Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samos and Thessaloniki

For one person, living is cheaper in Samos: $1,411 a month against $1,642 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Samos
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Samos Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index

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Samos

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,411

/mo nomad

Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,411 in Samos versus $1,642 in Thessaloniki.

Samos $1,411
Thessaloniki $1,642

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,081 in Samos versus $2,537 in Thessaloniki.

Samos $2,081
Thessaloniki $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,751 in Samos versus $3,431 in Thessaloniki.

Samos $2,751
Thessaloniki $3,431

Living in Samos costs roughly 14% less than in Thessaloniki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Samos 4% above, Thessaloniki 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 €9.90

$16.79 €14.94

-33.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.72 €35.33

$67.8 €60.3

-41.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 €6.11

$11.04 €9.82

-37.77%

Cappuccino

$3.02 €2.68

$4.24 €3.77

-28.77%

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

$2.36 €2.10

$2.93 €2.61

-19.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$0.76 €0.68

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.13 €3.67

$5.52 €4.91

-25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 €5.74

$6.77 €6.02

-4.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.78 €1.58

-14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.23

$1.76 €1.57

-21.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$3.66 €3.26

-28.69%

Eggs

$4.56 €4.06

$5.47 €4.86

-16.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 €11.78

$13.97 €12.42

-5.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.59

$11.15 €9.91

-13.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 €12.59

$18.27 €16.25

-22.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

$2.54 €2.26

-14.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.17 €1.93

-7.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.06 €1.84

-31.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.79 €2.48

-30.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.25 €1.11

-7.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.24 €1.10

-7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.54 €1.37

-29.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.76

$0.89 €0.79

-4.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 €4.77

$5.55 €4.94

-3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.02

$9.95 €8.85

-32.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.03 €1.81

1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$3.28 €2.92

-20.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.21

$0.65 €0.58

110.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.20 €39.32

$18.24 €16.22

142.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.30 €3.83

$4.28 €3.81

0.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.15 €1.02

-5.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.66

$16.70 €14.85

-1.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.34 €2.08

-8.12%

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

$28.1K €25.0K

$28.0K €24.9K

0.24%

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

$25.3K €22.5K

$28.3K €25.2K

-10.64%

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

$207 €184

$216 €192

-3.89%

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

$23.54 €20.94

$22.97 €20.43

2.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 €27.31

$30.23 €26.89

1.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €45.61

$52.7 €46.84

-2.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 €22.57

$16.67 €14.83

52.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 €7.96

$10.86 €9.66

-17.68%

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

$429 €382

$476 €423

-9.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,664 €6,817

$8,901 €7,917

-13.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 €80.0

$95.9 €85.3

-6.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 €35.59

$45.38 €40.36

-11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €77.1

$125 €111

-30.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €108

$129 €115

-6.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 €428

$635 €565

-24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 €356

$484 €430

-17.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 €659

$1,091 €971

-32.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 €544

$846 €753

-27.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,683 €2,387

$3,746 €3,332

-28.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,181 €1,940

$2,829 €2,516

-22.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$990 €881

$1,146 €1,020

-13.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

5.34

-16.48%

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

Last update for Samos: October 18, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samos

$400 28.4%

Thessaloniki

$484 29.5% 20.9% $83

Groceries & Markets

Samos

$276 19.6%

Thessaloniki

$332 20.2% 20.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samos

$262 18.5%

Thessaloniki

$269 16.4% 2.8% $7.4

Eating Out

Samos

$192 13.6%

Thessaloniki

$274 16.7% 42.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Samos

$152 10.8%

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8% 17% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Samos

$69 4.9%

Thessaloniki

$74 4.5% 7.5% $5.2

Getting Around

Samos

$59 4.2%

Thessaloniki

$31 1.9% 48% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Samos and $635 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 16% 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: $40.00 in Samos vs $68.0 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $332 per month, with Samos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Samos

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

Same time as Samos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,814

790,824

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Samos Thessaloniki 470 km

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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

Samos vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Thessaloniki. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Samos versus $635 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Samos runs roughly 142% less than in Thessaloniki. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $429 in Samos versus $476 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,411 in Samos versus $1,642 in Thessaloniki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samos but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Samos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Thessaloniki, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Samos 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 Samos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.