Athens after ten years: what changed and what residents say

Ten years is long enough for a city to change its character. In 2016 Athens was still counting the cost of the debt crisis. In 2026 its airport is full, the metro reaches Piraeus, apartment prices have been rising for years, and the argument is about rents and tourists rather than bankruptcy. This article sets out what changed according to official and statistical sources, what we could and could not learn from people who have lived there for a decade or more, and what a buyer or newcomer can take from both. Figures are as of October 2026.

How we researched this

We searched public pages in English, Russian and Polish for first-hand accounts by people who say they have lived in Athens for eight years or more. We found none that we could use: most were short-stay posts, crisis-era interviews with people who had been there for only a few years, or promotional pieces by relocation magazines and agencies, which we exclude. So the article rests mainly on official and statistical data. We do not quote, invent or paraphrase any resident, and we list sources in the text.

What changed in ten years

• Work. Greek unemployment peaked at 27.9% in June 2013 and was reported at 7.4% in August 2026 (ELSTAT data as summarised in public references; check ELSTAT for the current figure).
• Creditors and ratings. The last bailout programme ended on 20 August 2018. Greece regained investment grade at the main rating agencies between July 2023 and March 2025. Public debt is still reported at about 146% of GDP in 2025, the highest in the EU, so the recovery is real but not risk free.
• Air traffic. Athens airport handled about 12.5 million passengers in 2013, about 28.2 million in 2023 and about 34.0 million in 2025 (airport figures as summarised in public references).
• Metro. The Line 2 extension to Elliniko opened on 26 July 2013 and the Line 3 extension to Piraeus (Dimotiko Theatro) on 10 October 2022. The network has 66 stations on about 91.7 km. Line 4 has been under construction since August 2021, with completion projected around 2032.
• The coast. The redevelopment of the former Elliniko airport by Lamda Development started in 2020, with completion announced for around 2026 (park, marina, towers, resort). Check on site what is actually finished before relying on it.
• Housing prices. The Bank of Greece reports apartment prices in urban areas about 5.3% higher in the second quarter of 2026 than a year earlier (Athens about 5.0%), after roughly 7.8% in 2025 (provisional figures). Press reading of the same data puts the rise at about 86% over ten years, above the 2008 peak. See Greece property prices and buying costs.
• Pay. The national average gross monthly salary rose from about 1,046 euro in 2019 to about 1,342 euro in 2024.

What long-term residents report

We could not verify enough first-hand accounts, so we retell none, and we say so plainly: few long-term accounts of Athens could be found. Do not treat the data above as a substitute for talking to people. When you visit, ask someone who has lived on the exact street for ten years or more:

• How the rent or the service charge of their building changed, and who the neighbours are now.
• How much of the street is short-term lets, and how noisy summer nights are.
• How the apartment copes with July and August heat, and how the building is maintained.
• How long the last paperwork at a Greek office or the tax authority took.

Our guide to where to buy in Athens and the overview why expats choose Greece give the district context.

What did not change or got harder

• Debt and purchasing power. Wages rose, but public references note that higher living costs limited the gain in household purchasing power. Debt remains the highest in the EU.
• Housing pressure. New short-term rental registrations are frozen in central Athens (municipal districts 1 to 3). On 7 September 2026 an extension to the end of 2027 was announced; confirm what has been legislated. See short-term rental rules in Greece.
• Fire risk. The fires of 23 to 26 July 2018 in Attica killed 104 people, mostly in Mati, and destroyed or damaged over 4,000 homes. In April 2024 five former officials were sentenced. Ask about evacuation routes and vegetation near any house outside the centre.
• Transport. Line 4 will not open before the early 2030s on the current projection, so many districts remain without a metro.
• Rules for foreign buyers. The finance minister announced that from 1 July 2027 the transfer tax would rise from 3% to 15% for non-EU buyers without long-term residency. This is an announcement; see our news report.

What newcomers can take from this

• Judge a district by rents and noise, not by the city average: the headline price figures hide large differences.
• Check the short-term-let rules of the exact district before planning rental income.
• Rent for a season before you buy, ideally including July.
• Treat price growth of 5% to 8% a year as history, not as a forecast.
• Budget for buying costs of roughly 7% to 12%; see Greece rental yield and investment for the return side.

FAQ

Is Athens now safer or more dangerous than ten years ago? We found no verified long-run safety series for the city, so we cannot give a number. Ask local residents and check police and municipal information for the exact district.

Are prices back at pre-crisis levels? Press reading of Bank of Greece data says apartment prices are above the 2008 peak in nominal terms. Averages hide large district differences, and real (inflation-adjusted) values are a different question.

Will the metro reach my district? Line 4 is under construction with completion projected around 2032. Check the route and station list on the operator's pages before buying for transport.

Can I count on holiday-let income in central Athens? Not safely. New registrations are frozen in the central districts, and a registration may be tied to the owner. Check the district and licence first.

Is Greece good for a long stay? Many people live there for years, but the sources above also show higher living costs, summer heat and fire risk. A trial stay is the cheapest test. You can browse listings in Greece and plan a trip with our guide to a property viewing trip.

How we help

D.H. Realting is a trilingual platform in Russian, Polish and English. We find properties in Greece and coordinate independent local lawyers and tax advisers. This text is informational and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules, rates and prices change, so verify the current position before you decide.