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: $1,554 in Thessaloniki versus $1,383 in Mytilene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Thessaloniki versus $2,041 in Mytilene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Thessaloniki versus $2,700 in Mytilene.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 12% more expensive than in Mytilene, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 16% above, Mytilene 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.96

$12.51 €10.96

36.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €50.1

$47.18 €41.32

21.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 €9.24

$4.69 €4.11

124.95%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.90

$3.91 €3.43

13.81%

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

$2.38 €2.09

$2.75 €2.41

-13.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 €0.52

$0.64 €0.56

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 €5.06

$3.51 €3.07

64.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 €5.14

$5.76 €5.04

1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.52 €1.33

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.60 €1.40

-8.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.12

$2.96 €2.59

-18.24%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.67

$3.03 €2.66

38.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.79

$13.69 €11.99

-1.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 €9.69

$10.07 €8.82

9.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 €13.01

$13.34 €11.69

11.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.59 €1.39

26.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$2.10 €1.84

-11.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.92 €1.68

-12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.02 €1.77

17.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.42 €1.24

-11.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.53 €1.34

-13.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.01 €0.89

2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.72

$0.66 €0.58

24.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 €4.60

$5.27 €4.61

-0.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.93 €9.57

$12.35 €10.82

-11.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.13 €0.99

79.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.47

$3.52 €3.08

-19.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.81 €1.58

-41.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.21 €27.33

$29.05 €25.44

7.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.12

$2.58 €2.26

82.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.11 €28.12

$13.61 €11.92

135.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.26 €1.98

-5.75%

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

$31.7K €27.7K

$30.8K €27.0K

2.69%

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

$31.4K €27.5K

$26.2K €23.0K

19.98%

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

$215 €188

$254 €222

-15.50%

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

$25.87 €22.66

$25.43 €22.27

1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.15 €27.28

$58.2 €51.0

-46.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.87 €38.42

$18.09 €15.84

142.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.18 €15.93

$25.85 €22.64

-29.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 €8.75

$9.65 €8.45

3.52%

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

$423 €371

$326 €285

30.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,336 €7,301

$5,976 €5,233

39.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 €72.6

$81.0 €70.9

2.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.20 €32.58

$39.06 €34.21

-4.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 €79.7

$88.1 €77.2

3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €102

$106 €92.9

9.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 €476

$345 €302

57.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 €400

$332 €291

37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 €820

$646 €566

44.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 €648

$501 €439

47.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,666 €3,211

$3,152 €2,761

16.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,819 €2,469

$2,018 €1,768

39.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,156 €1,012

$1,079 €945

7.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

5.15

-9.13%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mytilene: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $544 in Thessaloniki and $345 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: $57.0 in Thessaloniki vs $47.00 in Mytilene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $282 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 12% 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: $544 in Thessaloniki versus $345 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 7% less than in Thessaloniki. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $423 in Thessaloniki versus $326 in Mytilene. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,383 in Mytilene versus $1,554 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 $1,383 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 12% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.