🇬🇷 Greece · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Thessaloniki? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
Furnished 1-bed, central or Ano Poli€450–700 / month
Furnished 1-bed, Toumba, Charilaou or outer Kalamaria€350–520 / month
Koinóchrista (shared building charges)€30–120 / month, and much higher in winter in a central-heating building — ask for last winter's actual figure
Taverna dinner per person with wine€12–18
Bougatsa or a freddo€2–4
Good to know
Population
≈325,000 in the municipality; ≈1 million across the wider urban area — Greece's second city
Languages
Greek, with its own alphabet; English widely spoken by younger people, in the universities and in tech, less so in public offices
Currency
Euro (EUR); Greece is in the eurozone
Time zone
Eastern European Time (GMT+2; GMT+3 in summer)
Power plug
Type C/F, 230 V / 50 Hz
Climate
Mediterranean with a real continental edge — hot humid summers, and winters genuinely colder than southern Greece thanks to the Vardaris wind down the Axios valley
Driving side
Right
Transport
A driverless metro opened on 30 November 2024, plus city buses; the Kalamaria extension has been targeted for 2026
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Thessaloniki checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Thessaloniki
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.