Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thessaloniki and Sparta

For one person, living is cheaper in Sparta: $1,351 a month against $1,660 in Thessaloniki, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Thessaloniki
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Thessaloniki Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Sparta
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Sparta Living Index

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Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,660

/mo nomad

Sparta

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thessaloniki and in Sparta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Thessaloniki versus $1,351 in Sparta.

Thessaloniki $1,660
Sparta $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,529 in Thessaloniki versus $1,993 in Sparta.

Thessaloniki $2,529
Sparta $1,993

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,398 in Thessaloniki versus $2,636 in Sparta.

Thessaloniki $3,398
Sparta $2,636

Living in Thessaloniki is roughly 23% more expensive than in Sparta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.83 €15.12

$9.87 €8.86

70.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.9 €60.1

$47.23 €42.42

41.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 €9.92

$7.93 €7.12

39.22%

Cappuccino

$4.29 €3.85

$3.34 €3.00

28.44%

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

$2.85 €2.56

$2.21 €1.99

28.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.68

$0.58 €0.52

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 €4.93

$4.45 €3.99

23.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 €5.87

$4.42 €3.97

47.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.65 €1.49

4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.54

$1.37 €1.23

24.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 €3.32

$2.54 €2.28

45.28%

Eggs

$5.52 €4.96

$5.14 €4.62

7.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.99 €12.57

$12.34 €11.08

13.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 €10.06

$10.26 €9.22

9.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 €16.90

$15.84 €14.23

18.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 €2.24

$2.23 €2.00

11.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.93

$2.13 €1.92

0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.94

$1.66 €1.49

30.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.47

$2.01 €1.81

36.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.15

$1.10 €0.99

16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.11

$1.17 €1.05

5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.85 €0.77

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.80

$1.15 €1.03

-22.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 €4.93

$5.02 €4.51

9.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 €8.99

$7.16 €6.43

39.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.87

$1.81 €1.63

14.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 €2.92

$3.38 €3.04

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 €0.59

$1.35 €1.21

-51.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.02 €16.19

$53.1 €47.67

-66.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.72

$4.38 €3.94

-5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.99

$1.09 €0.98

0.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.48 €14.80

$12.50 €11.23

31.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 €2.13

$2.17 €1.95

9.68%

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

$27.9K €25.0K

$24.5K €22.0K

13.54%

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

$27.4K €24.6K

$24.2K €21.7K

13.43%

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

$210 €189

$169 €152

24.31%

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

$23.21 €20.85

$22.61 €20.31

2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.46 €27.37

$27.11 €24.35

12.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 €46.82

$50.4 €45.28

3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.26 €14.61

$36.41 €32.70

-55.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 €9.38

$9.38 €8.42

11.41%

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

$481 €432

$233 €209

106.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,979 €8,066

$2,794 €2,510

221.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 €87.5

$82.4 €74.0

18.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 €40.87

$36.30 €32.60

25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 €111

$80.5 €72.3

53.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €117

$90.4 €81.2

43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 €560

$494 €443

26.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 €455

$389 €349

30.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 €985

$728 €654

50.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 €739

$504 €453

63.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,708 €3,331

$2,483 €2,231

49.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 €2,575

$1,930 €1,734

48.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,176 €1,056

$937 €841

25.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.34

4.38

21.92%

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

Last update for Thessaloniki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sparta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thessaloniki

$507 30.5%

Sparta

$389 28.8% 23.3% $118

Groceries & Markets

Thessaloniki

$333 20.1%

Sparta

$290 21.5% 12.9% $43

Eating Out

Thessaloniki

$274 16.5%

Sparta

$185 13.7% 32.5% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thessaloniki

$264 15.9%

Sparta

$219 16.2% 17.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Thessaloniki

$178 10.8%

Sparta

$130 9.7% 27% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Thessaloniki

$73 4.4%

Sparta

$69 5.1% 5.3% $3.9

Getting Around

Thessaloniki

$30 1.8%

Sparta

$68 5.1% 126% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Thessaloniki and $494 in Sparta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thessaloniki pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Thessaloniki vs $47 in Sparta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $290 per month, with Sparta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇷 Thessaloniki

🇬🇷 Sparta

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

Same time as Thessaloniki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

790,824

16,239

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 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 Sparta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sparta is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% 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 $494 in Sparta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,660 per month in Thessaloniki versus $1,351 in Sparta – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Thessaloniki runs roughly 66% less than in Sparta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Sparta versus $1,660 in Thessaloniki, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sparta but tight or insufficient in Thessaloniki. The gap between the two cities makes Sparta 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 Sparta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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