Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Karditsa

For one person, living is cheaper in Karditsa: $1,310 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Karditsa
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Karditsa Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,660

/mo nomad

Karditsa

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Karditsa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Thessaloniki versus $1,310 in Karditsa.

Thessaloniki $1,660
Karditsa $1,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Thessaloniki versus $1,965 in Karditsa.

Thessaloniki $2,529
Karditsa $1,965

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,398 in Thessaloniki versus $2,621 in Karditsa.

Thessaloniki $3,398
Karditsa $2,621

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 27% more expensive than in Karditsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thessaloniki is 22% above, Karditsa is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.08

$11.10 €9.95

51.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$58.3 €52.2

14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.89

$7.91 €7.09

39.57%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.84

$2.98 €2.67

43.96%

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

$2.85 €2.56

$1.93 €1.73

47.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.59 €0.52

27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.92

$4.54 €4.06

20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.85

$5.12 €4.59

27.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.65 €1.48

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.31 €1.18

30.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$1.21 €1.08

204.96%

Eggs

$5.52 €4.94

$3.16 €2.83

74.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 €12.54

$11.25 €10.08

24.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 €10.04

$9.87 €8.84

13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 €16.86

$14.42 €12.92

30.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.23

$1.67 €1.50

49.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.09 €1.87

2.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.94

$1.42 €1.27

52.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$0.82 €0.73

235.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.85 €0.76

50.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.11

$0.71 €0.63

73.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.86 €0.77

77.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.98 €0.88

-9.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.91

$5.50 €4.92

-0.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.96

$7.44 €6.67

34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.87

$0.85 €0.76

144.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$0.87 €0.78

273.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 €0.59

$1.31 €1.17

-49.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 €16.15

$50.4 €45.20

-64.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.71

$2.18 €1.96

89.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.15 €1.03

-4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.77

$16.87 €15.11

-2.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.27 €2.04

4.85%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$28.3K €25.3K

-1.41%

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

$27.4K €24.6K

$23.7K €21.3K

15.66%

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

$210 €188

$173 €155

21.40%

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

$23.21 €20.80

$25.89 €23.20

-10.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 €27.30

$27.02 €24.22

12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.71

$38.25 €34.28

36.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 €14.57

$25.17 €22.56

-35.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.36

$7.68 €6.88

36.07%

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

$481 €431

$479 €429

0.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,979 €8,046

$4,699 €4,211

91.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 €87.3

$82.4 €73.9

18.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 €40.77

$38.71 €34.69

17.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €111

$79.8 €71.5

55.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$102 €91.3

27.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €559

$537 €481

16.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €454

$395 €354

28.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €982

$725 €650

51.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 €737

$552 €495

48.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 €3,323

$2,418 €2,167

53.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,568

$1,967 €1,763

45.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,176 €1,054

$833 €746

41.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

4.38

21.92%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karditsa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$507 30.5%

Karditsa

$395 30.1% 22.1% $112

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$333 20.1%

Karditsa

$244 18.7% 26.7% $89

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$274 16.5%

Karditsa

$191 14.6% 30.2% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$264 15.9%

Karditsa

$226 17.3% 14.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8%

Karditsa

$136 10.4% 23.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4%

Karditsa

$54 4.1% 26.6% $19

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8%

Karditsa

$64 4.9% 110% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Thessaloniki and $537 in Karditsa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Thessaloniki vs $58 in Karditsa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $244 per month, with Karditsa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Karditsa

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

38,554

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 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 Karditsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karditsa is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $623 in Thessaloniki versus $537 in Karditsa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,660 per month in Thessaloniki versus $1,310 in Karditsa – Karditsa is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Thessaloniki runs roughly 64% less than in Karditsa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,310 in Karditsa versus $1,660 in Thessaloniki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karditsa but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Karditsa 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.

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