Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Alcala de Henares Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Alcala de Henares

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,665 in Thessaloniki versus $2,002 in Alcala de Henares.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,564 in Thessaloniki versus $2,857 in Alcala de Henares.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,463 in Thessaloniki versus $3,712 in Alcala de Henares.

Living in Thessaloniki costs roughly 17% less than in Alcala de Henares, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 21% above, Alcala de Henares 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.24

$17.11 €14.75

3.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €57.3

$70.7 €60.9

-5.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.10

$11.77 €10.15

-0.51%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.70

$2.73 €2.36

57.51%

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

$2.86 €2.46

$3.37 €2.90

-15.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.65

$1.94 €1.67

-61.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.10

$4.09 €3.53

44.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 €5.65

$4.84 €4.17

35.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.29 €1.11

31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.64 €1.42

-1.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 €3.24

$1.78 €1.53

111.24%

Eggs

$5.47 €4.72

$3.16 €2.72

73.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 €12.28

$23.34 €20.12

-38.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 €9.73

$9.83 €8.47

14.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 €16.04

$18.19 €15.68

2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.85 €2.45

-5.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.48 €2.14

-9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.29 €1.97

-8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.63 €2.26

8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.08

$2.18 €1.88

-42.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.02

$2.17 €1.87

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.56 €1.34

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.77 €0.67

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 €4.88

$6.27 €5.41

-9.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.35 €8.92

$8.20 €7.07

26.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.24 €1.07

65.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.97

$2.26 €1.95

52.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.54 €1.32

-56.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.66 €17.81

$48.05 €41.42

-57.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.79

$3.85 €3.32

14.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.95 €1.68

-45.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.73 €15.28

$24.11 €20.78

-26.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.08

$1.80 €1.55

33.89%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$37.3K €32.1K

-21.51%

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

$31.4K €27.1K

$31.5K €27.2K

-0.26%

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

$224 €193

$191 €165

17.26%

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

$24.35 €20.99

$20.38 €17.57

19.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.61 €27.25

$31.22 €26.91

1.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €45.82

$43.05 €37.11

23.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 €14.76

$8.54 €7.36

100.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 €9.13

$10.04 €8.65

5.58%

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

$494 €426

$185 €160

166.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,202 €7,932

$6,274 €5,408

46.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 €84.6

$76.3 €65.8

28.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.65 €39.35

$38.20 €32.93

19.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$80.7 €69.6

51.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €119

$98.5 €84.9

40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 €546

$1,002 €864

-36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 €430

$918 €792

-45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 €946

$1,895 €1,634

-42.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 €729

$1,180 €1,017

-28.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,874 €3,339

$4,350 €3,749

-10.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,832 €2,441

$3,590 €3,095

-21.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,206 €1,040

$1,806 €1,557

-33.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

3.09

82.85%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: September 6, 2026

Last update for Alcala de Henares: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $634 in Thessaloniki and $1,002 in Alcala de Henares. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alcala de Henares pays 50% 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: $66.0 in Thessaloniki vs $71.0 in Alcala de Henares. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $328, with Alcala de Henares 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

Thessaloniki vs Alcala de Henares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki and Alcala de Henares differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,665 vs $2,002 including rent). Thessaloniki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Alcala de Henares. 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: $634 in Thessaloniki versus $1,002 in Alcala de Henares. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Thessaloniki versus $185 in Alcala de Henares. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Alcala de Henares pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,665 in Thessaloniki versus $2,002 in Alcala de Henares, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Thessaloniki but tight or insufficient in Alcala de Henares. 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, Thessaloniki and Alcala de Henares 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 20% less than in Alcala de Henares. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.