Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Edessa

For one person, living is cheaper in Edessa: $1,452 a month against $1,670 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Edessa
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Edessa Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,670

/mo nomad

Edessa

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Edessa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,670 in Thessaloniki versus $1,452 in Edessa.

Thessaloniki $1,670
Edessa $1,452

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Thessaloniki versus $2,139 in Edessa.

Thessaloniki $2,550
Edessa $2,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Thessaloniki versus $2,826 in Edessa.

Thessaloniki $3,429
Edessa $2,826

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 15% more expensive than in Edessa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 24% above, Edessa 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 €14.71

$16.70 €14.84

-0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 €60.3

$53.4 €47.40

27.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.01

$9.78 €8.69

15.24%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.68

$3.38 €3.00

22.49%

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

$2.96 €2.63

$1.87 €1.66

58.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$0.59 €0.52

28.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 €4.92

$3.84 €3.41

44.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €5.03

$4.55 €4.04

24.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.51 €1.34

15.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.24 €1.10

42.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.61 €3.21

$2.01 €1.78

79.60%

Eggs

$5.76 €5.11

$4.31 €3.83

33.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.23 €12.64

$14.17 €12.59

0.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 €10.00

$8.33 €7.40

35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.72 €16.63

$13.08 €11.62

43.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.19

$2.19 €1.95

12.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.97

$1.97 €1.75

12.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.84

$1.75 €1.56

18.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.45

$2.21 €1.96

24.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.22 €1.08

4.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.27 €1.13

-7.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.34

$0.93 €0.83

62.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.75

$0.78 €0.70

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 €5.10

$5.69 €5.06

0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 €8.85

$7.16 €6.36

39.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.79

$1.67 €1.48

20.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.90

$2.51 €2.23

29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 €0.61

$1.39 €1.23

-51.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.74 €15.76

$51.2 €45.46

-65.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.94

$4.37 €3.89

1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.98 €0.87

17.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.64

$16.91 €15.02

-2.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.25 €2.00

0.89%

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

$28.5K €25.3K

$31.8K €28.3K

-10.55%

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

$28.1K €25.0K

$27.6K €24.5K

1.80%

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

$220 €195

$254 €226

-13.57%

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

$23.51 €20.88

$25.60 €22.74

-8.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.52 €27.11

$34.87 €30.97

-12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 €47.57

$48.68 €43.24

10.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.16 €14.35

$21.39 €19.00

-24.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.28

$9.10 €8.08

14.84%

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

$480 €427

$413 €367

16.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.6K

$10.1K €8,998

17.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 €85.2

$87.7 €77.9

9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.13 €40.98

$39.41 €35.00

17.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 €112

$94.1 €83.6

33.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €118

$125 €111

6.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 €550

$343 €305

80.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €450

$343 €304

47.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 €982

$590 €524

87.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 €743

$466 €414

79.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,647 €3,239

$1,345 €1,195

171.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,797 €2,485

$2,204 €1,958

26.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,162 €1,032

$767 €682

51.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

4.44

20.27%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: November 2, 2026

Last update for Edessa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$507 30.3%

Edessa

$343 23.6% 32.4% $164

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$334 20%

Edessa

$264 18.2% 21% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$274 16.4%

Edessa

$315 21.7% 15% $41

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$270 16.2%

Edessa

$242 16.7% 10.4% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$180 10.8%

Edessa

$156 10.7% 13.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$74 4.5%

Edessa

$67 4.6% 10.2% $7.6

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$31 1.8%

Edessa

$66 4.6% 115% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Thessaloniki and $343 in Edessa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 51% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Thessaloniki vs $53 in Edessa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $264 per month, with Edessa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Edessa

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

18,253

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 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 Edessa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,670 in Thessaloniki and $1,452 in Edessa, so Edessa is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $619 in Thessaloniki versus $343 in Edessa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thessaloniki runs roughly 65% less than in Edessa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $480 in Thessaloniki versus $413 in Edessa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Edessa gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Edessa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Edessa wins on affordability, Thessaloniki on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.