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Living in Thessaloniki

In Thessaloniki, unemployment is 16.7% (2021).

Thessaloniki is a city in Greece. Thessaloniki had a population of 319,045 in October 2021. The city covered 19.3 km² in 2024. Population density was 16,052.4 people per km² in 2024. The bachelor’s-or-higher share was 31.5% in 2021. The high-school-or-higher share was 68.9% in 2021. School enrolment accounted for 18% of the population in 2021.

Last checked 2026-09-2431 sources

Population319,045people22 Oct 2021Official source · GR official material for population_total
Average gross salary1,868EUR/month31 Dec 2022Regional figureOfficial source · Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022)
Average net rent7.4EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2025Commercial source · RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025
Unemployment rate16.71%country median 13.6% — 23% aboveOfficial source · GR official material for unemployment_total_percent
PM2.5, annual mean16.1µg/m³2024Official source · GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m3

Which Greece-wide rules apply when you move to Thessaloniki?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

Owner occupation accounted for 57.8% of homes in October 2021. The city had 157,409 dwellings in 2021.

How much does it cost to rent in Thessaloniki?

Average net cold rent is 7.4 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 7.4 EUR/m²/month · RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 202530
What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Thessaloniki recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€419
Utilities, 85 m² flat€195
Fitness club€44
Internet, 60 Mbps€26
Mobile plan, 10 GB€21
Transport pass€16

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly43.85 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo29Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month74.85 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo29Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited26.45 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo29Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly418.9 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo29Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant15 eur3 Aug 2026Numbeo29Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB20.73 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Thessaloniki. Jul 2026. Prices in Thessaloniki29Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass16 EUR/month26 Jul 2026ΤhessCard για Λεωφορεία19Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home195.3 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo29Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings157,409 dwellings22 Oct 2021GR official material for g05_dwellings_total7Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)7.4 EUR/m²/month31 Dec 2025RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 202530Commercial estimate · Supplemental context

Is Thessaloniki a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker59%strong on work, weak on safety · range 48–70%
Skilled employee59%strong on work, weak on safety · range 49–69%
Student61%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 51–71%
Family49%strong on family, weak on safety · range 38–60%
Retirement52%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 40–64%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 444 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 7.4 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2025

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 16.7% in October 2021. The employment rate was 83.3% in October 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Thessaloniki?

The unemployment rate is about 16.7 % (October 2021).

  • Unemployment rate: 16.71 % · GR official material for unemployment_total_percent11
Unemployment across cities in GreeceUnemployment in Thessaloniki is 16.7%. Of 274 cities with data, 210 have unemployment of 10 to under 20%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average gross earnings1,868 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022)15Official · regional context
Public employment offices5 count15 Sept 2026DYPA KPA2 Thessaloniki — city offices1Official
Employment rate83.29 %22 Oct 2021GR official material for unemployment_total_percent11Official
Unemployment rate16.71 %country median 13.6%22 Oct 2021GR official material for unemployment_total_percent11Official

What does a salary buy in Thessaloniki?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Greece median gross pay: €1,274 (2022-12-31).
Left over each month€327of €1,029 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Transport
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions.€1,029
Rent, 60 m²€7.40/m² · market price · RE/MAX Greece · 2025-12-31− €444
Public transport pass€16 · official · ΤhessCard για Λεωφορεία · 2026-07-26− €16
Utilities, 85 m²€195 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03− €195
Internet€26 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03− €26
Mobile plan€21 · market price · Cost of Living in Thessaloniki. Jul 2026. Prices in Thessaloniki · 2026-07-31− €21
Left over€327
Take-home pay for other salaries and households

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct68.9 %22 Oct 2021GR official material for g07_bachelors_or_higher_share_pct8Official
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct17.97 %22 Oct 2021GR official material for unemployment_total_percent11Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 4 to 15. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Reception classes for pupils with insufficient Greek (ZEP measures). How to enrol a child (minedu.gov.gr).

A country-wide rule for Greece; Thessaloniki's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2026.

Mobility and administration

A vehicle was available to 55.2% of households in October 2021. An estimate placed a monthly public-transport pass at €16 in 2026.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport54 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights17Official
Nearest airportSKG3 Aug 2026OurAirports18Official
Distance to nearest airport14 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports18Official
Public transport monthly pass16 EUR/month3 Aug 2026Numbeo29Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Thessaloniki. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Preparatory Greek-language classes for migrants and refugees in Second Chance Schools — State Language Course

General Secretariat for Vocational Education, Training and Lifelong Learning — Ministry of Education

For legally resident migrants, refugees aged 18 or over who meet the Second Chance School conditions.

GreekIn Personnot_published
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Thessaloniki.

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 16.1 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 36 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Thessaloniki?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 16.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m34

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean36 µg/m³2024GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m34Official
PM2.5 — annual mean16.1 µg/m³2024GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m34Official
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 18.03 · Feb 20.34 · Mar 28.13 · Apr 29.24 · May 34.85 · Jun 41.42 · Jul 43.21 · Aug 40.73 · Sep 36.83 · Oct 30.87 · Nov 25.33 · Dec 19.88 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center16Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -10.75 · Feb -7.49 · Mar -5.55 · Apr -3.55 · May 5.96 · Jun 10.95 · Jul 14.52 · Aug 15.04 · Sep 8.21 · Oct 1.65 · Nov -2.96 · Dec -16.94 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center16Official
Average temperature by monthJan 4.53 · Feb 6.05 · Mar 9.15 · Apr 13.04 · May 18.68 · Jun 23.91 · Jul 27.02 · Aug 26.95 · Sep 21.81 · Oct 15.99 · Nov 10.87 · Dec 5.88 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center16Official
Annual PM2.5 over time6 published observations, 2019–2024

Annual PM2.5 fell 23.3% between 2019 and 2024, from 21.0 to 16.1.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Thessaloniki?

