Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Kefalonia Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Kefalonia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,582 per month in Thessaloniki vs $1,578 in Kefalonia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,341 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,423 in Kefalonia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,100 per month in Thessaloniki vs $3,268 in Kefalonia, rent included.

Thessaloniki and Kefalonia have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Thessaloniki and Kefalonia sit above the global median – Thessaloniki by 18%, Kefalonia by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 €14.80

$17.49 €15.15

-2.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 €50.1

$57.7 €49.97

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$9.84 €8.52

6.20%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.70

$3.16 €2.74

35.13%

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

$2.38 €2.06

$2.28 €1.98

4.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.57 €0.49

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.14

$5.05 €4.37

17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 €5.16

$5.94 €5.15

0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.65 €1.43

-10.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.24

$1.49 €1.29

-4.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 €2.09

$2.49 €2.16

-3.21%

Eggs

$4.21 €3.65

$4.20 €3.64

0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 €11.71

$13.30 €11.52

1.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 €9.76

$9.67 €8.38

16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 €12.62

$13.62 €11.80

6.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.14 €1.85

-3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$2.04 €1.77

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.45 €1.26

10.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.98 €1.71

19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.22 €1.06

6.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.19 €1.04

15.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.02 €0.88

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.81 €0.70

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.21 €4.52

$5.23 €4.53

-0.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 €9.80

$6.93 €6.01

63.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.57 €2.23

-23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.32

$2.81 €2.43

-4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.53 €1.33

-30.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.02 €26.89

$45.78 €39.67

-32.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 €3.94

$4.76 €4.13

-4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.80 €28.43

$13.48 €11.68

143.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.08 €1.81

2.40%

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

$30.6K €26.6K

$31.1K €26.9K

-1.42%

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

$31.6K €27.4K

$26.6K €23.0K

18.80%

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

$214 €185

$290 €251

-26.30%

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

$25.90 €22.44

$23.15 €20.06

11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.34 €26.29

$33.03 €28.63

-8.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 €38.07

$48.29 €41.85

-9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 €15.87

$25.70 €22.27

-28.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 €8.67

$9.80 €8.49

2.04%

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

$430 €373

$423 €366

1.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,312 €7,204

$6,049 €5,242

37.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 €71.6

$87.4 €75.7

-5.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.69 €32.67

$39.03 €33.83

-3.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 €77.6

$98.5 €85.4

-9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €99.7

$108 €93.7

6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 €487

$543 €471

3.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 €405

$443 €384

5.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 €822

$1,108 €960

-14.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 €649

$845 €732

-11.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,906 €3,385

$3,059 €2,651

27.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,806 €2,432

$2,791 €2,419

0.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,158 €1,004

$1,176 €1,019

-1.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.43

5.64%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: June 9, 2026

Last update for Kefalonia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $562 in Thessaloniki versus $543 in Kefalonia. 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 1% higher in Kefalonia. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Thessaloniki versus $58.0 in Kefalonia. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Thessaloniki vs $278 in Kefalonia – so Kefalonia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Kefalonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,373 per month in Thessaloniki and $2,366 in Kefalonia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kefalonia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Thessaloniki and $58.0 in Kefalonia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Kefalonia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kefalonia, where all-in costs run around $1,578, than in Thessaloniki at $1,582. In Kefalonia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thessaloniki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kefalonia costs $1,578 versus $1,582 in Thessaloniki. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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