Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rethymno and Thessaloniki

For one person, living is cheaper in Rethymno: $1,358 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Rethymno
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Rethymno Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index

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Rethymno

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,358

/mo nomad

Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,660

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,358 per month in Rethymno vs $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

Rethymno $1,358
Thessaloniki $1,660

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Rethymno vs $2,529 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

Rethymno $2,031
Thessaloniki $2,529

A family of three spends $2,703 per month in Rethymno vs $3,398 in Thessaloniki, rent included.

Rethymno $2,703
Thessaloniki $3,398

Rethymno is about 18% cheaper than Thessaloniki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.69 €11.40

$16.83 €15.12

-24.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 €50.4

$66.9 €60.1

-16.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €9.21

$11.04 €9.92

-7.16%

Cappuccino

$3.54 €3.18

$4.29 €3.85

-17.48%

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

$1.67 €1.50

$2.85 €2.56

-41.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 €0.52

$0.75 €0.68

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €4.08

$5.49 €4.93

-17.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 €4.71

$6.53 €5.87

-19.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.72 €1.54

-8.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 €1.09

$1.71 €1.54

-29.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €2.03

$3.69 €3.32

-38.75%

Eggs

$4.48 €4.02

$5.52 €4.96

-18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 €13.63

$13.99 €12.57

8.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 €8.69

$11.20 €10.06

-13.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.43 €13.86

$18.82 €16.90

-18.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 €1.79

$2.49 €2.24

-20.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.79

$2.14 €1.93

-7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 €1.11

$2.16 €1.94

-42.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.53

$2.75 €2.47

-38.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 €0.86

$1.28 €1.15

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 €0.90

$1.23 €1.11

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 €0.62

$1.53 €1.37

-54.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.66

$0.89 €0.80

-16.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 €3.94

$5.48 €4.93

-20.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 €6.19

$10.00 €8.99

-31.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.63

$2.08 €1.87

-12.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.64

$3.25 €2.92

-44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.63

$0.66 €0.59

174.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 €16.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.11

$4.14 €3.72

10.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.10 €0.99

3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.38 €10.22

$16.48 €14.80

-30.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.38 €2.13

-7.14%

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

$22.4K €20.1K

$27.9K €25.0K

-19.59%

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

$24.5K €22.0K

$27.4K €24.6K

-10.63%

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

$191 €171

$210 €189

-9.16%

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

$18.37 €16.50

$23.21 €20.85

-20.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.03 €27.88

$30.46 €27.37

1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 €54.9

$52.1 €46.82

17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 €14.61

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 €7.60

$10.45 €9.38

-19.04%

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

$366 €329

$481 €432

-23.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,964 €3,561

$8,979 €8,066

-55.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €79.2

$97.4 €87.5

-9.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.04 €9.91

$45.50 €40.87

-75.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.52 €39.99

$124 €111

-64.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.41 €39.90

$130 €117

-65.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 €492

$623 €560

-12.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 €401

$507 €455

-11.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 €820

$1,096 €985

-16.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €629

$823 €739

-14.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,172 €3,748

$3,708 €3,331

12.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,963 €2,662

$2,866 €2,575

3.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,201 €1,079

$1,176 €1,056

2.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.34

-19.48%

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

Last update for Rethymno: October 26, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rethymno

$447 32.9%

Thessaloniki

$507 30.5% 13.4% $60

Groceries & Markets

Rethymno

$273 20.1%

Thessaloniki

$333 20.1% 21.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rethymno

$240 17.7%

Thessaloniki

$264 15.9% 9.8% $24

Eating Out

Rethymno

$217 16%

Thessaloniki

$274 16.5% 26.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Rethymno

$85 6.2%

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8% 111% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Rethymno

$78 5.8%

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4% 6.5% $5.1

Getting Around

Rethymno

$18 * 1.3%

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8% 72.9% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $548 in Rethymno versus $623 in Thessaloniki. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Rethymno versus $67 in Thessaloniki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $333 – making Rethymno the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Rethymno

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🕒 Local time

00:21 12:21 AM

Same time as Rethymno

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,763

790,824

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rethymno Thessaloniki 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rethymno
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

Rethymno vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thessaloniki is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,037 per month in Rethymno and $2,490 in Thessaloniki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rethymno, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $548 there versus $623 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,358 in Rethymno and $1,660 in Thessaloniki. That makes Rethymno about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $366 per month in Rethymno and $481 in Thessaloniki. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rethymno, where all-in costs run around $1,358, than in Thessaloniki at $1,660. In Rethymno it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thessaloniki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rethymno – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.