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: $2,199 in Santorini versus $1,718 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,185 in Santorini versus $2,592 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,171 in Santorini versus $3,467 in Thessaloniki.

Living in Santorini is roughly 28% more expensive than in Thessaloniki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santorini 60% above, Thessaloniki 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.00 €24.16

$17.59 €15.18

59.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 €77.3

$67.5 €58.3

32.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.10 €13.89

$11.73 €10.12

37.25%

Cappuccino

$4.81 €4.15

$4.20 €3.62

14.52%

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

$3.98 €3.43

$2.81 €2.43

41.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.73 €0.63

101.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 €4.96

$5.85 €5.05

-1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 €6.35

$6.37 €5.50

15.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.71 €1.48

18.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.66 €1.43

-10.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 €2.98

$3.74 €3.23

-7.75%

Eggs

$6.94 €5.99

$5.62 €4.85

23.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 €13.00

$14.63 €12.62

2.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 €6.68

$11.32 €9.77

-31.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.33

$18.93 €16.33

-0.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.61 €2.26

10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.32 €2.00

-1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.17 €1.88

-18.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 €3.08

$2.78 €2.40

28.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.22

$1.23 €1.06

108.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 €3.03

$1.23 €1.06

186.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.54 €1.33

-33.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$0.92 €0.79

-28.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$5.95 €5.14

13.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$10.38 €8.96

-44.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.16 €1.87

-6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.51

$3.31 €2.86

-12.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 €2.38

$0.67 €0.58

311.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.84 €25.75

$20.71 €17.87

44.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 €1.95

$3.99 €3.45

-43.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.08 €0.93

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.26 €13.16

$17.50 €15.10

-12.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.32 €2.00

-2.59%

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

$46.7K €40.3K

$28.9K €24.9K

61.68%

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

$47.6K €41.1K

$30.9K €26.7K

53.98%

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

$327 €282

$225 €194

45.38%

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

$45.88 €39.59

$24.71 €21.32

85.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.26 €29.57

$30.47 €26.30

12.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 €70.2

$50.3 €43.42

61.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.74 €23.08

$16.62 €14.34

60.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 €6.05

$10.37 €8.95

-32.30%

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

$632 €545

$490 €423

28.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,208 €7,946

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 €59.7

$103 €88.6

-32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 €44.29

$45.80 €39.52

12.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 €67.6

$118 €102

-33.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €99.0

$136 €118

-15.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,649 €1,423

$643 €555

156.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 €684

$501 €432

58.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 €1,168

$1,095 €945

23.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €939

$859 €741

26.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,244 €4,525

$3,886 €3,353

34.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,438 €2,967

$2,849 €2,459

20.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,226 €1,058

$1,201 €1,036

2.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.15

5.65

-26.55%

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

Last update for Santorini: September 1, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,649 in Santorini and $643 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santorini pays 2% 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 $68.0 in Thessaloniki. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $340, with Santorini cheaper for home cooking.

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 28% in total monthly costs ($2,199 vs $1,718 including rent). Thessaloniki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,649 in Santorini versus $643 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 44% less than in Santorini. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $632 in Santorini versus $490 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,718 in Thessaloniki versus $2,199 in Santorini, a $3,000 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 28% less than in Santorini. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.