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: $2,090 in Santorini versus $1,546 in Thessaloniki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,039 in Santorini versus $2,354 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,988 in Santorini versus $3,162 in Thessaloniki.

Living in Santorini is roughly 35% more expensive than Thessaloniki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santorini 56% above, Thessaloniki 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.01 €17.21

$17.27 €14.85

15.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.2

$57.7 €49.63

59.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.37 €14.08

$10.30 €8.86

58.93%

Cappuccino

$4.68 €4.02

$4.27 €3.67

9.60%

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

$3.85 €3.31

$2.36 €2.03

63.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.56 €0.48

146.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 €5.11

$5.88 €5.06

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.39 €6.35

$5.74 €4.94

28.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.52 €1.31

36.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.46 €1.25

-2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.45 €2.11

40.00%

Eggs

$7.03 €6.05

$4.41 €3.79

59.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.16 €13.04

$13.67 €11.76

10.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.75

$11.10 €9.55

-29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 €13.89

$14.79 €12.72

9.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.04 €1.75

40.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$1.87 €1.61

20.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.68 €1.45

2.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 €3.03

$2.38 €2.04

48.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.23

$1.26 €1.08

106.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.33 €1.15

-7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 €0.83

$1.09 €0.94

-11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.54

$0.88 €0.75

-29.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €5.93

$5.36 €4.61

28.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$11.70 €10.06

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.00 €1.72

1.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.44

$2.80 €2.41

1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.05 €0.91

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.89 €40.34

$30.99 €26.66

51.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.90

$4.62 €3.97

-1.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.59 €11.69

$31.91 €27.45

-57.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.07 €1.78

9.18%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$31.3K €26.9K

0.93%

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

$26.3K €22.6K

$31.7K €27.2K

-16.95%

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

$316 €271

$213 €183

48.09%

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

$46.74 €40.21

$26.13 €22.48

78.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.33 €30.39

$30.44 €26.18

16.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 €69.6

$44.22 €38.03

82.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.93 €22.31

$18.69 €16.08

38.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 €6.12

$9.98 €8.59

-28.76%

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

$608 €523

$421 €363

44.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,892 €5,068

$8,408 €7,233

-29.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 €59.4

$82.5 €71.0

-16.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 €44.54

$36.95 €31.78

40.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 €67.2

$90.9 €78.2

-13.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$115 €98.9

1.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 €427

$542 €466

-8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 €688

$452 €389

76.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 €1,137

$940 €808

40.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 €927

$742 €638

45.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,197 €4,470

$3,833 €3,297

35.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,457 €2,973

$2,909 €2,502

18.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,232 €1,060

$1,193 €1,026

3.28%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Thessaloniki: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $497 in Santorini and $542 in Thessaloniki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santorini pays 3% 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: $92.0 in Santorini vs $58.0 in Thessaloniki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $298 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 35% in total monthly costs ($2,090 vs $1,546 including rent). Thessaloniki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Santorini pays 3% more on average, 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: $497 in Santorini versus $542 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 51% less than in Santorini. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $608 in Santorini versus $421 in Thessaloniki. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,546 in Thessaloniki versus $2,090 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 35% less than in Santorini. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.