Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Piraeus and Thessaloniki

For one person, living is cheaper in Piraeus: $1,492 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Piraeus, Greece
Thessaloniki, Greece
Piraeus
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,492
/mo nomad
Thessaloniki
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,660
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,492 in Piraeus versus $1,660 in Thessaloniki.

  • Piraeus $1,492
  • Thessaloniki $1,660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,319 in Piraeus versus $2,529 in Thessaloniki.

  • Piraeus $2,319
  • Thessaloniki $2,529

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,145 in Piraeus versus $3,398 in Thessaloniki.

  • Piraeus $3,145
  • Thessaloniki $3,398

Living in Piraeus 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: Piraeus 10% above, Thessaloniki 22% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.60 €14.92
$16.83 €15.12
-1.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.5 €49.87
$66.9 €60.1
-17.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.24 €9.20
$11.04 €9.92
-7.25%
Cappuccino
$3.70 €3.33
$4.29 €3.85
-13.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.27
$2.85 €2.56
-50.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.48
$0.75 €0.68
-28.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.10
$5.49 €4.93
3.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 €5.10
$6.53 €5.87
-13.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.68
$1.72 €1.54
8.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.09 €0.98
$1.71 €1.54
-36.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.62 €2.36
$3.69 €3.32
-29.00%
Eggs
$3.77 €3.39
$5.52 €4.96
-31.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.62 €12.24
$13.99 €12.57
-2.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 €8.75
$11.20 €10.07
-13.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.30 €11.95
$18.82 €16.91
-29.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.04
$2.49 €2.24
-8.84%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 €1.98
$2.14 €1.93
3.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.19 €1.07
$2.16 €1.94
-44.91%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 €1.63
$2.75 €2.47
-34.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.28 €1.15
-10.16%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 €0.83
$1.23 €1.11
-24.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 €0.84
$1.53 €1.37
-39.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 €0.89
$0.89 €0.80
11.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.17 €4.65
$5.48 €4.93
-5.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.04 €8.12
$10.00 €8.99
-9.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.79
$2.08 €1.87
-3.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.07 €3.66
$3.25 €2.92
25.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.31 €1.17
$0.66 €0.59
98.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.13 €30.66
$18.02 €16.19
89.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.44 €3.99
$4.14 €3.72
7.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.30 €2.06
$1.10 €0.99
109.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.45 €24.66
$16.48 €14.81
66.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.03 €1.83
$2.38 €2.13
-14.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.4K €27.3K
$27.9K €25.0K
8.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.4K €22.8K
$27.4K €24.7K
-7.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 €186
$210 €189
-1.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.53 €21.14
$23.21 €20.86
1.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.60 €28.39
$30.46 €27.37
3.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.83 €42.08
$52.1 €46.83
-10.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.04 €35.08
$16.26 €14.61
140.10%
Cinema Ticket
$10.00 €8.98
$10.45 €9.39
-4.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$394 €354
$481 €432
-17.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$8,979 €8,067
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.8 €67.2
$97.4 €87.5
-23.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.53 €34.62
$45.50 €40.88
-15.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 €112
$124 €111
1.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 €103
$130 €117
-11.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$549 €493
$623 €560
-11.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$413 €371
$507 €455
-18.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 €928
$1,096 €985
-5.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$774 €695
$823 €739
-5.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,326 €2,989
$3,708 €3,331
-10.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,638 €2,370
$2,866 €2,575
-7.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Piraeus
Thessaloniki
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,054 €947
$1,176 €1,056
-10.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.83
5.34
-9.55%

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

Last update for Piraeus: October 27, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Piraeus
$413
Thessaloniki
$507 22.6% $94
Groceries & Markets
Piraeus
$280
Thessaloniki
$333 19% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Piraeus
$262
Thessaloniki
$264 0.5% $1.4
Eating Out
Piraeus
$255
Thessaloniki
$274 7.3% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Piraeus
$159
Thessaloniki
$178 12.2% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Piraeus
$67
Thessaloniki
$73 9.2% $6.2
Getting Around
Piraeus
$55
Thessaloniki
$30 45.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $549 in Piraeus and $623 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Piraeus vs $67 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $333 per month, with Piraeus cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Piraeus
🇬🇷 Thessaloniki
🕒 Local time
14:10 2:10 PM
14:10 2:10 PM
Same time as Piraeus
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
163,688
790,824
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Piraeus Thessaloniki 310 km
From you
  • Piraeus
  • 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
Piraeus vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Piraeus cheaper than Thessaloniki?
Piraeus is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Piraeus or Thessaloniki?
On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Piraeus. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Piraeus and Thessaloniki?
Rent for a central apartment: $549 in Piraeus versus $623 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Piraeus or in Thessaloniki?
Dining out is cheaper in Piraeus – a meal for two runs $56 versus $67 in Thessaloniki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Piraeus and in Thessaloniki?
All in, you’ll spend $1,492 per month in Piraeus versus $1,660 in Thessaloniki – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is it better to live in Piraeus or in 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Piraeus wins on affordability, Thessaloniki on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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