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.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in GreeceNational rates and thresholds that apply in Thessaloniki.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

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

€ / 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.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	43.85 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Col Groceries Index Basket Eur Month	74.85 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	26.45 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	418.9 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	15 eur	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	20.73 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Thessaloniki. Jul 2026. Prices in Thessaloniki²⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	16 EUR/month	26 Jul 2026	ΤhessCard για Λεωφορεία¹⁹Official
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	195.3 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	157,409 dwellings	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for g05_dwellings_total⁷Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)	7.4 EUR/m²/month	31 Dec 2025	RE/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%.

210

0–1010–2020–3030–4040–5080–90

Thessaloniki 16.7%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	1,868 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022)¹⁵Official · regional context
Public employment offices	5 count	15 Sept 2026	DYPA KPA2 Thessaloniki — city offices¹Official
Employment rate	83.29 %	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for unemployment_total_percent¹¹Official
Unemployment rate	16.71 %country median 13.6%	22 Oct 2021	GR 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.

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct	68.9 %	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for g07_bachelors_or_higher_share_pct⁸Official
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct	17.97 %	22 Oct 2021	GR 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.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	54 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights¹⁷Official
Nearest airport	SKG	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁸Official
Distance to nearest airport	14 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports¹⁸Official
Public transport monthly pass	16 EUR/month	3 Aug 2026	Numbeo²⁹Supplemental 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

Open official information

Open the full Greece section

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

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.516.1WHO 5 · EU 25

NO₂36WHO 10 · EU 40

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	36 µg/m³	2024	GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m3⁴Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	16.1 µg/m³	2024	GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m3⁴Official
Climate Monthly Extreme High C	Jan 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 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹⁶Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low C	Jan -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 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹⁶Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 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 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center¹⁶Official

Annual PM2.5 over time6 published observations, 2019–2024

15.7

17.6

19.5

21.4

16.12019202120232024

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

By nationality

National passport93.1%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	19.29 km²	2024	GR official material for city_area_km2⁵Official
Foreign-resident share	6.95 %	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for foreign_population_share_percent⁶Official
Foreign residents	22,173 people	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for foreign_population_share_percent⁶Official
Population density	16,052 people/km²	2024	GR official material for city_area_km2⁵Official
Population	319,045 people	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for population_total¹⁰Official

Population over time11 published observations, 1991–2021

309,482

337,102

364,721

392,341

319,045199120012005200720092021

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 group	People	Share
Total	319,044	100.0%
Greece	277,662	87.0%
Other country	41,384	13.0%

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 group	People	Share
Total	319,044	100.0%
Greece	296,870	93.0%
Outside Greece	22,173	6.9%
European countries outside the EU	11,774	3.7%
Asian countries	6,403	2.0%
EU countries except Greece	2,870	0.9%
African countries	763	0.2%
North American countries	124	0.0%
Caribbean, South or Central American countries	82	0.0%
Without citizenship or undetermined citizenship	76	0.0%
Without declared country	46	0.0%

Show 1 more group

Published group	People	Share
Oceanian countries	27	0.0%

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 group	People	Share
Total	319,044	100.0%
Greece	296,870	93.0%
Outside Greece	22,173	6.9%

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

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Owner-occupied homes	57.78 %	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for g05_dwellings_total⁷Official
G03 Labour	44.9 %	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for unemployment_total_percent¹¹Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct	31.45 %	22 Oct 2021	GR official material for g07_bachelors_or_higher_share_pct⁸Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct	55.18 %	22 Oct 2021	GR 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%

Full comparison More about Heraklion

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

Patras215,922 residents Heraklion179,302 residents Pátra170,755 residents Piraeus168,151 residents Larissa164,095 residents Athens637,798 residents

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.

Open the full comparison

Thessaloniki in rankings

#2 of 30 in Largest cities in Greece #27 of 30 in Most densely populated cities

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

DYPA KPA2 Thessaloniki — city offices DYPA KPA2 Thessaloniki · www2.dypa.gov.gr · checked 2026-09-15
ec.europa.eu place coordinates ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-28
ec.europa.eu place coordinates ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-28
GR official material for air_quality_no2_annual_ug_m3 tableau-public.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
GR official material for city_area_km2 gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-18
GR official material for foreign_population_share_percent statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
GR official material for g05_dwellings_total statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
GR official material for g07_bachelors_or_higher_share_pct statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
GR official material for g09_households_with_vehicle_available_pct statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
GR official material for population_total statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18

Show 21 more sources

GR official material for unemployment_total_percent statistics.gr · checked 2026-07-18
Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-30
Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-30
Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) citizenship distribution statistics.gr · checked 2026-08-28
Mean annual earnings by NUTS 1 region - NACE Rev. 2, B-S excluding O (2022) ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-24
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
ΤhessCard για Λεωφορεία oseth.com.gr · checked 2026-07-26
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
RE/MAX Greece — Residential rental prices per m² 2025 RE/MAX Greece · remax.gr · checked 2026-07-29
wikidata.org place coordinates wikidata.org · checked 2026-08-28

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