Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Drama Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Drama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,544 in Thessaloniki versus $1,203 in Drama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,338 in Thessaloniki versus $1,824 in Drama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,132 in Thessaloniki versus $2,445 in Drama.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 28% more expensive than Drama, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thessaloniki is 15% above, Drama is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.51 €14.99

$13.40 €11.47

30.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 €48.56

$46.13 €39.49

22.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 €9.03

$9.21 €7.89

14.55%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.63

$2.75 €2.35

54.18%

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

$2.43 €2.08

$1.62 €1.39

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €4.85

$3.57 €3.05

58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 €5.10

$4.50 €3.85

32.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.52 €1.30

0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.56 €1.33

-6.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$1.14 €0.97

117.54%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.70

$4.01 €3.44

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 €11.54

$12.19 €10.43

10.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 €9.73

$9.67 €8.28

17.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 €12.82

$13.31 €11.40

12.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.48 €1.27

39.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.44 €1.23

29.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 €1.39

$1.07 €0.91

52.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.03 €1.74

15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.01 €0.86

26.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.22 €1.04

9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.93

$1.04 €0.89

4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.49 €0.42

77.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 €4.48

Wine (Bottle)

$9.29 €7.95

$5.39 €4.62

72.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.71

$0.95 €0.81

110.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.30

$2.07 €1.78

29.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 €0.87

$1.58 €1.35

-35.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.99 €26.53

$46.82 €40.08

-33.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.95

$7.39 €6.32

-37.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.74 €28.02

$13.42 €11.49

143.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.04 €1.75

3.92%

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

$31.3K €26.8K

$35.1K €30.0K

-10.89%

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

$31.7K €27.1K

$29.3K €25.1K

8.15%

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

$218 €187

$176 €151

23.97%

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

$25.70 €22.00

$23.58 €20.18

8.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 €26.11

$31.73 €27.16

-3.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.50 €38.09

$38.13 €32.64

16.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 €15.71

$25.80 €22.08

-28.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.22 €8.75

$8.28 €7.09

23.43%

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

$422 €361

$507 €434

-16.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,462 €7,243

$5,486 €4,696

54.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 €71.6

$114 €97.3

-26.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.16 €31.81

$23.24 €19.89

59.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €78.8

$63.1 €54.0

45.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.2

$68.6 €58.7

68.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 €468

$315 €269

73.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 €389

$302 €259

50.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 €796

$524 €449

77.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 €631

$424 €363

73.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,856 €3,301

$1,556 €1,332

147.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,795 €2,393

$3,464 €2,965

-19.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,183 €1,012

$1,221 €1,045

-3.15%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Drama: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $547 in Thessaloniki and $315 in Drama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drama pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Thessaloniki vs $46.00 in Drama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $242 per month, with Drama 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 Drama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drama is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Drama earns 3% less. 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: $547 in Thessaloniki versus $315 in Drama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Drama runs roughly 51% less than in Thessaloniki. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $422 in Thessaloniki versus $507 in Drama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,203 in Drama versus $1,544 in Thessaloniki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Drama but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Drama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drama 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 Drama 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 Drama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.