Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Ioannina Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Ioannina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,545 in Thessaloniki versus $1,309 in Ioannina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,328 in Thessaloniki versus $2,015 in Ioannina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,110 in Thessaloniki versus $2,722 in Ioannina.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 18% more expensive than Ioannina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thessaloniki is 16% above, Ioannina is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.15

$17.56 €15.12

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €49.26

$34.21 €29.46

67.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €8.89

$9.67 €8.33

6.83%

Cappuccino

$4.23 €3.65

$3.86 €3.33

9.59%

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

$2.34 €2.02

$2.28 €1.97

2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.47

$0.55 €0.48

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.05

$4.53 €3.90

29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €4.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.47 €1.27

4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.24 €1.07

16.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$2.39 €2.06

3.77%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.78

$3.45 €2.97

27.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 €11.73

$10.53 €9.07

29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 €9.61

$8.00 €6.89

39.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 €12.48

$10.85 €9.34

33.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.06 €1.77

-4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.87 €1.61

4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.22 €1.05

38.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.32 €1.99

4.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.20 €1.03

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.01 €0.87

31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.06 €0.91

2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.86 €0.74

-1.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.19 €4.47

$5.46 €4.70

-4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 €10.12

$7.16 €6.16

64.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.93 €1.66

4.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 €2.38

$2.69 €2.31

2.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.59 €1.37

-36.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.87 €26.59

$34.86 €30.02

-11.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.95

$4.54 €3.91

0.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.63 €28.09

$7.03 €6.06

364.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.09 €1.80

-1.91%

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

$31.0K €26.7K

$24.8K €21.3K

25.07%

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

$31.1K €26.8K

$26.5K €22.8K

17.58%

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

$212 €182

$215 €185

-1.54%

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

$25.96 €22.35

$20.40 €17.57

27.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 €26.44

$31.14 €26.82

-1.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.22 €38.08

$46.68 €40.20

-5.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.22 €15.69

$45.58 €39.25

-60.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 €8.87

$9.20 €7.92

12.07%

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

$422 €363

$350 €301

20.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,267 €7,119

$8,344 €7,185

-0.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 €73.1

$70.4 €60.6

20.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.87 €31.75

$37.99 €32.71

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 €79.2

$79.1 €68.1

16.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$115 €99.2

1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 €473

$409 €352

34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 €389

$302 €260

49.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 €808

$704 €606

33.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 €639

$549 €473

35.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,819 €3,289

$3,077 €2,649

24.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,850 €2,454

$2,594 €2,234

9.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,192 €1,026

$1,124 €968

5.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ioannina: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $549 in Thessaloniki and $409 in Ioannina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 6% 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: $57.0 in Thessaloniki vs $34.00 in Ioannina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $242 per month, with Ioannina 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 Ioannina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki and Ioannina differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,545 vs $1,309 including rent). Ioannina is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Thessaloniki pays 6% more on average, 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: $549 in Thessaloniki versus $409 in Ioannina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Thessaloniki versus $350 in Ioannina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,309 in Ioannina versus $1,545 in Thessaloniki, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ioannina but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Ioannina 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 Ioannina 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 Ioannina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.