Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Katerini Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Katerini

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,554 in Thessaloniki versus $1,367 in Katerini.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Thessaloniki versus $2,040 in Katerini.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Thessaloniki versus $2,713 in Katerini.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 14% more expensive than in Katerini, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 16% above, Katerini 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.94

$13.16 €11.51

29.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €50.1

$58.5 €51.1

-2.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 €9.23

$9.14 €8.00

15.43%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.89

$4.14 €3.62

7.49%

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

$2.38 €2.08

$1.61 €1.41

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.52

$0.60 €0.53

-1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 €5.05

$5.10 €4.46

13.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 €5.14

$5.88 €5.14

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.45 €1.27

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.63 €1.42

-10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.12

$2.13 €1.86

13.62%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.67

$3.70 €3.23

13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.78

$11.07 €9.68

21.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 €9.68

$9.76 €8.54

13.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 €13.00

$13.03 €11.40

14.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.87 €1.63

7.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.96 €1.71

-5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.09 €0.95

54.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.83 €1.60

30.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.07 €0.94

17.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.29 €1.13

3.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 €0.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.72

$0.45 €0.39

82.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 €4.60

$4.73 €4.14

11.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.93 €9.56

$7.44 €6.51

46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.18 €1.03

72.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.47

$1.61 €1.40

75.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.36 €1.19

-22.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.21 €27.30

$40.65 €35.57

-23.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.12

$2.99 €2.61

57.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.11 €28.09

$17.06 €14.93

88.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.09 €1.83

1.91%

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

$31.7K €27.7K

$28.1K €24.6K

12.50%

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

$31.4K €27.5K

$24.5K €21.5K

28.19%

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

$215 €188

$301 €263

-28.69%

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

$25.87 €22.63

$23.70 €20.73

9.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.15 €27.26

$28.89 €25.27

7.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.87 €38.38

$50.7 €44.34

-13.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.18 €15.91

$25.55 €22.35

-28.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 €8.74

$9.87 €8.64

1.22%

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

$423 €370

$364 €319

16.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,336 €7,294

$4,714 €4,124

76.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 €72.6

$98.8 €86.5

-16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.20 €32.54

$38.47 €33.66

-3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 €79.6

$67.7 €59.2

34.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €102

$71.8 €62.8

62.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 €476

$304 €266

78.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 €400

$266 €233

71.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 €819

$511 €447

83.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 €648

$420 €367

76.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,666 €3,207

$1,617 €1,415

126.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,819 €2,467

$1,296 €1,134

117.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,156 €1,011

$1,132 €990

2.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.34

7.83%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: July 14, 2026

Last update for Katerini: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $544 in Thessaloniki and $304 in Katerini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 2% 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 $58.0 in Katerini. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $249, with Katerini cheaper for home cooking.

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 Katerini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki and Katerini differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,554 vs $1,367 including rent). Katerini is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $544 in Thessaloniki versus $304 in Katerini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $423 in Thessaloniki versus $364 in Katerini. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Thessaloniki. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,367 in Katerini versus $1,554 in Thessaloniki, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Katerini but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Katerini 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 Katerini 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 Katerini gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.