Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Mahe Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Mahe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,546 in Thessaloniki versus $1,779 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Thessaloniki versus $2,453 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,162 in Thessaloniki versus $3,128 in Mahe.

Living in Thessaloniki costs roughly 13% less than in Mahe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 15% above, Mahe 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 €14.87

$15.43 SCR 223

11.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 €49.68

$69.8 SCR 1,010

-17.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 €8.87

$8.22 SCR 119

25.30%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.68

$4.38 SCR 63.4

-2.51%

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

$2.36 €2.03

$2.37 SCR 34.24

-0.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$1.81 SCR 26.20

-69.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.07

$8.24 SCR 119

-28.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.94

$5.18 SCR 75.0

10.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.59 SCR 23.04

-4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.09 SCR 15.79

33.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.73 SCR 24.99

41.62%

Eggs

$4.41 €3.79

$4.16 SCR 60.2

6.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.67 €11.77

$15.63 SCR 226

-12.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 €9.56

$7.88 SCR 114

40.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 €12.73

$12.51 SCR 181

18.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.06 SCR 29.77

-0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$2.23 SCR 32.29

-24.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.05

$5.15 SCR 74.5

-53.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$0.96 SCR 13.83

31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.96 SCR 13.84

38.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.06 SCR 15.34

2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 €4.61

$12.15 SCR 176

-55.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.70 €10.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.73

$2.11 SCR 30.56

-5.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.06 SCR 29.81

35.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.85 SCR 12.24

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.99 €26.69

$23.89 SCR 346

29.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.97

$10.24 SCR 148

-54.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 SCR 46.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.91 €27.48

$10.20 SCR 148

212.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.56 SCR 22.58

32.69%

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

$31.3K €27.0K

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

$31.7K €27.3K

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

$213 €183

$84.0 SCR 1,216

153.66%

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

$26.13 €22.50

$21.09 SCR 305

23.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.44 €26.21

$161 SCR 2,324

-81.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.22 €38.07

$52.5 SCR 760

-15.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.09

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 €8.60

$6.28 SCR 91.0

58.92%

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

$421 €363

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,408 €7,240

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €71.0

$27.27 SCR 395

202.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.95 €31.81

$10.82 SCR 157

241.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 €78.2

$43.47 SCR 629

109.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €99.0

$55.2 SCR 799

108.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 €467

$815 SCR 11.8K

-33.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 €389

$852 SCR 12.3K

-46.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 €809

$1,740 SCR 25.2K

-45.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 €639

$1,031 SCR 14.9K

-28.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,300

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,909 €2,505

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,193 €1,027

$897 SCR 13.0K

33.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mahe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Thessaloniki and $815 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Thessaloniki vs $70.0 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $243, with Mahe 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 Mahe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Mahe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thessaloniki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Thessaloniki pays 33% more on average, 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: $542 in Thessaloniki versus $815 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mahe pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,546 per month in Thessaloniki versus $1,779 in Mahe – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,546 in Thessaloniki versus $1,779 in Mahe, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thessaloniki but tight or insufficient in Mahe. The gap between the two cities makes Thessaloniki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Thessaloniki delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,546 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Thessaloniki hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Thessaloniki and Mahe 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 Thessaloniki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Mahe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.