Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Serrai

For one person, living is cheaper in Serrai: $1,506 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Thessaloniki despite lower rent and utilities.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Serrai
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Serrai Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,660

/mo nomad

Serrai

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Serrai

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

A single person spends $1,660 per month in Thessaloniki vs $1,506 in Serrai, rent included.

Thessaloniki $1,660
Serrai $1,506

A couple spends around $2,529 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,099 in Serrai, rent included.

Thessaloniki $2,529
Serrai $2,099

A family of three spends $3,398 per month in Thessaloniki vs $2,693 in Serrai, rent included.

Thessaloniki $3,398
Serrai $2,693

Thessaloniki costs about 10% more than Serrai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Thessaloniki and Serrai sit above the global median – Thessaloniki by 22%, Serrai by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.08

$15.07 €13.49

11.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €59.9

$33.40 €29.91

100.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.89

$13.08 €11.71

-15.60%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.84

$3.50 €3.13

22.57%

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

$2.85 €2.56

$2.23 €2.00

27.80%

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

$4.35 €3.90

26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.85

$5.71 €5.11

14.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.39 €1.24

23.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.53

$1.15 €1.03

48.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.31

$1.88 €1.69

96.28%

Eggs

$5.52 €4.94

$4.18 €3.74

32.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 €12.53

$11.11 €9.95

25.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 €10.03

$9.53 €8.54

17.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 €16.85

$11.21 €10.04

67.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.23

$2.39 €2.14

4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.82 €1.63

17.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.93

$1.20 €1.08

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.46

$1.58 €1.41

74.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.12 €1.00

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.11

$1.03 €0.92

19.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.92 €0.82

66.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$0.40 €0.36

122.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.91

$5.10 €4.57

7.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.96

$8.60 €7.71

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.86

$2.19 €1.96

-5.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.91

$2.21 €1.98

47.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 €0.59

$1.65 €1.48

-60.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 €16.14

$51.3 €45.93

-64.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.71

$3.62 €3.24

14.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.66 €1.49

-33.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.76

$12.05 €10.80

36.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.10 €1.88

13.33%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$25.0K €22.4K

11.31%

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

$27.4K €24.6K

$26.5K €23.8K

3.42%

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

$210 €188

$472 €423

-55.51%

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

$23.21 €20.79

$16.97 €15.20

36.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 €27.28

$30.33 €27.16

0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.68

$28.37 €25.41

83.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 €14.56

$24.44 €21.89

-33.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.36

$7.67 €6.87

36.25%

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

$481 €431

$334 €299

43.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,979 €8,041

$7,288 €6,527

23.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 €87.2

$44.38 €39.75

119.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 €40.75

$34.05 €30.50

33.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €111

$105 €93.7

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$77.4 €69.4

67.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €558

$335 €300

86.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €454

$264 €236

92.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €982

$473 €423

131.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 €737

$405 €363

103.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 €3,321

$956 €856

288.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,567

$659 €590

335.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,176 €1,053

$1,121 €1,004

4.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

3.6

48.33%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Serrai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$507 30.5%

Serrai

$264 17.5% 48% $243

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$333 20.1%

Serrai

$246 16.4% 26.1% $87

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$274 16.5%

Serrai

$246 16.4% 10.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$264 15.9%

Serrai

$519 34.5% 96.9% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8%

Serrai

$117 7.8% 34.3% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4%

Serrai

$44 2.9% 40.1% $29

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8%

Serrai

$70 4.6% 130% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $623 in Thessaloniki versus $335 in Serrai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Thessaloniki, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67 in Thessaloniki versus $33 in Serrai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $333 vs $246 – making Serrai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Serrai

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

56,000

💱 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 Serrai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thessaloniki costs about 10% more than Serrai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,490 per month in Thessaloniki and $2,259 in Serrai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Serrai, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $335 there versus $623 in Thessaloniki.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,660 in Thessaloniki and $1,506 in Serrai. That makes Serrai about 9% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Thessaloniki. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,660 in Thessaloniki and $1,506 in Serrai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Serrai – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Serrai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Thessaloniki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.