Cost of living in Greece in 2026: monthly budget, rent and expenses

Greece looks cheap on paper, but your bill depends on where you rent and how much of your life runs at tourist prices. This guide builds monthly budgets for a single person, a couple and a family of four in Athens. It shows the unit price behind each line and says where we had to assume. Everything is as of October 2026. The totals are our own sums of the lines, not a statistic, and several lines are assumptions because we found no verified figure.

What the official numbers say

• ELSTAT's 2025 household budget survey, as reported by To Vima, puts average household spending at about 1,820 euros a month (21,842 euros a year, up 5.5% on 2024) and the median household at about 1,415 euros. Households that rent spend 23.4% of their budget on shelter, 17.3% of it on rent itself. These are national averages for all households, not an expat budget.
• A preliminary Eurostat figure for 2025, reported by finorum.com in July 2026 and not checked against Eurostat's own release, puts the household-consumption price level at 87.4 against an EU average of 100, with food and non-alcoholic drinks higher at 105.3. In plain terms: cheaper overall, but not at the supermarket.
• Prices are still moving. As reported, ELSTAT's December 2025 data show food up 3.6% on the year and restaurants and cafes up 7.4%, against 2.6% overall inflation. A supermarket index from IELKA was up about 1.1% in May 2026 on a year earlier.

Unit prices and assumptions behind the budgets

• Rent, Athens one-bedroom: one 2026 market guide gives about 690 euros on average (range 560 to 850), said to be based on Spitogatos Q1 2026 data with its own adjustments; another gives 796 euros. We use 560 for the modest budgets and 800 for the comfortable single. For larger flats we found no reliable 2026 figure, so those rents are our assumptions.
• Electricity: about 0.223 euros per kWh, the regulator's household rate of 1 September 2025 as reported by GlobalPetrolPrices. Eurostat's second-half 2025 data put Greece 10th cheapest of the 27 EU states for household electricity. Later prices may differ. Consumption, water, heating and building charges are our assumptions.
• Transport: a single ticket in Athens is 1.20 euros, a monthly pass 30 euros and the tap-to-pay daily cap 4.10 euros, according to a third-party site. Check oasa.gr.
• Eating out: 12 euros a meal in the modest budgets and 15 in the comfortable ones. A comparison table citing Numbeo, which is crowd-sourced, lists 15 euros for an inexpensive restaurant meal and 3.70 for a cappuccino; some guides say 7 to 12.
• Groceries, internet and mobile, taxis, a car and leisure: our assumptions. We found no verified per-person grocery figure for Athens.
• Private health insurance: vendor quotes of about 30 euros a month per person for basic cover and 50 to 90 for comprehensive cover. We use 30 and 70. These are vendor prices, not a tariff.
• School: the International School of Athens lists 12,500 to 14,500 euros a year for grades 1 to 12 in 2025/26. We use 13,500, or 1,125 a month. State schools are free but teach in Greek.

Six monthly budgets for Athens (our own sums, euros, long-term rent)

• Single, modest: rent 560 + utilities 91 (250 kWh at 0.223 = 56, plus 35 assumed) + internet and mobile 40 + groceries 200 + eating out 72 (6 meals at 12) + transport 30 + health insurance 30 + leisure 60 = 1,083.
• Single, comfortable: rent 800 + utilities 138 (350 kWh = 78, plus 60) + internet and mobile 50 + groceries 300 + eating out 180 (12 at 15) + transport 70 (pass plus 40 for taxis) + health insurance 70 + leisure 150 = 1,758.
• Couple, modest: rent 700 + utilities 123 (350 kWh = 78, plus 45) + internet and mobiles 55 + groceries 340 + eating out 120 (10 at 12) + transport 60 + health insurance 60 + leisure 100 = 1,558.
• Couple, comfortable: rent 950 + utilities 170 (450 kWh = 100, plus 70) + internet and mobiles 65 + groceries 480 + eating out 300 (20 at 15) + transport 120 + health insurance 140 + leisure 250 = 2,475.
• Family of four, modest, state schools, no car: rent 850 + utilities 160 (450 kWh = 100, plus 60) + internet and mobiles 70 + groceries 600 + eating out 96 (8 at 12) + transport 60 + health insurance 120 + school extras 80 + leisure 120 = 2,156.
• Family of four, comfortable, one child at an international school: rent 1,200 + utilities 224 (600 kWh = 134, plus 90) + internet and mobiles 90 + groceries 850 + eating out 240 (16 at 15) + transport and car 310 (two passes 60, car 250) + health insurance 280 + school 1,125 + leisure 300 = 4,619.

