Greece's laid-back second city: a long waterfront, legendary food, a huge student population and living costs well below Athens. The pace is unhurried in the best way.
What it costs to live in Thessaloniki
A one-bed runs around EUR 440 a month, roughly 20% below the national baseline for Greece, which is a large part of why people look here instead of the capital. That puts Thessaloniki among the cheapest in this comparison: only 3 of the 60 EU cities we profile come in lower.
Against a typical net salary in Greece of about EUR 1,000, that is roughly 44% of take-home pay going on rent alone. City wages usually run above the national figure, so treat this as the cautious end.
What the economy runs on
Universities, port, food industry.
The combination that makes Thessaloniki work for a lot of people is a country that is comfortable with remote and freelance workers paired with rent that does not dominate the budget.
How far English gets you
English works in international offices, with younger people and in the centre of Thessaloniki, but shops, tradespeople and anything official will expect Greek.
Thessaloniki rates 62/100 for English, broadly in line with Greece as a whole at 60/100. There is a fuller breakdown on the English in Greece page.
What day-to-day life leans on
The sea is part of ordinary life rather than a holiday here: Greece scores 98/100 for coastal access in our model, which shows up in weekends, food and how people spend summer.
Schooling scores below the EU average here at 60/100, which is worth investigating properly if you are moving with children.
Worth weighing
Fewer jobs and flights than Athens.
Thessaloniki is the cheapest of the cities we cover in Greece. For comparison: Athens (about EUR 550 a month).
City picked, country still open? See the full Greece overview including cost of living, safety, healthcare and the path to residence, or compare Greece with other EU countries.