Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Ilion Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Ilion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,665 in Thessaloniki versus $1,636 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,564 in Thessaloniki versus $2,575 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,463 in Thessaloniki versus $3,515 in Ilion.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 2% more expensive than in Ilion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 21% above, Ilion 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.24

$14.03 €12.10

26.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €57.3

$62.7 €54.1

5.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.10

$9.14 €7.88

28.12%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.70

$4.24 €3.66

1.42%

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

$2.86 €2.46

$2.31 €1.99

23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.65

$0.61 €0.52

22.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 €5.10

$5.85 €5.05

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 €5.65

$5.65 €4.87

16.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.65 €1.42

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.48 €1.27

9.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 €3.24

$2.89 €2.49

30.10%

Eggs

$5.47 €4.72

$5.10 €4.39

7.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 €12.28

$12.88 €11.10

10.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 €9.73

$11.26 €9.71

0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 €16.04

$19.16 €16.52

-2.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.26 €1.95

19.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.98 €1.71

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.43 €1.24

46.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$2.21 €1.90

28.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.16 €1.00

7.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.21 €1.04

-1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.32

$0.88 €0.76

73.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.90 €0.78

-2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 €4.88

$5.45 €4.69

3.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.35 €8.92

$8.24 €7.10

25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.78 €1.53

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.97

$3.48 €3.00

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.43 €1.23

-53.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.66 €17.81

$48.62 €41.91

-57.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 €3.79

$4.68 €4.03

-6.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.03 €0.89

3.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.73 €15.28

$14.23 €12.27

24.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.28 €1.96

5.70%

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

$29.3K €25.2K

$29.0K €25.0K

0.91%

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

$31.4K €27.1K

$25.4K €21.9K

23.74%

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

$224 €193

-0.08%

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

$24.35 €20.99

$27.52 €23.72

-11.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.61 €27.25

$28.92 €24.93

9.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €45.82

$51.8 €44.66

2.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 €14.76

$25.80 €22.24

-33.64%

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 €9.13

$9.09 €7.83

16.61%

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

$494 €426

$491 €424

0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,202 €7,932

$4,781 €4,121

92.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 €84.6

$70.7 €60.9

38.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.65 €39.35

$36.86 €31.78

23.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$104 €89.5

18.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €119

$111 €95.6

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 €546

$621 €535

2.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 €430

$519 €447

-3.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 €946

$1,208 €1,041

-9.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 €729

$1,034 €892

-18.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,874 €3,339

$3,702 €3,192

4.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,832 €2,441

$3,042 €2,622

-6.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,206 €1,040

$1,327 €1,144

-9.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

4.4

28.41%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ilion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $634 in Thessaloniki and $621 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Thessaloniki vs $63.0 in Ilion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $308 per month, with Ilion 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 Ilion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki and Ilion differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,665 vs $1,636 including rent). Ilion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Ilion. 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: $634 in Thessaloniki versus $621 in Ilion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Thessaloniki versus $491 in Ilion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,636 in Ilion versus $1,665 in Thessaloniki, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ilion but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Ilion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ilion 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 Ilion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.