Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Budva

For one person, living costs are similar in Thessaloniki and in Budva: $1,649 and $1,611 a month, rent and utilities included.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
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Budva Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,649

/mo nomad

Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Budva

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thessaloniki and in Budva actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,649 per month in Thessaloniki vs $1,611 in Budva, rent included.

Thessaloniki $1,649
Budva $1,611

A couple spends around $2,537 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,529 in Budva, rent included.

Thessaloniki $2,537
Budva $2,529

A family of three spends $3,425 per month in Thessaloniki vs $3,447 in Budva, rent included.

Thessaloniki $3,425
Budva $3,447

Thessaloniki costs about 2% more than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Thessaloniki and Budva sit above the global median – Thessaloniki by 22%, Budva by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.13

$14.76 €13.13

15.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 €59.8

$66.5 €59.1

1.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 €9.96

$13.27 €11.80

-15.60%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.82

$3.39 €3.02

26.55%

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

$2.90 €2.58

$2.21 €1.96

31.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.67

$1.52 €1.35

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.85

$4.69 €4.17

16.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.81

$4.27 €3.80

52.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.51

$1.25 €1.11

36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.06 €0.95

67.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$2.21 €1.97

67.87%

Eggs

$5.50 €4.89

$3.07 €2.73

79.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 €12.71

$8.50 €7.56

68.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 €10.21

$9.08 €8.08

26.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.35 €16.32

$12.17 €10.83

50.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.28 €1.14

96.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.75 €1.56

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.89

$1.52 €1.35

39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.78 €2.47

0.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.15

$0.85 €0.76

52.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.07 €0.95

14.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.42

$1.67 €1.48

-4.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 €5.11

$4.42 €3.93

29.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 €8.83

$7.67 €6.82

29.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.06 €0.94

94.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 €2.79

$1.74 €1.55

80.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 €0.57

$2.84 €2.53

-77.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.07 €16.07

$39.74 €35.34

-54.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 €3.62

$1.11 €0.98

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.09 €0.97

3.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.79 €14.93

$16.85 €14.99

-0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.70 €1.51

32.35%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

$28.5K €25.4K

-1.90%

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

$31.0K €27.6K

$25.8K €22.9K

20.31%

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

$215 €191

$158 €140

36.09%

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

$23.24 €20.67

$14.92 €13.27

55.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.60 €27.22

$33.61 €29.90

-8.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.32

$57.1 €50.8

-8.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 €14.47

$21.24 €18.89

-23.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.36 €9.22

$6.19 €5.50

67.37%

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

$469 €417

$407 €362

15.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,075 €8,073

$9,855 €8,766

-7.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.7 €84.2

$105 €93.3

-9.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.40 €39.50

$44.04 €39.17

0.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €111

$96.8 €86.1

28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$178 €159

-27.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 €554

$846 €752

-26.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$489 €435

$606 €539

-19.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 €962

$1,499 €1,333

-27.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 €745

$1,149 €1,022

-27.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,679 €3,273

$4,046 €3,599

-9.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,799 €2,490

$2,920 €2,597

-4.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,177 €1,047

$1,028 €915

14.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

5.95

-10.25%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$489 29.6%

Budva

$606 37.6% 24% $117

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$336 20.4%

Budva

$235 14.6% 29.9% $101

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$276 16.7%

Budva

$246 15.2% 11.1% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$268 16.3%

Budva

$206 12.8% 23.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$177 10.7%

Budva

$191 11.9% 7.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4%

Budva

$69 4.3% 4.6% $3.3

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8%

Budva

$58 3.6% 89.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $622 in Thessaloniki versus $846 in Budva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Thessaloniki, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Thessaloniki versus $66.0 in Budva. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $235 – making Budva the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇲🇪 Budva

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

09:59 9:59 AM

1 h behind Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

13,338

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Thessaloniki vs Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,649 in Thessaloniki, $1,611 in Budva – roughly 2% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,474 per month in Thessaloniki and $2,417 in Budva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budva, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,649 in Thessaloniki and $1,611 in Budva. That's a gap of about 2%.

Public transport costs about 120% less in Budva. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Budva, where all-in costs run around $1,611, than in Thessaloniki at $1,649. In Budva it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thessaloniki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Thessaloniki has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,611 in Budva to $1,649 in Thessaloniki. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Budva. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thessaloniki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.