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Athens vs Thessaloniki cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฌ๐ท Athens
๐ฌ๐ท Thessaloniki
At a glance
- Where Thessaloniki is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (67%โ), Transit (50%โ), SIM card (33%โ)
- Where Athens is clearly cheaper: Laundry (67%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Thessaloniki is easier to travel (2.0 vs 2.2). Biggest gap: safety โ Athens 3 vs Thessaloniki 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Athens | Thessaloniki | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 13$15.1 | โฌ 13$15.1 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 4.5$5.23 | Athens โ11% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 25$29.1 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 3.5$4.07 | โฌ 3.8$4.42 | Athens โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 4.7$5.47 | Thessaloniki โ6% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 10$11.6 | โฌ 10$11.6 | similar |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.6$0.7 | โฌ 0.5$0.58 | Thessaloniki โ17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 7.5$8.72 | Athens โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 5$5.81 | โฌ 5$5.81 | similar |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | โฌ 0.6$0.7 | Thessaloniki โ50% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 25$29.1 | โฌ 25$29.1 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 100$116 | โฌ 85$98.8 | Thessaloniki โ15% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 650$756 | โฌ 500$581 | Thessaloniki โ23% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3$3.49 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Athens โ67% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 10$11.6 | Thessaloniki โ33% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 13$15.1 | โฌ 12$14 | Thessaloniki โ8% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 40$46.5 | โฌ 28$32.6 | Thessaloniki โ30% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 45$52.3 | โฌ 35$40.7 | Thessaloniki โ22% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 10$11.6 | Thessaloniki โ67% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Athens or Thessaloniki?
Thessaloniki is 9% cheaper than Athens. Daily budget $222 vs $206; a month $3,419 vs $3,018.
Which is easier to travel, Athens or Thessaloniki?
Thessaloniki is easier: Thessaloniki 2.0/5 vs Athens 2.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Athens and Thessaloniki?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Athens is about $3,419 and Thessaloniki about $3,018 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.