Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Rethymno

For one person, living is cheaper in Rethymno: $1,358 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Rethymno
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Rethymno Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,660

/mo nomad

Rethymno

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Rethymno

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 Rethymno actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,660 per month in Thessaloniki vs $1,358 in Rethymno, rent included.

Thessaloniki $1,660
Rethymno $1,358

A couple spends around $2,529 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,031 in Rethymno, rent included.

Thessaloniki $2,529
Rethymno $2,031

A family of three spends $3,398 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,703 in Rethymno, rent included.

Thessaloniki $3,398
Rethymno $2,703

Thessaloniki costs about 22% more than Rethymno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.08

$12.69 €11.38

32.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$56.1 €50.2

19.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.89

$10.25 €9.18

7.71%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.84

$3.54 €3.18

21.19%

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

$2.85 €2.56

$1.67 €1.50

70.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.67

$0.58 €0.52

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.92

$4.54 €4.07

20.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.85

$5.25 €4.70

24.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.58 €1.42

8.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.21 €1.08

41.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$2.26 €2.03

63.27%

Eggs

$5.52 €4.94

$4.48 €4.01

23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 €12.54

$15.17 €13.60

-7.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 €10.04

$9.68 €8.67

15.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 €16.86

$15.43 €13.83

21.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.23

$1.99 €1.79

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.99 €1.78

7.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.94

$1.24 €1.11

74.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$1.70 €1.52

61.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$0.96 €0.86

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.11

$1.01 €0.90

21.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.69 €0.62

121.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.74 €0.66

20.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.91

$4.38 €3.93

25.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.96

$6.89 €6.18

45.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.87

$1.81 €1.62

14.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$1.82 €1.64

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 €0.59

$1.81 €1.62

-63.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 €16.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.71

$4.58 €4.10

-9.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.14 €1.02

-3.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.77

$11.38 €10.20

44.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.21 €1.98

7.69%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$22.4K €20.1K

24.37%

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

$27.4K €24.6K

$24.5K €22.0K

11.89%

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

$210 €188

$191 €171

10.08%

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

$23.21 €20.80

$18.37 €16.46

26.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 €27.30

$31.03 €27.81

-1.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.71

$61.2 €54.8

-14.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 €14.57

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.36

$8.46 €7.58

23.52%

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

$481 €431

$366 €328

31.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,979 €8,046

$3,964 €3,552

126.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 €87.3

$88.2 €79.0

10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 €40.77

$11.04 €9.89

312.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €111

$44.52 €39.89

177.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$44.41 €39.80

192.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €559

$548 €491

13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €454

$447 €401

13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €982

$913 €818

20.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 €737

$700 €627

17.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 €3,323

$4,172 €3,738

-11.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,568

$2,963 €2,655

-3.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,176 €1,054

$1,201 €1,076

-2.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

4.3

24.19%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Rethymno: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$507 30.5%

Rethymno

$447 32.9% 11.8% $60

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$333 20.1%

Rethymno

$273 20.1% 18% $60

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$274 16.5%

Rethymno

$217 16% 20.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$264 15.9%

Rethymno

$240 17.7% 8.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8%

Rethymno

$85 6.2% 52.5% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4%

Rethymno

$78 5.8% 6.9% $5.1

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8%

Rethymno

$18 * 1.3% 42.2% $13

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Thessaloniki versus $548 in Rethymno. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Thessaloniki versus $56 in Rethymno. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $273 – making Rethymno the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Rethymno

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

35,763

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Thessaloniki Rethymno 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Rethymno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thessaloniki is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,490 per month in Thessaloniki and $2,037 in Rethymno. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rethymno, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $548 there versus $623 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,660 in Thessaloniki and $1,358 in Rethymno. That makes Rethymno about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $481 per month in Thessaloniki and $366 in Rethymno. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rethymno, where all-in costs run around $1,358, than in Thessaloniki at $1,660. In Rethymno it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thessaloniki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rethymno – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.