Cost of Living Comparison Between Santorini and Thessaloniki Cost of Living Comparison Between Santorini and Thessaloniki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,146 in Santorini versus $1,554 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,116 in Santorini versus $2,354 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Santorini versus $3,155 in Thessaloniki.

Living in Santorini is roughly 38% more expensive than in Thessaloniki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santorini 61% above, Thessaloniki 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 €17.29

$17.08 €14.94

15.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 €79.1

$57.3 €50.1

57.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.07 €14.06

$10.55 €9.23

52.32%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.12

$4.45 €3.89

5.84%

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

$3.81 €3.33

$2.38 €2.08

60.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.22

$0.59 €0.52

137.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 €5.06

$5.77 €5.05

0.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 €6.53

$5.87 €5.14

27.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.46 €1.28

43.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.46 €1.28

-2.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 €2.96

$2.42 €2.12

40.08%

Eggs

$6.82 €5.97

$4.20 €3.67

62.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.85 €12.99

$13.47 €11.78

10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 €6.76

$11.06 €9.68

-30.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.32 €14.28

$14.86 €13.00

9.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.01 €1.76

40.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.98

$1.86 €1.62

21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.68 €1.47

1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.38 €2.08

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$1.26 €1.10

103.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.33 €1.16

-9.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 €0.82

$1.04 €0.91

-9.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.82 €0.72

-18.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 €5.98

$5.26 €4.60

30.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 €5.10

$10.93 €9.56

-46.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.80

$2.03 €1.78

1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.59

$2.82 €2.47

4.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.05 €0.92

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$31.21 €27.30

46.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.93

$4.70 €4.12

-4.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.94 €12.19

$32.11 €28.09

-56.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.13 €1.86

2.35%

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

$31.7K €27.8K

$31.7K €27.7K

0.26%

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

$26.3K €23.0K

$31.4K €27.5K

-16.46%

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

$324 €284

$215 €188

51.10%

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

$45.62 €39.92

$25.87 €22.63

76.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.07 €29.80

$31.15 €27.26

9.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 €71.8

$43.87 €38.38

86.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.84 €22.61

$18.18 €15.91

42.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 €6.14

$9.99 €8.74

-29.73%

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

$627 €549

$423 €370

48.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,010 €5,258

$8,336 €7,294

-27.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 €61.0

$83.0 €72.6

-16.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 €45.21

$37.20 €32.54

38.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 €68.7

$91.0 €79.6

-13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €101

$117 €102

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 €437

$544 €476

-8.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 €688

$457 €400

72.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,172

$936 €819

43.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €925

$740 €648

42.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,168 €4,521

$3,666 €3,207

40.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,425 €2,996

$2,819 €2,467

21.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,232 €1,078

$1,156 €1,011

6.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.15

4.68

-11.32%

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

Last update for Santorini: July 12, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $499 in Santorini and $544 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santorini pays 7% 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: $90.0 in Santorini vs $57.0 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 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

Santorini vs Thessaloniki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santorini and Thessaloniki differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,146 vs $1,554 including rent). Thessaloniki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Santorini, 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: $499 in Santorini versus $544 in Thessaloniki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thessaloniki runs roughly 47% less than in Santorini. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $627 in Santorini versus $423 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,554 in Thessaloniki versus $2,146 in Santorini, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thessaloniki but tight or insufficient in Santorini. The gap between the two cities makes Thessaloniki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Santorini 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 38% less than in Santorini. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.