October 16, 2026

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Housing in Greece continues to rise in price: another +5.5%, and the regions are already ahead of Athens


Copyright AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris

Apartment prices in Greece continue to rise: in the second quarter of 2026 housing prices have risen by an average of another 5.5% per yearand the fastest growth is no longer recorded in Athens and Thessaloniki, and in other regions of the country.

New data published Bank of Greece. According to his preliminary assessment, in the second quarter of 2026, apartment prices increased by 5.5% compared to the same period last year. The same is reported euronews.

Briefly about the main thing:
— average price increase in the country — 5.5%;
— new apartments up to 5 years have risen in price by 6.2%;
– old apartments – on 5.0%;
— in Athens the increase was 5.0%;
– in Thessaloniki – 4.7%;
– in other regions of the country – already 7.1%.

Regions begin to overtake Athens

Region Price increase over the year
Athens +5.0%
Thessaloniki +4.7%
Other major cities +5.4%
Rest of Greece +7.1%

The picture changes markedly compared to previous years, when the focus was on Athens and Thessaloniki. Now it is the regions that show the highest growth rate. This may be due to increased demand for resort housing, foreign investment, short-term rentals and a gradual flow of buyers from the most expensive urban centers.

Growth has slowed, but housing is not getting cheaper

Formally, the market is really cooling. In 2024, the average price increase was 9.1%in 2025 – 8.3%and now the annual rate has dropped to 5.5%. But for the buyer this is little consolation: we are not talking about a decrease in value, but only about slower growth on top of an already much more expensive market.

New buildings continue to rise in price faster than the old stock: apartments under five years old have increased in price by 6.2%while older ones – by 5.0%.

Housing is increasingly disconnected from income

The problem is especially noticeable against the backdrop of real incomes of the population. In our detailed material on the cost of living in Greece in 2026 We have already noted that renting a small apartment in Athens can absorb more than half of the average net salary.

It’s especially hard for young people. Small apartments, which were previously considered affordable starter housing, have become one of the most expensive segments. In the article about student housing in Greece we showed that even small studios in Athens often already cost €450–800 per month.

Unsurprisingly, Greece remains one of the EU countries where young people are the slowest to leave their parents’ home. According to Eurostat, the average age is approaching 31 years old. We wrote more about this in the material “Greeks continue to live with their parents even after 30 years”.

Editor’s comment: The decline in price growth from 9% to 5.5% may look like stabilization, but for most buyers and renters the situation has hardly become any easier. Real estate continues to rise in price faster than real incomes grow, and the market is gradually extending price pressure to the regions. Until the supply of housing begins to grow faster than demand, and incomes do not catch up with the cost of real estate, the problem of housing affordability will only intensify.



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