Data Centers in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki – Strategic Balkan & Southeast Europe Hub

Thessaloniki is an emerging data center market providing a strategic gateway to the Balkans and Southeast Europe. It is best suited for organizations requiring resilient infrastructure to serve Greece and neighboring countries, delivering improved latency and local data sovereignty. This market offers a balance of developing connectivity and competitive power pricing, making it a solid choice for disaster recovery and regional content delivery.

Thessaloniki: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Thessaloniki's network ecosystem is developing, providing essential connectivity for Northern Greece and acting as a hub for Balkan traffic.

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: The market is served by over 4 network providers as of September 2025. The presence of multiple carriers in facilities ensures competitive pricing and network resilience.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps: There are no direct public cloud on-ramps within Thessaloniki's data centers. Businesses connect to cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud (GCP), and Microsoft Azure via the nearest major hubs in Athens or Sofia, utilizing private network interconnects or dedicated wavelength services for secure, low-latency access.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): While major public peering points are concentrated in Athens, Thessaloniki benefits from private peering arrangements. Access to the national Greek Internet Exchange (GR-IX) is typically achieved through network providers, improving local traffic routing.

Bare Metal: Bare metal server options are available in the region, offering dedicated compute resources for performance-sensitive workloads. Providers such as OVHcloud and IONOS can serve customers in this market.

Power Analysis

Thessaloniki offers a competitive power environment with a grid that is modernizing to support growing digital infrastructure needs.

Average Cost Of Power: Industrial electricity is priced at approximately €0.09/kWh as of July 2025. This competitive rate can lead to significant operational savings for compute-heavy deployments compared to more expensive Western European markets.

Power Grid Reliability: The local power grid is reliable, with data center operators typically connected to multiple substations to ensure uptime. The energy mix in Greece is dominated by fossil fuels (around 60%), with a substantial and growing share from renewables like wind and solar (around 40%).

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Thessaloniki provides a strategic location for accessing key regional markets, supported by a straightforward business environment.

Proximity To Key Business Districts: Data centers in Thessaloniki are positioned to serve the city's commercial and industrial zones. This proximity is critical for local enterprises, logistics companies, and academic institutions that require low-latency access to digital services.

Regional Market Reach: The city is a key digital gateway to the Balkan peninsula, including countries like North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. Deploying infrastructure here reduces latency for millions of end-users across Southeast Europe.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers: While Greece does not offer specific tax incentives for data centers, the government has implemented broader investment-friendly policies. Businesses may find advantages in general corporate tax structures and the availability of development financing programs.

Natural Disaster Risk

Thessaloniki has a low overall disaster risk profile, with an INFORM Risk score of 3 out of 10 as of September 2025. Operators must engineer facilities to withstand specific, well-understood regional hazards.

The primary natural risks for the area include:

• Earthquake: The most significant risk, with a score of 8.1.
• Tsunami: A notable coastal risk with a score of 7.2.
• Coastal Flood: A moderate risk with a score of 5.
• River Flood: A lower but present risk with a score of 3.8.

Risks from tropical cyclones, droughts, and other natural hazards are minimal.