Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Mytilene Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Mytilene

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,665 in Thessaloniki versus $1,478 in Mytilene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,580 in Thessaloniki versus $2,138 in Mytilene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Thessaloniki versus $2,799 in Mytilene.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 13% more expensive than in Mytilene, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 22% above, Mytilene 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 €15.20

$12.69 €11.06

37.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 €58.5

$45.60 €39.75

47.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 €9.89

$10.29 €8.97

10.20%

Cappuccino

$4.14 €3.61

$3.90 €3.40

6.15%

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

$2.84 €2.48

$2.65 €2.31

7.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$0.59 €0.52

27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 €5.06

$3.50 €3.05

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 €5.42

$5.69 €4.96

9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.51 €1.32

15.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.59 €1.39

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 €3.31

$3.03 €2.64

25.41%

Eggs

$5.58 €4.86

$2.95 €2.57

89.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.14 €12.32

$13.62 €11.87

3.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 €9.67

$9.58 €8.35

15.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 €16.12

$13.45 €11.73

37.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.23

$2.33 €2.03

9.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$2.16 €1.88

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.41 €1.23

55.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 €2.49

$2.00 €1.75

43.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.17 €1.02

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.17 €1.02

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.19 €1.04

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.80

$0.86 €0.75

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 €4.93

$5.63 €4.91

0.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.42 €9.08

$12.66 €11.04

-17.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.06 €1.79

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €3.02

$2.78 €2.42

24.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.36 €1.18

-50.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.59 €17.95

$48.46 €42.24

-57.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.86

$2.68 €2.34

65.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.97

$0.95 €0.83

17.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.52 €15.27

$16.36 €14.26

7.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.16 €1.88

9.72%

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

$28.5K €24.8K

$28.0K €24.4K

1.54%

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

$31.1K €27.1K

$28.8K €25.1K

7.94%

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

$229 €200

$246 €214

-6.84%

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

$24.62 €21.46

$23.87 €20.81

3.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.01 €27.03

$58.1 €50.7

-46.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €45.44

$52.9 €46.13

-1.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.55 €14.42

$22.27 €19.41

-25.68%

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 €8.90

$9.94 €8.67

2.72%

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

$489 €427

$446 €389

9.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,408 €8,201

$8,619 €7,513

9.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 €86.3

$85.6 €74.6

15.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 €39.68

$41.52 €36.19

9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €106

$98.3 €85.7

23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €121

$132 €115

4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 €559

$354 €308

81.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 €437

$326 €284

53.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 €944

$637 €556

69.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €723

$490 €427

69.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,929 €3,425

$3,112 €2,713

26.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,862 €2,495

$2,293 €1,999

24.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,185 €1,033

$1,107 €965

7.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

5.15

9.71%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mytilene: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $641 in Thessaloniki and $354 in Mytilene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Thessaloniki vs $46.00 in Mytilene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $286 per month, with Mytilene 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 Mytilene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mytilene wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Thessaloniki. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mytilene the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $641 in Thessaloniki versus $354 in Mytilene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mytilene runs roughly 135% less than in Thessaloniki. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $489 in Thessaloniki versus $446 in Mytilene. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,478 in Mytilene versus $1,665 in Thessaloniki, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mytilene but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Mytilene the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mytilene delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,478 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mytilene hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Thessaloniki and Mytilene 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 Mytilene gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.