Should you visit Thiva (Thebes) or Thessaloniki?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel cost comparison between Thiva (Thebes) and Thessaloniki can help. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Thiva (Thebes)
The City of Thiva (Thebes in ancient times) is a place built on top of history. Dating back to its powerful city-state status in the 4th Century BC, the city was home to legends like Hercules and Dionysus, and laid basis to the famous story of Oedipus as well. Following the Trojan War, Thiva had reached its golden age as a dominant city of the Boeotia region. The glory however was short to last. Around 335 BC, Thiva was all but destroyed by Alexander the Great for siding with the Persians under Xerxes against Athens.
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and serves as the capital city of the Central Macedonia region. It also has a rich history dating back more than 3,000 years. As a visitor, you'll find that the city has been touched by the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires, all of which left their mark. In particular, the many Byzantine churches are quite impressive, with some of them listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Which city is cheaper, Thessaloniki or Thiva (Thebes)?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Thiva (Thebes) is €102, while the average daily cost in Thessaloniki is €107. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Thiva (Thebes) and Thessaloniki in more detail.
Accommodation
The average price for accommodation for two people in Thiva (Thebes) is €98. This is for two people sharing a typical double occupancy hotel room.
An average hotel room with basic furnishings costs about €126 in Thessaloniki For the most convenient locations and nicer amenities you can expect to pay a bit more.
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Thiva (Thebes) is €30 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Thessaloniki than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend €11 on transportation in Thessaloniki on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Thessaloniki
Also for Thessaloniki, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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One Way Private Transfer from SKG Apt to or from Thessaloniki City Center:
$40
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Private Airport Round-trip Transfer: Thessaloniki Airport - Thessaloniki City:
$44
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Private Airport Transfer: Thessaloniki Int. Airport (SKG) to Thessaloniki:
$18
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Private Airport Transfer: from Thessaloniki to Thessaloniki Int. Airport (SKG):
$18
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Private Arrival Airport Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport to Thessaloniki City:
$22
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Private Arrival Transfer from Thessaloniki Airport to Halkidiki Area:
$87
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Private Departure Transfer from Thessaloniki City Center To Thessaloniki Airport:
$22
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Private Departure Transfer: Thessaloniki City to Thessaloniki Airport:
$22
-
Private Minivan Transfer to Meteora and back from Thessaloniki:
$467
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Private Transfer From Thessaloniki Airport (SKG) to Katerini - Litochoro:
$174
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Private Transfer From Thessaloniki To Athens:
$373
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Private Transfer From Thessaloniki/SKG Airport to Athens-ATH Airport-Pireaus:
$627
Is it cheaper to fly into Thiva (Thebes) or Thessaloniki?
Prices for flights to both Thessaloniki and Thiva (Thebes) change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
While meal prices in Thiva (Thebes) can vary, the average travelers spends about €33 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Thiva (Thebes) should cost around €13 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Thiva (Thebes) is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
The average traveler spends about €33 per day in Thessaloniki for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Thiva (Thebes) €33
Thessaloniki €33
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Thessaloniki City Morning Walking Food Tour:
$58
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Dinner with a view in the historic center of Thessaloniki:
$79
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Thessaloniki Food Tour - Gastronomy Experience - 4 hrs:
$137
Entertainment
Thiva (Thebes)'s costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around €21 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Thessaloniki, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of €21 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Thessaloniki
For Thessaloniki, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$14
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City Sightseeing Thessaloniki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$16
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City Sightseeing Thessaloniki Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour:
$24
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Highlights Tour on a Bicycle:
$34
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Customized Private Walking Tour with a Local:
$38
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Open Markets Food Tasting Tour:
$38
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Thessaloniki Half-Day Tour and Archaeological Museum Visit:
$45
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Day Trip to Ouranoupoli with Mt. Athos Cruise:
$50
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Half-Day Private Tour in Olympus Mountain:
$50
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From Pella and Vergina Full-Day Tour:
$57
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Culinary Walking Tour for Food Lovers:
$63
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Ride & Bite Tour:
$63
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Thiva (Thebes) may vary from person to person, on average a person spends €14 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Typically, people visiting Thessaloniki spend on average €12 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Thessaloniki
Also in Thessaloniki, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
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Private tour: Full day Wine tasting Naousa & Ag. Nikolaos:
$535
When comparing the travel costs between Thiva (Thebes) and Thessaloniki, we can see that Thessaloniki is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
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