What Can You Buy in Greece for €70,000–350,000 in 2026?

Greece is not one market. A budget of €70,000 to €350,000 buys a small renovation flat in one place and a good two-bedroom apartment in another, and the gap comes mostly from one choice: Athens, Thessaloniki and the fashionable islands, or the outer districts, the mainland and the less expensive parts of Crete. This guide uses asking prices by area, shows what each of three budget tiers buys in square metres, and adds what a foreign buyer pays on top. It is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Every price is an asking price, not a completed sale, and we have no listings in Greece: nothing here is an offer.

What the market looks like in October 2026

• Trend: the Bank of Greece reported (provisional, September 2026) that apartment prices in urban areas were about 5.3% higher in the second quarter than a year earlier, with Athens about 5.0%, Thessaloniki about 4.7% and the rest of the country about 7.1%. Details are in our Greece price and buying-cost guide.
• Athens: the ERED report of July 2026 puts the average asking price in the municipality of Athens at about €2,560 per m² in the second quarter (up about 2.6%). Western districts are cheaper: Agia Varvara about €1,528, Kypseli about €2,072, Aigaleo about €2,164.
• Thessaloniki: a first-half 2026 report based on Spitogatos and Indomio data, as summarised in the press, gives about €2,325 per m² for the regional unit (up about 7.4%) and about €2,625 for the municipality, with central and eastern zones above €7,000.
• Crete, second quarter of 2026 (Spitogatos via Protothema): Chania about €3,102, Rethymno about €2,202, Heraklion about €2,200, Lasithi about €1,944.
• Above the range: our price guide cites about €4,500 to €9,000 per m² on the Athens Riviera and €5,000 to €12,000 and more in the Cyclades. At those levels €350,000 buys a small flat.

We found no reliable per-m² series for Patras, Volos or Larissa, so we give none.

Tier 1: €70,000–120,000

Typical target: a small resale apartment or a renovation project. At the reported asking prices, our own estimate (budget divided by price per m²) is about 46 to 79 m² in Agia Varvara and about 32 to 62 m² in Lasithi or Heraklion.

• Where to look: western and outer Athens districts, Lasithi and Heraklion on Crete, mainland towns and villages.
• Trade-off: older buildings, often without a lift or modern insulation, and renovation money that the sources do not quantify. Village stone houses at this level usually need work: a renovated one-bedroom stone house in Kritsa (Lasithi) was listed at €140,000 and a renovated village house in Prastos at €130,000, both above this tier.
• If the budget must include purchase costs, deduct roughly 7% to 12% first, so €70,000 of cash is a purchase price nearer €63,000.

Tier 2: €120,000–200,000

Typical target: a one- or two-bedroom apartment. Our estimate: about 47 to 78 m² in the municipality of Athens, 58 to 97 m² in Kypseli, 52 to 86 m² in the Thessaloniki regional unit, 39 to 65 m² in Chania and 55 to 91 m² in Heraklion.

• Where to look: non-prime Athens, Thessaloniki, mainland resort towns, Heraklion and Rethymno.
• Trade-off: this is where newer stock becomes realistic, but the same money buys a larger flat in Heraklion than in Chania, where asking prices are about 40% higher.

Tier 3: €200,000–350,000

Typical target: a good two-bedroom apartment or a small house. Our estimate: about 78 to 137 m² in the municipality of Athens, 76 to 133 m² in Thessaloniki municipality and 65 to 113 m² in Chania. In prime central Athens, at the guide range of €2,500 to €4,500 per m², the same money buys about 44 to 140 m², so location decides everything.

• Where to look: Athens outside prime streets, Thessaloniki, Crete and the less expensive islands. A renovated three-bedroom village house in Messinia was listed at €329,000.
• Trade-off: you can reach better views or an extra bedroom, but premium features should be tested against resale demand.

Four buyer scenarios

• Entry buyer, €70,000–120,000: choose between a smaller finished flat in outer Athens and a larger renovation project in a village. Cheap needs more checking, not less, especially legal status of the building.
• Balanced buyer, €120,000–200,000: compare a resale flat in Athens or Thessaloniki with a newer one in Heraklion before paying for a sea view.
• Lifestyle buyer, €200,000–350,000: Chania costs about 20% to 40% more per m² than Heraklion or Lasithi; decide whether the old port is worth fewer square metres.
• Non-EU buyer, any tier: the announced 15% transfer tax (below) could add far more than any discount you negotiate, so the date of the deed matters.

What you pay on top of the price

Market guides, not an official tariff, give: transfer tax 3% plus a municipal surcharge (3.09%), notary about 2%, land registry about 0.5%, lawyer about 1% to 2% plus VAT (not required by law, strongly advised) and agent about 2% to 4% plus VAT.

