Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Samos Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Samos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,544 in Thessaloniki versus $1,416 in Samos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,338 in Thessaloniki versus $2,096 in Samos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,132 in Thessaloniki versus $2,776 in Samos.

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 9% more expensive than Samos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 15% above, Samos 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.51 €14.99

$11.48 €9.83

52.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 €48.56

$40.19 €34.40

41.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 €9.03

$6.88 €5.89

53.34%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.63

$3.56 €3.05

19.10%

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

$2.43 €2.08

$2.28 €1.95

6.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.79 €0.68

-29.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €4.85

$4.71 €4.03

20.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 €5.10

$6.73 €5.76

-11.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.66 €1.42

-7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.43 €1.23

2.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 €2.13

$2.51 €2.15

-1.20%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.70

$4.27 €3.65

1.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 €11.54

$13.51 €11.57

-0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 €9.73

$9.73 €8.33

16.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 €12.82

$14.08 €12.05

6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.24 €1.92

-8.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$2.13 €1.82

-12.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 €1.39

$1.45 €1.24

12.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.01

$1.99 €1.70

18.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.22 €1.05

4.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.19 €1.01

11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.93

$1.01 €0.87

7.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.75 €0.64

16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 €4.48

$5.44 €4.66

-3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.29 €7.95

$7.83 €6.70

18.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.06 €1.77

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.30

$2.71 €2.32

-0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 €0.87

$1.57 €1.35

-35.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.99 €26.53

$46.49 €39.79

-33.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.95

$4.58 €3.92

0.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.74 €28.02

$13.47 €11.53

143.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.23 €1.91

-4.93%

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

$31.3K €26.8K

-0.30%

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

$31.7K €27.1K

$26.6K €22.8K

19.22%

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

$218 €187

$216 €185

1.26%

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

$25.70 €22.00

$23.51 €20.13

9.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 €26.11

$32.83 €28.10

-7.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.50 €38.09

$48.48 €41.50

-8.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 €15.71

$26.03 €22.28

-29.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.22 €8.75

$9.63 €8.24

6.13%

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

$422 €361

$423 €362

-0.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,462 €7,243

$6,090 €5,213

38.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 €71.6

$89.4 €76.5

-6.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.16 €31.81

$39.04 €33.42

-4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 €78.8

$87.4 €74.8

5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.2

$108 €92.8

6.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 €468

$492 €421

11.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 €389

$383 €328

18.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 €796

$774 €662

20.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 €631

$624 €534

18.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,856 €3,301

$3,386 €2,898

13.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,795 €2,393

$2,533 €2,168

10.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,183 €1,012

$1,040 €891

13.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.43

5.64%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: April 27, 2026

Last update for Samos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $547 in Thessaloniki and $492 in Samos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 14% 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 $40.00 in Samos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $280 per month, with Samos 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 Samos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Thessaloniki pays 14% more on average, 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: $547 in Thessaloniki versus $492 in Samos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Samos runs roughly 50% less than in Thessaloniki. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $422 in Thessaloniki versus $423 in Samos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,416 in Samos versus $1,544 in Thessaloniki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samos but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Samos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Samos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Thessaloniki, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Thessaloniki and Samos 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 Samos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Thessaloniki. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.