Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Chalcis Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Chalcis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,554 in Thessaloniki versus $1,482 in Chalcis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Thessaloniki versus $2,207 in Chalcis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Thessaloniki versus $2,933 in Chalcis.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 5% more expensive than in Chalcis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 16% above, Chalcis 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.94

$13.56 €11.87

25.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €50.1

$48.40 €42.35

18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 €9.23

$9.18 €8.03

14.92%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.89

$4.31 €3.77

3.25%

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

$2.38 €2.08

$1.64 €1.44

45.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.52

$0.60 €0.52

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 €5.05

$3.28 €2.87

75.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 €5.14

$3.95 €3.46

48.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.48 €1.29

-1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.58 €1.38

-7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.12

$2.02 €1.77

19.80%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.67

$4.05 €3.54

3.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.78

$13.69 €11.98

-1.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 €9.68

$10.02 €8.77

10.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 €13.00

$13.11 €11.47

13.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.02 €1.76

-0.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.86 €1.63

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.12 €0.98

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.93 €1.69

23.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.08 €0.94

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.22 €1.07

9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.00 €0.87

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.72

$0.49 €0.42

67.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 €4.60

$4.89 €4.28

7.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.93 €9.56

$6.42 €5.62

70.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.62 €1.42

25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.46 €2.15

14.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.35 €1.18

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.21 €27.30

$46.91 €41.04

-33.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.12

$4.58 €4.00

2.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.89

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.11 €28.09

$13.75 €12.03

133.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.10 €1.84

1.43%

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

$31.7K €27.7K

$34.6K €30.3K

-8.50%

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

$31.4K €27.5K

$29.0K €25.4K

8.41%

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

$215 €188

$289 €253

-25.69%

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

$25.87 €22.63

$23.80 €20.83

8.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.15 €27.26

$30.88 €27.02

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.87 €38.38

$69.8 €61.0

-37.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.18 €15.91

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 €8.74

$9.71 €8.50

2.88%

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

$423 €370

$290 €254

45.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,336 €7,294

$5,578 €4,880

49.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 €72.6

$110 €96.1

-24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.20 €32.54

$39.11 €34.22

-4.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 €79.6

$100 €87.8

-9.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €102

$94.3 €82.5

23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 €476

$512 €448

6.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 €400

$376 €329

21.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 €819

$780 €682

20.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 €648

$605 €530

22.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,666 €3,207

$2,466 €2,158

48.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,819 €2,467

$2,029 €1,775

38.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,156 €1,011

$1,070 €936

8.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.34

7.83%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: July 14, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $544 in Thessaloniki and $512 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 8% 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: $57.0 in Thessaloniki vs $48.00 in Chalcis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $262 per month, with Chalcis 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

Thessaloniki vs Chalcis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chalcis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Thessaloniki, 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: $544 in Thessaloniki versus $512 in Chalcis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chalcis – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $57.0 in Thessaloniki. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,482 in Chalcis versus $1,554 in Thessaloniki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chalcis but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Chalcis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Thessaloniki and Chalcis 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 Chalcis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.