$2.03 €1.81
-9.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$3.28 €2.92
-30.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.69 €1.51
$0.65 €0.58
160.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.24 €34.01
$18.24 €16.22
109.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.36 €3.87
$4.28 €3.81
1.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 €1.06
$1.15 €1.02
4.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.82 €30.97
$16.70 €14.85
108.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 €1.82
$2.34 €2.08
-12.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K €23.9K
$28.0K €24.9K
-4.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$28.3K €25.2K
18.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 €157
$216 €192
-18.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.41 €9.26
$22.97 €20.43
-54.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.24 €26.90
$30.23 €26.89
0.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$78.3 €69.6
$52.7 €46.84
48.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.96 €16.86
$16.67 €14.83
13.74%
Cinema Ticket
$11.39 €10.13
$10.86 €9.66
4.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$517 €460
$476 €423
8.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,907 €8,813
$8,901 €7,917
11.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$124 €110
$95.9 €85.3
29.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.03 €30.27
$45.38 €40.36
-25.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$55.5 €49.40
$125 €111
-55.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$139 €123
$129 €115
7.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$644 €573
$635 €565
1.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$438 €389
$484 €430
-9.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,048 €932
$1,091 €971
-3.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$784 €698
$846 €753
-7.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,850 €2,535
$3,746 €3,332
-23.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,873 €1,666
$2,829 €2,516
-33.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Novara
Thessaloniki
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,082 €1,852
$1,146 €1,020
81.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.62
5.34
-32.21%

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

Last update for Novara: October 20, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Novara
$438
Thessaloniki
$484 10.6% $46
Groceries & Markets
Novara
$269
Thessaloniki
$332 23.4% $63
Eating Out
Novara
$245
Thessaloniki
$274 12.1% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Novara
$217
Thessaloniki
$269 23.9% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Novara
$158
Thessaloniki
$178 12.4% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Novara
$101
Thessaloniki
$74 26.4% $27
Getting Around
Novara
$55
Thessaloniki
$31 44.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $644 in Novara and $635 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novara pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Novara vs $68.0 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $332 per month, with Novara cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Novara
🇬🇷 Thessaloniki
🕒 Local time
07:07 7:07 AM
08:07 8:07 AM
1 h ahead of Novara
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
100,910
790,824
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Novara Thessaloniki 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Novara
  • 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
Novara vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Novara and in Thessaloniki?
Novara and Thessaloniki differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,483 vs $1,642 including rent). Novara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Novara or Thessaloniki?
Average pay runs 82% higher in Novara, 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 Novara and in Thessaloniki?
Rent for a central apartment: $644 in Novara versus $635 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 Novara and Thessaloniki?
Childcare runs $517 in Novara versus $476 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 23% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,483 in Novara versus $1,642 in Thessaloniki, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novara but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Novara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Novara 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 Novara or Thessaloniki safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Novara 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.
Where should expats move: Novara or Thessaloniki?
Expats usually find Novara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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