Living in Athens: neighbourhoods, cost of living and expatriation

Athens is a sprawling metropolitan area, backed by four mountain ranges and open to the Saronic Gulf in the south. Its geography shapes everything: the north is green and residential, the south maritime, the centre dense and built-up.

The centre — Plaka, Monastiraki, Psyrri, Exarchia — mixes tourist districts with working-class neighbourhoods undergoing rapid change. Housing there consists mostly of post-war apartment blocks, often uninsulated, and family life is not very convenient.

Kolonaki and Pangrati form the central residential core: shops, schools and immediate proximity to Mount Lycabettus and the Panathenaic Stadium. They are the most expensive neighbourhoods in the centre and the most sought after by foreign newcomers.

The northern suburbs — Kifissia, Marousi, Chalandri — are home to most of the international schools, company headquarters and more spacious housing. They are the dominant choice for expatriate families, at the cost of reliance on the metro or a car.

The southern Riviera — Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni — runs along the sea for some fifteen kilometres and attracts an affluent international clientele. The major redevelopment project at the former Elliniko airport has pushed prices up sharply there, and continues to do so.

We do not publish a median rent for Athens: we have not found an official Greek data series publishing rents by neighbourhood or municipality, and we do not use estimates from listing portals, which are not official sources.

The defining feature of the Athens market is the reversal of the past decade. After prices collapsed during the debt crisis, the market saw one of the fastest increases in Europe, driven by tourism, short-term rentals and foreign investment.

The Greek residency by investment scheme for real estate has contributed to this trend. Its thresholds were raised by Law 5100 of 2024: the required investment is now €800,000⁵ in Attica, Thessaloniki and the most populated islands, compared with from €400,000⁶ in the rest of the country.

As Athens is in Attica, the highest threshold applies there, compared with from €250,000⁷ before the reform. The increase was designed specifically to ease the pressure on housing in the capital.

In practice, newcomers still find rents lower than in Western Europe, but in a housing stock with poor thermal performance. Checking the heating, insulation and hot water system should come before signing.

Athens remains one of the least expensive capitals in the eurozone for eating out, services and public transport. Food and energy, on the other hand, are closer to average European levels.

We do not publish a typical monthly budget: we have not found an official Greek data series measuring a basket of expenses comparable to that of an expatriate.

Energy is the trickiest item. The older housing stock is poorly insulated, the Athenian summer is very hot and long, and the winter colder than the latitude suggests. Air conditioning and heating costs add up over the year.

Greek salaries are among the lowest in the eurozone, which widens the gap between a household living on foreign income and one dependent on the local job market. The city is very affordable for the former, difficult for the latter.

The Greek income tax scale starts at 9%⁸ on the first bracket of salaries and pensions, which keeps entry-level taxation moderate for low and middle incomes.

The international community in Athens has grown since the end of the crisis, with very different profiles: retirees from northern Europe, remote workers, property investors and staff of international organisations.

Two tax regimes account for part of these arrivals. The one for foreign retirees applies a flat rate of 7%⁹ on foreign-source income for 15 years¹⁰.

The one for high-net-worth individuals is based on an annual flat tax of €100,000¹¹ on foreign income, combined with a required investment in Greece of €500,000¹². The two schemes are separate and cannot be combined.

The Greek alphabet is the first practical barrier, more than the language itself: signage and administrative documents assume you can read it. English, on the other hand, is widely spoken in the capital.

The Athens metro has three lines, complemented by a tram to the southern Riviera and a dense but slow bus network. The network is efficient along its routes and non-existent elsewhere: location relative to a station is decisive.

The airport is connected to the centre by metro and motorway. It offers good European connections and is the gateway to the islands, by plane as well as via the port of Piraeus.

The Greek public health system suffered during the austerity years and waiting times are long; private healthcare in Athens, on the other hand, is well developed and of a good standard. Private insurance is the norm among expatriates.

• The Greek tax number is required for the lease, the bank account and utility contracts: get it first.
• The thermal performance of your home is a major financial criterion, not a mere comfort detail.
• Presence of more than more than 183 days¹³ triggers Greek tax residency.
• Both incentive regimes require a formal application within the prescribed deadlines: they do not apply automatically.