Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Mytilene

For one person, living is cheaper in Mytilene: $1,416 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Mytilene
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Mytilene Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,660

/mo nomad

Mytilene

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Mytilene

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thessaloniki and in Mytilene actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Thessaloniki versus $1,416 in Mytilene.

Thessaloniki $1,660
Mytilene $1,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Thessaloniki versus $2,071 in Mytilene.

Thessaloniki $2,529
Mytilene $2,071

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,398 in Thessaloniki versus $2,727 in Mytilene.

Thessaloniki $3,398
Mytilene $2,727

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 17% more expensive than in Mytilene, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 22% above, Mytilene 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.08

$12.14 €10.88

38.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$44.49 €39.86

50.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.89

$10.22 €9.16

8.02%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.84

$3.83 €3.43

12.01%

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

$2.85 €2.56

$2.62 €2.35

8.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.59 €0.53

27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.92

$3.34 €2.99

64.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.85

$5.44 €4.88

20.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.54 €1.38

11.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.52 €1.36

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.84 €2.54

29.93%

Eggs

$5.52 €4.94

$2.82 €2.53

95.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 €12.54

$13.34 €11.96

4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 €10.04

$9.44 €8.46

18.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 €16.86

$12.96 €11.62

45.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.23

$2.13 €1.91

16.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.98 €1.77

8.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.94

$1.41 €1.26

53.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$2.03 €1.82

35.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.18 €1.06

8.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.11

$1.11 €0.99

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.09 €0.97

40.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.81 €0.72

9.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.91

$5.33 €4.78

2.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.96

$12.33 €11.05

-18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.87

$2.00 €1.79

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$2.50 €2.24

30.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 €0.59

$1.39 €1.24

-52.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 €16.15

$50.8 €45.48

-64.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.71

$2.54 €2.27

62.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.16 €1.04

-5.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.77

$17.94 €16.08

-8.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.15 €1.92

10.70%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$29.5K €26.4K

-5.52%

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

$27.4K €24.6K

$24.0K €21.5K

14.18%

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

$210 €188

$244 €219

-14.05%

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

$23.21 €20.80

$23.28 €20.86

-0.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 €27.30

$55.2 €49.44

-44.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.71

$52.3 €46.84

-0.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 €14.57

$22.07 €19.78

-26.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.36

$7.78 €6.97

34.32%

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

$481 €431

$413 €370

16.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,979 €8,046

$9,451 €8,469

-4.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 €87.3

$87.9 €78.8

10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 €40.77

$35.12 €31.47

29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €111

$99.2 €88.9

24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$112 €100

15.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €559

$339 €303

84.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €454

$319 €286

59.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €982

$625 €560

75.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 €737

$471 €422

74.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 €3,323

$2,324 €2,082

59.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,568

$2,241 €2,008

27.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,176 €1,054

$1,082 €970

8.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

5.15

3.69%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mytilene: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$507 30.5%

Mytilene

$319 22.5% 37.1% $188

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$333 20.1%

Mytilene

$277 19.6% 16.8% $56

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$274 16.5%

Mytilene

$214 15.1% 21.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$264 15.9%

Mytilene

$323 22.8% 22.4% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8%

Mytilene

$150 10.6% 15.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4%

Mytilene

$68 4.8% 7.1% $5.2

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8%

Mytilene

$65 4.6% 113% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Thessaloniki and $339 in Mytilene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 9% 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 in Thessaloniki vs $44 in Mytilene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $277 per month, with Mytilene cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Mytilene

🕒 Local time

13:38 1:38 PM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

36,163

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 15% 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 9% 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: $623 in Thessaloniki versus $339 in Mytilene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thessaloniki runs roughly 64% less than in Mytilene. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Thessaloniki versus $413 in Mytilene. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Mytilene is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Thessaloniki and Mytilene are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Mytilene wins on affordability, Thessaloniki on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.