Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Lamia

For one person, living is cheaper in Lamia: $1,182 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Lamia
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Lamia Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,660

/mo nomad

Lamia

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Lamia

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

A single person spends $1,660 per month in Thessaloniki vs $1,182 in Lamia, rent included.

Thessaloniki $1,660
Lamia $1,182

A couple spends around $2,529 per month in Thessaloniki vs $1,843 in Lamia, rent included.

Thessaloniki $2,529
Lamia $1,843

A family of three spends $3,398 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,504 in Lamia, rent included.

Thessaloniki $3,398
Lamia $2,504

Thessaloniki costs about 40% more than Lamia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Thessaloniki sits 22% above the global median, while Lamia is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.08

$16.59 €14.86

1.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$55.4 €49.65

20.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.89

$8.47 €7.59

30.34%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.84

$3.10 €2.78

38.39%

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

$2.85 €2.56

$1.38 €1.24

106.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.49 €0.44

53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.92

$4.91 €4.40

11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.85

$6.33 €5.67

3.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.63 €1.46

5.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.14 €1.02

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.08 €1.87

77.40%

Eggs

$5.52 €4.94

$3.47 €3.10

59.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 €12.53

$9.47 €8.48

47.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 €10.03

$6.20 €5.55

80.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 €16.85

$8.96 €8.03

110.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.23

$1.93 €1.73

29.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.22 €1.99

-3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$1.95 €1.75

10.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$2.14 €1.92

28.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.25 €1.12

2.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.11

$1.09 €0.98

12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.58 €0.52

163.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.96 €0.86

-7.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.91

$5.10 €4.56

7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.96

$6.92 €6.20

44.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.86

$0.92 €0.83

126.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$2.29 €2.05

41.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 €0.59

$1.32 €1.18

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 €16.14

$45.82 €41.03

-60.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.71

$4.14 €3.70

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.13 €1.01

-2.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.76

$16.53 €14.80

-0.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.03 €1.82

17.24%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$28.2K €25.3K

-1.23%

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

$27.4K €24.6K

$27.0K €24.2K

1.73%

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

$210 €188

$193 €172

9.08%

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

$23.21 €20.79

$22.09 €19.78

5.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 €27.28

$30.40 €27.22

0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.68

$52.5 €47.01

-0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 €14.56

$24.83 €22.24

-34.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.36

$7.62 €6.82

37.14%

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

$481 €431

$276 €247

74.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,979 €8,041

$6,577 €5,891

36.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 €87.2

$41.78 €37.42

133.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 €40.75

$44.85 €40.17

1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €111

$65.4 €58.6

89.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$129 €116

0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €558

$482 €431

29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €454

$221 €198

129.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €982

$512 €459

114.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 €737

$386 €345

113.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 €3,321

$2,465 €2,208

50.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,567

$1,926 €1,725

48.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,176 €1,053

$1,141 €1,022

3.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lamia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$507 30.5%

Lamia

$221 18.7% 56.3% $286

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$333 20.1%

Lamia

$220 18.7% 33.9% $113

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$274 16.5%

Lamia

$240 20.3% 12.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$264 15.9%

Lamia

$245 20.7% 7.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8%

Lamia

$126 10.7% 29.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4%

Lamia

$68 5.7% 7.2% $5.3

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8%

Lamia

$61 5.2% 101% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Thessaloniki versus $482 in Lamia. 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 3% 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 Lamia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $220 – making Lamia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Lamia

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

52,006

💱 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 Lamia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki costs about 40% more than Lamia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,490 per month in Thessaloniki and $1,773 in Lamia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lamia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $623 in Thessaloniki.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Thessaloniki, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Thessaloniki and $55 in Lamia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,660 in Thessaloniki and $1,182 in Lamia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lamia – 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 Lamia. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thessaloniki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.