Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Chalcis

For one person, living is cheaper in Chalcis: $1,409 a month against $1,642 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Chalcis
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Chalcis Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,642

/mo nomad

Chalcis

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Chalcis

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 Chalcis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Thessaloniki versus $1,409 in Chalcis.

Thessaloniki $1,642
Chalcis $1,409

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Thessaloniki versus $2,143 in Chalcis.

Thessaloniki $2,537
Chalcis $2,143

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,431 in Thessaloniki versus $2,878 in Chalcis.

Thessaloniki $3,431
Chalcis $2,878

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 17% more expensive than in Chalcis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 21% above, Chalcis 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 €14.94

$11.06 €9.83

51.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 €60.3

$46.90 €41.71

44.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.82

$9.06 €8.05

21.85%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.77

$3.74 €3.33

13.37%

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

$2.93 €2.61

$2.27 €2.02

29.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$0.64 €0.57

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 €4.91

$3.39 €3.01

62.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 €6.02

$4.43 €3.94

52.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.57 €1.40

13.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.33 €1.18

32.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 €3.26

$2.18 €1.94

67.89%

Eggs

$5.47 €4.86

$4.33 €3.86

26.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 €12.42

$11.59 €10.31

20.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 €9.91

$9.95 €8.85

12.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.27 €16.25

$14.42 €12.82

26.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.96 €1.74

29.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.93 €1.71

12.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$1.69 €1.50

21.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$1.91 €1.70

46.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.15 €1.02

8.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.10

$1.26 €1.12

-1.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.92 €0.82

67.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.79

$0.86 €0.76

3.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.55 €4.94

$4.86 €4.32

14.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 €8.85

$6.92 €6.16

43.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.81

$1.67 €1.48

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$3.29 €2.93

-0.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 €0.58

$1.31 €1.17

-50.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 €16.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.81

$4.52 €4.02

-5.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.14 €1.01

0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.70 €14.85

$13.86 €12.32

20.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.08

$2.10 €1.86

11.43%

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

$28.0K €24.9K

0.10%

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

$28.3K €25.2K

$24.4K €21.7K

15.76%

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

$216 €192

$163 €145

32.49%

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

$22.97 €20.43

$24.70 €21.97

-7.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 €26.89

$28.57 €25.41

5.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €46.84

$68.4 €60.8

-23.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.67 €14.83

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 €9.66

$9.13 €8.13

18.95%

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

$476 €423

$278 €247

71.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,901 €7,917

$4,555 €4,052

95.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 €85.3

$68.5 €60.9

40.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.38 €40.36

$35.96 €31.99

26.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €111

$77.2 €68.6

62.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €115

$108 €96.3

19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 €565

$595 €530

6.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$484 €430

$493 €439

-1.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 €971

$1,067 €949

2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$846 €753

$875 €779

-3.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,746 €3,332

$2,450 €2,179

52.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,829 €2,516

$2,044 €1,818

38.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,146 €1,020

$1,037 €923

10.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

4.36

22.48%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$484 29.5%

Chalcis

$493 35% 1.9% $9.2

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$332 20.2%

Chalcis

$269 19.1% 18.9% $63

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$274 16.7%

Chalcis

$198 14.1% 27.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$269 16.4%

Chalcis

$216 15.3% 19.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8%

Chalcis

$130 9.3% 26.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$74 4.5%

Chalcis

$87 6.2% 16.5% $12

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$31 1.9%

Chalcis

$15 * 1.1% 50% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $635 in Thessaloniki and $595 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 11% 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: $68.0 in Thessaloniki vs $47.00 in Chalcis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $269 per month, with Chalcis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Chalcis

🕒 Local time

17:23 5:23 PM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

59,125

💱 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)

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, eating out, and clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $635 in Thessaloniki versus $595 in Chalcis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,642 per month in Thessaloniki versus $1,409 in Chalcis – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,409 in Chalcis versus $1,642 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 17% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.