An illustrative sum for a €200,000 purchase (our own arithmetic): transfer tax about €6,180, notary about €4,000 and land registry about €1,000 is about €11,200, or 5.6%. Adding a lawyer (about €2,000 to €4,000) and an agent (about €4,000 to €8,000), before VAT on their fees, brings it to about €17,200 to €23,200, or 8.6% to 11.6%. Plan on roughly 7% to 12% in total, plus renovation if any.

Annual costs: the ENFIA property tax has a base of about €2.00 to €16.20 per m² by zone, adjusted for age and use; add building charges, utilities and insurance. For tax on a later sale see Greece capital gains tax.

Who can buy, and what a purchase does not give you

• EU and EEA citizens buy on the same terms as Greeks. Non-EU buyers need a Ministry of Defence permit for property in border areas (sources list Northern Greece, the Dodecanese, the East Aegean and Rhodes; Crete is uncertain), reported to take about two months.
• Announced: the prime minister said at the Thessaloniki fair in September 2026 that the transfer tax for residential property bought by non-EU citizens would rise from 3% to 15%. The start date is reported as January or July 2027, exemptions are reported for EU/EEA citizens, Greeks, the diaspora, refugees and long-term residents, and it is not law yet. On a €200,000 flat that is about €6,200 against about €31,000.
• Residence: buying in this range does not normally give a residence permit. The golden visa needs €800,000 in Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands and €400,000 elsewhere; €250,000 applies only to converting non-residential property and a few special cases. See Greece golden visa.

Financing as a non-resident

Greek banks lend to non-residents, but guides report a lower loan-to-value than for residents (about 60% to 70%, some banks 50% to 60%, against about 80%), terms of 20 to 25 years, an arrangement fee of 0.5% to 1% and a Greek tax number and bank account. Treat these as indicative and ask the bank. Many buyers finance from home instead: see mortgages for non-residents.

Rent and exit

Our yield guide cites an average gross rental yield of about 4.4% (Q2 2026), about 5.4% for Athens and 4.4% for Thessaloniki (November 2025 data), with net yield about 1.5 to 2 points lower. Short-term lets in central Athens and Thessaloniki face a registration freeze through 2026, with an extension to 2027 announced: read Greece short-term rental rules and Greece rental yield. Resale is easiest in Athens, Thessaloniki and Crete's towns and slowest in villages.

New build or resale in Greece

The standard 24% VAT on qualifying new builds is suspended to 31 December 2026 (Law 5246/2025), so the buyer pays transfer tax instead; an extension into 2027 was announced but we found no enacted text, so the deed date matters. The Bank of Greece reported new apartments up about 6.2% and older ones about 5.0%. See new build vs resale in Greece.

Due diligence in Greece

• Title and encumbrances: have a lawyer check the cadastre or land registry. The notary draws the deed but does not replace a lawyer: notary or lawyer.
• Legal status of the building: unauthorised construction is legalised under Law 4495/2017, and since April 2022 an electronic building-identity certificate has replaced the engineer's certificate. A March 2026 deadline for some categories has passed and we could not confirm an extension; ask the notary.
• Older sales: Law 5142/2024 can cure some transfers made before 1 May 2024.
• Border-area permit for non-EU buyers.
• Village houses: ask who owns the property and whether all heirs have accepted the inheritance (our practical note, not a statistic).
• Short-term rental plans: check the registration freeze before you buy.

FAQ

• Can I buy for less than €120,000? Yes, but expect a renovation project, a smaller or older flat or a remote village: see abandoned stone houses.
• Does a €250,000 purchase give a golden visa? Mostly no; the threshold is €400,000 or €800,000, with narrow exceptions.
• Will the 15% tax apply to me? It is announced for non-EU buyers of residential property and reported to exempt EU/EEA citizens. Confirm the enacted text before a deed after 2026.
• Is VAT or transfer tax paid on a new build? Until 31 December 2026, transfer tax on qualifying new builds; check the date.

Bottom line

At this budget Greece rewards a clear choice of place. Outer Athens, Heraklion and Lasithi stretch €70,000 to €200,000 furthest; Athens, Thessaloniki and Chania absorb the top tier fast. Count 7% to 12% of costs, check the building's legal status and, if you are outside the EU, watch the transfer-tax date.

What this means for a normal buyer:

• Choose the area first, then the tier: the same €150,000 is 60 m² in one city and 45 m² in another.
• Compare asking prices per m² in the exact district, not the national average: best areas in Greece.
• Budget purchase costs and any renovation separately from the price.
• Non-EU buyers: confirm the transfer-tax status and permits before reserving.
• Use your own lawyer, and see Crete and the islands and Greece cost of living before you decide.

If you want a second pair of eyes on a shortlist, an independent buyer-side adviser can compare options and bring in a local lawyer. D.H. Realting works from Warsaw as an independent consultant; ask us how we are paid, as you would ask anyone.