Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Melissia Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Melissia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,575 in Thessaloniki versus $1,559 in Melissia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,359 in Thessaloniki versus $2,323 in Melissia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Thessaloniki versus $3,088 in Melissia.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 1% more expensive than in Melissia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 18% above, Melissia 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.90

$13.54 €11.80

26.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €49.61

$57.1 €49.75

-0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 €9.13

$9.32 €8.12

12.34%

Cappuccino

$4.41 €3.84

$4.09 €3.56

7.82%

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

$2.37 €2.07

$1.64 €1.43

44.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.49

$0.57 €0.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.00

$5.86 €5.11

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €4.94

$5.77 €5.03

-1.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.90 €1.66

-22.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.49 €1.30

-3.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$2.91 €2.53

-18.21%

Eggs

$4.21 €3.67

$5.00 €4.36

-15.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.93

$13.72 €11.96

-0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 €9.68

$10.22 €8.91

8.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 €12.82

$14.85 €12.94

-0.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$2.27 €1.98

-13.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.87 €1.63

2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.09 €0.95

54.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 €2.03

$1.95 €1.70

18.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.36 €1.19

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.17 €1.02

17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.03 €0.90

5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.72

$1.05 €0.91

-21.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 €4.52

$5.61 €4.89

-7.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 €10.10

$10.43 €9.09

11.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.03 €1.77

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.34

$2.37 €2.06

13.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 €0.90

$1.53 €1.34

-32.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.69 €27.63

$47.18 €41.13

-32.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €4.01

$4.57 €3.98

0.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.14 €28.02

$13.40 €11.68

139.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.11 €1.84

-4.27%

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

$31.5K €27.4K

$29.0K €25.3K

8.47%

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

$31.0K €27.1K

$29.8K €26.0K

4.00%

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

$213 €186

$299 €261

-28.67%

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

$25.86 €22.55

$23.89 €20.83

8.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.64 €26.71

$31.85 €27.77

-3.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.51 €39.68

$47.56 €41.47

-4.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 €16.28

$26.66 €23.25

-29.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.29 €8.97

$9.67 €8.43

6.41%

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

$428 €373

$518 €452

-17.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,234 €7,179

$5,642 €4,919

45.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 €72.5

$111 €96.7

-25.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.47 €32.67

$39.66 €34.57

-5.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €79.8

$100.0 €87.2

-8.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$119 €104

-2.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 €481

$499 €435

10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 €393

$397 €346

13.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 €805

$762 €665

21.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 €657

$629 €549

19.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,659 €3,190

$2,793 €2,435

30.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,828 €2,466

$2,473 €2,156

14.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,171 €1,021

$1,383 €1,206

-15.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.99

-6.21%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: July 26, 2026

Last update for Melissia: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Thessaloniki and $499 in Melissia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melissia pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57.0 in Thessaloniki vs $57.0 in Melissia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $298 per month, with Thessaloniki cheaper across the board.

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 Melissia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melissia wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Thessaloniki. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Melissia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Melissia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $552 in Thessaloniki versus $499 in Melissia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,575 per month in Thessaloniki versus $1,559 in Melissia – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Melissia runs roughly 49% less than in Thessaloniki. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,559 in Melissia versus $1,575 in Thessaloniki, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Melissia but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Melissia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Melissia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,559 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Melissia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Thessaloniki and Melissia 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 Melissia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.