Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Heraklion Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Heraklion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,797 in Split versus $1,543 in Heraklion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Split versus $2,476 in Heraklion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,868 in Split versus $3,409 in Heraklion.

Living in Split is roughly 16% more expensive than Heraklion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Split 34% above, Heraklion 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.08

$13.64 €11.65

29.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €68.4

$57.5 €49.13

39.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 €7.71

$11.68 €9.98

-22.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.42

$3.92 €3.35

-27.81%

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

$3.58 €3.06

$2.26 €1.93

58.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.39

$0.56 €0.48

398.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.56

$5.69 €4.86

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 €4.24

$5.66 €4.84

-12.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.91 €1.63

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.51 €1.29

28.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 €3.33

$2.65 €2.26

47.17%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.21

$5.79 €4.94

-35.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 €10.92

$16.90 €14.44

-24.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 €8.27

$11.73 €10.02

-17.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 €11.79

$14.64 €12.50

-5.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.64

$2.23 €1.91

-13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.61

$2.11 €1.80

-10.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.02

$1.49 €1.28

58.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$1.85 €1.58

28.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.29 €1.10

17.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.23

$1.53 €1.30

-5.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.26

$0.95 €0.81

55.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.67 €0.57

91.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 €5.02

$5.39 €4.60

9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.16 €7.82

$8.17 €6.98

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.46

$2.07 €1.77

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.02

$3.31 €2.83

-28.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.59 €1.36

8.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.07 €33.36

$46.07 €39.34

-15.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 €2.98

$4.69 €4.01

-25.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 €1.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 €7.99

$11.61 €9.92

-19.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.45

$2.11 €1.80

-19.43%

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

$38.0K €32.5K

$35.1K €30.0K

8.25%

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

$26.1K €22.3K

$25.7K €21.9K

1.44%

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

$210 €179

$219 €187

-4.35%

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

$23.40 €19.98

$23.45 €20.03

-0.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 €29.70

$37.26 €31.82

-6.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 €52.3

$51.5 €44.01

18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 €12.39

$41.21 €35.20

-64.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.86

$9.11 €7.78

0.99%

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

$192 €164

$423 €361

-54.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,040 €7,720

$4,237 €3,619

113.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €72.2

$99.5 €84.9

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.30 €34.41

$46.92 €40.07

-14.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.6

$89.6 €76.5

20.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €89.6

$136 €116

-23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 €819

$545 €465

76.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 €594

$415 €354

67.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 €1,607

$1,039 €888

81.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 €1,066

$889 €759

40.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,059 €6,028

$4,071 €3,477

73.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,951 €4,228

$2,861 €2,443

73.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,695 €1,447

$1,147 €979

47.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

4.44

-3.83%

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

Last update for Split: April 26, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $959 in Split and $545 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Split pays 48% 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: $80.0 in Split vs $58.0 in Heraklion. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $312, with Split 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

Split vs Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heraklion is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Split pays 48% 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: $959 in Split versus $545 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $192 in Split versus $423 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Split pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,543 in Heraklion versus $1,797 in Split, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Heraklion but tight or insufficient in Split. The gap between the two cities makes Heraklion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

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