Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Kavala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kavala: $1,362 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Kavala
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Kavala Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,660

/mo nomad

Kavala

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Kavala

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

A single person spends $1,660 per month in Thessaloniki vs $1,362 in Kavala, rent included.

Thessaloniki $1,660
Kavala $1,362

A couple spends around $2,529 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,116 in Kavala, rent included.

Thessaloniki $2,529
Kavala $2,116

A family of three spends $3,398 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,870 in Kavala, rent included.

Thessaloniki $3,398
Kavala $2,870

Thessaloniki costs about 22% more than Kavala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.08

$16.92 €15.16

-0.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$55.0 €49.23

21.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.89

$11.17 €10.00

-1.16%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.84

$3.70 €3.31

15.95%

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

$2.85 €2.56

$1.92 €1.72

48.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.92

$5.42 €4.86

1.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.85

$6.87 €6.16

-4.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.49 €1.34

15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.26 €1.13

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$1.55 €1.39

138.06%

Eggs

$5.52 €4.94

$4.06 €3.64

35.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 €12.53

$13.96 €12.51

0.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 €10.03

$8.00 €7.17

40.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 €16.85

$10.97 €9.82

71.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.23

$2.51 €2.25

-0.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.24 €2.01

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$2.17 €1.94

-0.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$2.62 €2.35

4.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.23 €1.10

4.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.11

$0.95 €0.85

29.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.55 €1.39

-1.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.95 €0.85

-6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.91

$5.41 €4.84

1.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.96

$6.63 €5.94

50.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$2.52 €2.26

28.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 €0.59

$1.37 €1.23

-51.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 €16.14

$61.4 €55.0

-70.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.71

$4.25 €3.81

-2.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.10 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.76

$15.63 €14.00

5.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.15 €1.93

10.70%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$28.0K €25.1K

-0.66%

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

$27.4K €24.6K

$27.5K €24.6K

-0.25%

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

$210 €188

$190 €171

10.23%

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

$23.21 €20.79

$20.24 €18.13

14.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 €27.28

$30.96 €27.73

-1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.68

$56.3 €50.4

-7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 €14.56

$22.45 €20.10

-27.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.36

$10.52 €9.42

-0.67%

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

$481 €431

$467 €419

2.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,979 €8,041

$8,918 €7,987

0.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 €87.2

$98.1 €87.9

-0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 €40.75

$45.42 €40.68

0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €111

$96.6 €86.5

28.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$106 €95.3

22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €558

$406 €364

53.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €454

$281 €252

80.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €982

$653 €585

67.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 €737

$500 €448

64.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 €3,321

$3,583 €3,209

3.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,567

$3,076 €2,755

-6.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,176 €1,053

$1,117 €1,000

5.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

4.3

24.19%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kavala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$507 30.5%

Kavala

$281 20.6% 44.5% $226

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$333 20.1%

Kavala

$264 19.4% 20.6% $69

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$274 16.5%

Kavala

$265 19.4% 3.4% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$264 15.9%

Kavala

$242 17.8% 8.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8%

Kavala

$156 11.5% 12.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4%

Kavala

$77 5.7% 5.9% $4.3

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8%

Kavala

$77 5.6% 153% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Thessaloniki versus $406 in Kavala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Thessaloniki, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Thessaloniki versus $55 in Kavala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $264 – making Kavala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Kavala

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

54,027

💱 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 Kavala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thessaloniki is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,490 per month in Thessaloniki and $2,043 in Kavala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kavala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $406 there versus $623 in Thessaloniki.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Thessaloniki. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $481 per month in Thessaloniki and $467 in Kavala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kavala, where all-in costs run around $1,362, than in Thessaloniki at $1,660. In Kavala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thessaloniki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kavala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kavala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thessaloniki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.