The published population was 319,045 people in October 2021. Source: GR official material for population_total10

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area19.29 km²2024GR official material for city_area_km25Official
Foreign-resident share6.95 %22 Oct 2021GR official material for foreign_population_share_percent6Official
Foreign residents22,173 people22 Oct 2021GR official material for foreign_population_share_percent6Official
Population density16,052 people/km²2024GR official material for city_area_km25Official
Population319,045 people22 Oct 2021GR official material for population_total10Official
Population over time11 published observations, 1991–2021

Population fell 16.9% between 1991 and 2021, from 383,967 to 319,045.

International community in Thessaloniki

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Permanent resident population in the 2021 Population and Housing Census · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total319,044100.0%
Greece277,66287.0%
Other country41,38413.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12

Citizenship

Permanent resident population, both sexes, in the 2021 Population and Housing Census · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total319,044100.0%
Greece296,87093.0%
Outside Greece22,1736.9%
European countries outside the EU11,7743.7%
Asian countries6,4032.0%
EU countries except Greece2,8700.9%
African countries7630.2%
North American countries1240.0%
Caribbean, South or Central American countries820.0%
Without citizenship or undetermined citizenship760.0%
Without declared country460.0%
Show 1 more group
Published groupPeopleShare
Oceanian countries270.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source14

Citizenship

Permanent resident population in the 2021 Population and Housing Census · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total319,044100.0%
Greece296,87093.0%
Outside Greece22,1736.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Owner-occupied homes57.78 %22 Oct 2021GR official material for g05_dwellings_total7Official
G03 Labour44.9 %22 Oct 2021GR official material for unemployment_total_percent11Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct31.45 %22 Oct 2021GR official material for g07_bachelors_or_higher_share_pct8Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct55.18 %22 Oct 2021GR official material for g09_households_with_vehicle_available_pct9Official

Alternatives for people set on Thessaloniki

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Heraklion as a Thessaloniki alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 619 km, better on 2 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Unemployment: 12.7% Heraklion vs 16.7% Thessaloniki−24%
  • Annual PM2.5: 11.7 µg/m³ Heraklion vs 16.1 µg/m³ Thessaloniki−27%
  • Rent: €8.00/m² Heraklion vs €7.40/m² Thessaloniki+8%
  • Residents: 179,302 Heraklion vs 319,045 Thessaloniki−44%
  • Foreign residents: 5.3% Heraklion vs 6.9% Thessaloniki−24%

Cities near Thessaloniki

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Alternative cities in Greece

Other cities in Greece to compare with Thessaloniki, nearest in population first.

All Greece cities

How does Thessaloniki compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Thessaloniki's.

Thessaloniki in rankings

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Thessaloniki when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Thessaloniki?

The published population was 319,045 people in October 2021. Source: GR official material for population_total.

How much does it cost to rent in Thessaloniki?

Average net cold rent is 7.4 EUR/m² per month (2025), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 518 EUR a month before utilities. Source: RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025.

Is the air quality good in Thessaloniki?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 16.1 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m3.

What is the unemployment rate in Thessaloniki?

The unemployment rate is about 16.7 % (October 2021). Source: GR official material for unemployment_total_percent.

How many foreign residents live in Thessaloniki?

22,173 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: GR official material for foreign_population_share_percent.

How much is public transport in Thessaloniki?

A monthly transport pass is 16 EUR/month. Source: ΤhessCard για Λεωφορεία.

Is Thessaloniki a good place to live?

Thessaloniki may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Which cities are near Thessaloniki?

Sykiés, Neapoli, Políchni, Meneméni, Stavroúpoli are near Thessaloniki. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Greece live in Thessaloniki?

The official country of birth distribution records 277,662 people (87.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 24). Thessaloniki, Greece: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 9c52a5652c6a0e6b1152ef0e50b87fc8]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/thessaloniki/ Retrieved 2026-09-24. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_thessaloniki-greece-population-rent-salary-jobs-taxes_e8dd753602c5,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Thessaloniki, Greece: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-24},
  version = {9c52a5652c6a0e6b1152ef0e50b87fc8},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/thessaloniki/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-24. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Thessaloniki, Greece: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/gr/thessaloniki/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 9c52a5652c6a0e6b1152ef0e50b87fc8; retrieved 2026-09-24; built 2026-09-24.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. DYPA KPA2 Thessaloniki — city offices DYPA KPA2 Thessaloniki · www2.dypa.gov.gr · checked 2026-09-15
  2. ec.europa.eu place coordinates ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-28
  3. ec.europa.eu place coordinates ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-28
  4. GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m3 tableau-public.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
  5. GR official material for city_area_km2 gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
  6. GR official material for foreign_population_share_percent statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
  7. GR official material for g05_dwellings_total statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
  8. GR official material for g07_bachelors_or_higher_share_pct statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
  9. GR official material for g09_households_with_vehicle_available_pct statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
  10. GR official material for population_total statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Show 21 more sources
  1. GR official material for unemployment_total_percent statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
  2. Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-30
  3. Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-30
  4. Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) citizenship distribution statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-28
  5. Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-24
  6. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  7. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  8. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  9. ΤhessCard για Λεωφορεία oseth.com.gr · checked 2026-07-26
  10. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  11. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  18. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  19. Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
  20. RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025 RE/MAX Greece · remax.gr · checked 2026-07-29
  21. wikidata.org place coordinates wikidata.org · checked 2026-08-28

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.