Go, but pay attention.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Thessaloniki at 48/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Greece's national picture overall (71/100 vs 75/100).
City page · part of Greece
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Thessaloniki report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Greece's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
51.8
Safety Index
48.2
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Greece's national page, with crime swapped for Thessaloniki's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Thessaloniki, specifically
- • Thessaloniki is generally a very safe city but watch your pockets and travel documents as there may be pickpockets, especially in buses during rush hour.
- • Some people may feel uncomfortable walking in the areas around the railway station at night and it's better to avoid them along with places like Dendropotamos, and Sfageia.
Legal status (national law)
Legal since 1951; equal age of consent since 2015+ UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / F · 230V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 100 or 112 / ambulance: 166 or 112 / fire: 199 or 112
Tipping
Traditionally tipping in restaurants is not customary in Greece. Rounding of the bill used to work both ways, up or down to the nearest note amount. A tip was considered insulting, and the best way to show appreciation was to come back. In touristy areas this has almost completely vanished, but off the beaten track it is still alive.
SIM / Data
There are no Internet roaming charges for EU citizens, so you can surf the Internet in Greece as normal with your local sim card. For Non-EU citizens, you can either buy a Greek sim card or use a virtual sim cards where you can buy the GB you want as credit at home and then surf the internet anywhere in Greece until the credit is used up. This is easier than buying a Greek sim card.
Cash vs. Card
The euro replaced the drachma in January 2002. In the Greek language, however, its name is pronounced something like EFF-ro. Euro cents are called sent in Cyprus but not in Greece, where they are called lepta (singular lepto).
How this compares to Greece
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Thessaloniki at 48/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Greece's national picture overall (71/100 vs 75/100).
See the full Greece page and all receipts →