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: $1,718 in Thessaloniki versus $1,792 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,592 in Thessaloniki versus $2,638 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,467 in Thessaloniki versus $3,484 in Mahe.

Living in Thessaloniki costs roughly 4% less than in Mahe, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 25% above, Mahe 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.14

$18.05 SCR 259

-2.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 €58.1

$109 SCR 1,567

-38.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.09

$5.86 SCR 83.9

100.17%

Cappuccino

$4.20 €3.61

$6.64 SCR 95.1

-36.75%

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

$2.81 €2.42

$1.63 SCR 23.38

72.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.63

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 €5.04

$13.03 SCR 187

-55.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 €5.48

$9.26 SCR 133

-31.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.65 SCR 23.66

3.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.10 SCR 15.72

50.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 €3.22

$1.82 SCR 26.07

105.49%

Eggs

$5.62 €4.84

$4.20 SCR 60.2

33.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 €12.59

$16.27 SCR 233

-10.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.74

$8.26 SCR 118

37.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.93 €16.29

$12.94 SCR 185

46.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.16 SCR 30.94

20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.35 SCR 33.69

-7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$6.37 SCR 91.2

-56.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.11 SCR 15.84

10.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.08 SCR 15.41

13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.12 SCR 16.05

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 €5.12

$14.51 SCR 208

-58.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 €8.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.85

$2.20 SCR 31.47

50.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.81 SCR 11.66

-17.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.71 €17.82

$36.92 SCR 529

-43.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.50 €15.06

$14.57 SCR 209

20.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.55 SCR 22.18

49.68%

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

$28.9K €24.9K

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

$30.9K €26.6K

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

$225 €193

$50.3 SCR 720

347.12%

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

$24.71 €21.26

$21.91 SCR 314

12.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.47 €26.22

$108 SCR 1,541

-71.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €43.30

$55.2 SCR 790

-8.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.62 €14.30

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €8.92

$6.62 SCR 94.8

56.65%

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

$490 €422

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,208 €7,924

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.4

$31.48 SCR 451

226.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.80 €39.41

$12.53 SCR 180

265.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €102

$50.6 SCR 724

133.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$62.7 SCR 898

117.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 €553

$864 SCR 12.4K

-25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 €431

$883 SCR 12.6K

-43.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 €942

$1,792 SCR 25.7K

-38.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €739

$1,073 SCR 15.4K

-20.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,886 €3,344

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,849 €2,452

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,201 €1,034

$885 SCR 12.7K

35.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: August 29, 2026

Last update for Mahe: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Thessaloniki and $864 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Thessaloniki vs $109 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $340 vs $247, 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 4% 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.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $643 in Thessaloniki versus $864 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mahe pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,718 per month in Thessaloniki versus $1,792 in Mahe – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,718 in Thessaloniki versus $1,792 in Mahe, a $3,000 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 $1,718 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 4% less than in Mahe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.