Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Gela

For one person, living is cheaper in Gela: $1,232 a month against $1,642 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Thessaloniki
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,642
/mo nomad
Gela
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,232
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Gela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,642 in Thessaloniki versus $1,232 in Gela.

  • Thessaloniki $1,642
  • Gela $1,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Thessaloniki versus $1,971 in Gela.

  • Thessaloniki $2,537
  • Gela $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,431 in Thessaloniki versus $2,709 in Gela.

  • Thessaloniki $3,431
  • Gela $2,709

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 33% more expensive than in Gela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thessaloniki is 21% above, Gela is 9% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.79 €14.94
$11.28 €10.03
48.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.8 €60.3
$56.5 €50.3
20.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.04 €9.82
$9.46 €8.41
16.70%
Cappuccino
$4.24 €3.77
$1.74 €1.55
143.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 €2.61
$2.35 €2.09
24.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$1.20 €1.07
-36.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.52 €4.91
$4.00 €3.56
38.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.77 €6.02
$3.98 €3.54
70.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.31 €1.17
35.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.78 €1.58
-1.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.66 €3.26
$2.17 €1.93
68.66%
Eggs
$5.47 €4.86
$2.91 €2.58
87.97%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.97 €12.42
$14.92 €13.27
-6.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.15 €9.91
$11.60 €10.32
-3.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.27 €16.25
$16.79 €14.93
8.81%
Apples (1kg)
$2.54 €2.26
$2.92 €2.59
-13.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.21 €1.96
-1.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$2.06 €1.84
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.79 €2.48
$2.25 €2.00
24.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.62 €1.44
-22.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.24 €1.10
$2.90 €2.58
-57.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.26 €1.12
22.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 €0.79
$0.42 €0.38
111.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.55 €4.94
$6.88 €6.12
-19.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 €8.85
$7.51 €6.68
32.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 €1.81
$2.06 €1.83
-1.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 €2.92
$2.22 €1.98
47.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.65 €0.58
$1.43 €1.27
-54.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.24 €16.22
$42.26 €37.59
-56.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.28 €3.81
$5.65 €5.03
-24.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.15 €1.02
$2.17 €1.93
-47.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.70 €14.85
$32.85 €29.22
-49.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.08
$2.07 €1.84
13.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €24.9K
$35.7K €31.7K
-21.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.3K €25.2K
$35.0K €31.2K
-19.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$216 €192
$166 €148
29.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.97 €20.43
$9.91 €8.82
131.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.23 €26.89
$26.65 €23.70
13.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.7 €46.84
$51.1 €45.46
3.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.67 €14.83
$23.72 €21.10
-29.72%
Cinema Ticket
$10.86 €9.66
$8.97 €7.98
21.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 €423
$446 €397
6.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,901 €7,917
$5,528 €4,917
61.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.9 €85.3
$70.6 €62.8
35.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.38 €40.36
$30.84 €27.43
47.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 €111
$84.3 €75.0
48.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 €115
$126 €112
2.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$635 €565
$311 €277
104.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$484 €430
$272 €242
78.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,091 €971
$494 €439
120.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$846 €753
$533 €474
58.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,746 €3,332
$2,110 €1,877
77.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,829 €2,516
$991 €882
185.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thessaloniki
Gela
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,146 €1,020
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.34
3.39
57.52%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 18, 2026

Last update for Gela: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Thessaloniki
$484
Gela
$272 43.9% $212
Groceries & Markets
Thessaloniki
$332
Gela
$302 9% $30
Eating Out
Thessaloniki
$274
Gela
$182 33.7% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thessaloniki
$269
Gela
$203 24.7% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Thessaloniki
$178
Gela
$140 21.2% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Thessaloniki
$74
Gela
$69 7.2% $5.3
Getting Around
Thessaloniki
$31
Gela
$64 109% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $635 in Thessaloniki and $311 in Gela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Thessaloniki vs $57.0 in Gela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $302 per month, with Gela cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇷 Thessaloniki
🇮🇹 Gela
🕒 Local time
13:02 1:02 PM
12:02 12:02 PM
1 h behind Thessaloniki
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
790,824
70,735
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thessaloniki Gela 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Thessaloniki
  • Gela

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Gela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gela cheaper than Thessaloniki?
Gela is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,464 in Thessaloniki and $1,848 in Gela to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Thessaloniki and Gela?
Rent for a central apartment: $635 in Thessaloniki versus $311 in Gela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Thessaloniki versus $446 in Gela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Thessaloniki and in Gela?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Thessaloniki or in Gela?
At $1,232 in Gela versus $1,642 in Thessaloniki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gela but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Gela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Thessaloniki or Gela more family-friendly?
For families, Gela 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.
Which city is safer, Thessaloniki or Gela?
Safety-wise, Thessaloniki and Gela are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Gela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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