Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Heraklion Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Heraklion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,718 in Thessaloniki versus $1,643 in Heraklion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,592 in Thessaloniki versus $2,592 in Heraklion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,467 in Thessaloniki versus $3,540 in Heraklion.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 5% more expensive than in Heraklion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 25% above, Heraklion 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.12

$15.37 €13.21

14.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €58.1

$57.9 €49.76

16.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.08

$10.61 €9.12

10.56%

Cappuccino

$4.20 €3.61

$4.13 €3.55

1.69%

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

$2.81 €2.42

$2.55 €2.20

10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.63

$0.75 €0.64

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 €5.03

$5.67 €4.88

3.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 €5.48

$5.47 €4.70

16.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.86 €1.60

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.56 €1.34

6.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 €3.22

$2.60 €2.23

43.85%

Eggs

$5.62 €4.83

$4.77 €4.10

17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 €12.57

$16.53 €14.21

-11.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.73

$10.91 €9.38

3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 €16.27

$15.49 €13.32

22.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.33 €2.01

12.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €1.99

$2.20 €1.89

5.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.45 €1.25

49.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.39

$2.06 €1.78

34.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.26 €1.08

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.31 €1.12

-6.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$0.99 €0.85

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.79 €0.67

16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 €5.12

$5.18 €4.46

14.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 €8.92

$7.67 €6.59

35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.13 €1.83

1.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.85

$3.06 €2.63

8.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.49 €1.28

-55.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 €17.81

$68.5 €58.9

-69.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.43

$4.66 €4.01

-14.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.14 €0.98

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.50 €15.05

$11.47 €9.86

52.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.19 €1.88

5.94%

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

$28.9K €24.8K

$29.6K €25.4K

-2.31%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$25.7K €22.1K

20.16%

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

$225 €193

$204 €175

10.34%

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

$24.71 €21.24

$32.27 €27.75

-23.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.20

$40.36 €34.70

-24.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €43.26

$50.4 €43.37

-0.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 €14.29

$41.01 €35.26

-59.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €8.91

$9.43 €8.11

9.97%

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

$490 €422

$420 €361

16.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,208 €7,916

$4,194 €3,606

119.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.3

$87.1 €74.9

17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 €39.37

$45.02 €38.70

1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$88.1 €75.7

34.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$141 €121

-3.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 €553

$648 €557

-0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 €431

$514 €442

-2.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 €941

$1,161 €998

-5.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €738

$1,029 €884

-16.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,886 €3,341

$3,893 €3,347

-0.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,849 €2,450

$2,836 €2,438

0.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,201 €1,033

$1,158 €995

3.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

4.44

27.25%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: August 29, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Thessaloniki and $648 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 4% 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 $58.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $307 per month, with Heraklion 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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heraklion is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $643 in Thessaloniki versus $648 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Thessaloniki versus $420 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,643 in Heraklion versus $1,718 in Thessaloniki, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Heraklion but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Heraklion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Heraklion 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 Heraklion 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 Heraklion 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.