The national average of about 1,820 euros a month from ELSTAT is for all households and is not a target. Our budgets assume long-term rent, no mortgage and no home purchase.

City and island differences

• Athens: 560 to 850 euros for a one-bedroom (see above).
• Thessaloniki: sources disagree, 350 to 600, 450 to 900 and 400 to 1,100 for a one-bedroom. Treat it as somewhat cheaper than Athens, not by a fixed amount.
• Crete: one guide gives 450 to 650 euros for a furnished one-bedroom in central Heraklion and 320 to 480 outside the centre; another gives 400 to 1,000 across the island. Chania is higher, with one source at about 760.
• Greek islands in general: one 2026 guide gives an average of about 690 euros for a one-bedroom and a realistic range of 580 to 1,200. Mykonos and Santorini are higher, above 1,430 in one source.
• Season: sources agree that demand from June to September pushes island rents up and that many landlords prefer short holiday lets to annual leases. Sign a year-round lease before the season. One source reports rents across Greece up about 8% in early 2026.

Cheaper and dearer than people expect

• Cheaper: public transport, and electricity compared with most EU countries. The overall price level is below the EU average.
• Dearer: food and eating out. Food is priced above the EU average, restaurants and cafes rose 7.4% in a year, and Athens rents are rising. Newcomers who budget from the overall index often underestimate groceries.
• We found no verified figure for imported goods, so we make no claim about them.

Hidden and one-off costs

• Health insurance for a residence permit: non-EU applicants must hold private cover. A university guide cites Ministerial Decision 2724/2024 with minimum components (15,000 euros for permanent disability, 1,500 for medical expenses and 10,000 for hospital care, each per year, with at most 20% paid by the insured). Vendor sites cite 30,000 euros of cover, which may be the Schengen visa rule. Check which applies to your permit.
• Residence-permit fees: not verified here. One guide mentions an income level of about 3,500 euros a month for a retiree permit. Confirm with the authority.
• School: at the International School of Athens a one-off registration fee of 1,600 euros and IB exam fees of 1,200 in grade 12 (2025/26, the school's table). School buses at ACS Athens run 1,404 to 2,100 euros a year (2025-26, an aggregator).
• A car: we assumed 250 euros a month for fuel, insurance and tax, not itemised.

If you own the property

Annual property tax (ENFIA) is charged by zone. Our Greece rental-yield guide notes a base rate of about 2.00 to 16.20 euros per square metre, end points only, from a property data site. Add building charges and insurance. See annual property tax and bills for owners abroad, utilities and community fees for foreign owners and home insurance for non-resident owners.

FAQ

Can a couple live on about 1,500 euros a month in Athens? Our modest couple budget comes to 1,558 euros, with a one-bedroom at 700, basic private cover and no car. It leaves little room for a car or a rent rise.

Are the islands more expensive than Athens? Often, especially Mykonos and Santorini and in summer. Crete looks closer to Athens in the sources we found.

Do I need private health insurance? For a non-EU residence permit, the sources say yes. The position of EU citizens differs: see the healthcare guide.

What this means for a normal buyer or resident

• Rent is the swing factor. Budget for a rise: one source reports about 8% in early 2026.
• Budget groceries from the food price level, not the overall one.
• Decide on health insurance and schools early: they are the largest lines for non-EU families.
• If you are choosing where to live in Greece, compare the best areas with your budget. Relocation routes: digital nomad visa, retirement, children and schools and the Greece property guide.
• If you are weighing Greece against other countries, an independent buyer-side adviser such as D.H. Realting, based in Warsaw, can help compare total costs and bring in a local lawyer.