Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Santorini Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Santorini

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,546 in Thessaloniki versus $2,090 in Santorini.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,354 in Thessaloniki versus $3,039 in Santorini.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,162 in Thessaloniki versus $3,988 in Santorini.

Living in Thessaloniki costs roughly 26% less than in Santorini, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thessaloniki 15% above, Santorini 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 €14.85

$20.01 €17.21

-13.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.7 €49.63

$92.1 €79.2

-37.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 €8.86

$16.37 €14.08

-37.08%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.67

$4.68 €4.02

-8.76%

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

$2.36 €2.03

$3.85 €3.31

-38.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$1.38 €1.19

-59.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.06

$5.94 €5.11

-1.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €4.94

$7.39 €6.35

-22.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.07 €1.78

-26.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.43 €1.23

2.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.43 €2.95

-28.57%

Eggs

$4.41 €3.79

$7.03 €6.05

-37.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.67 €11.76

$15.16 €13.04

-9.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.10 €9.55

$7.85 €6.75

41.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 €12.72

$16.15 €13.89

-8.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.86 €2.46

-28.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.26 €1.94

-17.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.73 €1.49

-2.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.04

$3.53 €3.03

-32.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$2.60 €2.23

-51.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.23 €1.06

8.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.94

$0.96 €0.83

13.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.75

$0.62 €0.54

41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 €4.61

$6.89 €5.93

-22.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.70 €10.06

$5.92 €5.09

97.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.03 €1.75

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.83 €2.44

-1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 €0.91

$2.73 €2.35

-61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.99 €26.66

$46.89 €40.34

-33.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.97

$4.53 €3.90

1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.91 €27.45

$13.59 €11.69

134.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.26 €1.94

-8.41%

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

$31.3K €26.9K

$31.6K €27.2K

-0.92%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$26.3K €22.6K

20.42%

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

$213 €183

$316 €271

-32.47%

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

$26.13 €22.48

$46.74 €40.21

-44.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.44 €26.18

$35.33 €30.39

-13.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.22 €38.03

$80.9 €69.6

-45.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.08

$25.93 €22.31

-27.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 €8.59

$7.11 €6.12

40.37%

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

$421 €363

$608 €523

-30.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,408 €7,233

$5,892 €5,068

42.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €71.0

$69.1 €59.4

19.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.95 €31.78

$51.8 €44.54

-28.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 €78.2

$78.2 €67.2

16.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.9

$117 €101

-1.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 €466

$497 €427

9.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 €389

$800 €688

-43.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 €808

$1,322 €1,137

-28.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 €638

$1,078 €927

-31.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,833 €3,297

$5,197 €4,470

-26.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,909 €2,502

$3,457 €2,973

-15.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,193 €1,026

$1,232 €1,060

-3.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

4.15

12.77%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santorini: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Thessaloniki and $497 in Santorini. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santorini pays 3% 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: $58.0 in Thessaloniki vs $92.0 in Santorini for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $312 per month, with Thessaloniki 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 Santorini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki and Santorini differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,546 vs $2,090 including rent). Thessaloniki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Santorini earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Thessaloniki versus $497 in Santorini. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Thessaloniki runs roughly 51% less than in Santorini. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $421 in Thessaloniki versus $608 in Santorini. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,546 in Thessaloniki versus $2,090 in Santorini, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thessaloniki but tight or insufficient in Santorini. The gap between the two cities makes Thessaloniki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Santorini 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 Thessaloniki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Santorini. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.