Fact-checked · Up to date · Official sources
The cost of living in Athens is the highest in Greece. Households in Attica spent €2,081.78 a month in 2025, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), 14.4% above the national average. Rent is the biggest variable: average asking rents for all homes were €12.0 per m² in the centre and €17.9 in Kolonaki in mid-2026, while a 30-day public transport pass costs €27.
Last verified: 20 October 2026Living in Athens costs more than the rest of Greece. Households in Attica spent €2,081.78 a month in 2025, or 114.4% of the national average, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).
Rent is the largest variable. The average asking rent for all homes in the centre of Athens was €12.0 per m² a month in the second quarter of 2026, according to Spitogatos, so a 60 m² flat is advertised at around €720. Public transport is a small item: a 30-day pass for buses, trolleys, metro and tram costs €27, according to the Athens Urban Transport Organisation (OASA).
For the national picture, see cost of living in Greece. For a full relocation overview, see moving to Greece.
Average asking rents for all homes in Attica ranged from €7.5 per m² a month in Agios Stefanos to €22.0 in Vouliagmeni in the second quarter of 2026, according to Spitogatos. The centre of Athens averaged €12.0, the south suburbs €13.3 and the north suburbs €11.8.
| Area (all homes) | € per m² a month |
|---|---|
| Vouliagmeni | 22.0 |
| Kolonaki – Lycabettus | 17.9 |
| Palaio Psychiko | 17.4 |
| Voula | 17.4 |
| Glyfada | 16.5 |
| Neo Psychiko | 14.4 |
| South suburbs | 13.3 |
| Centre of Athens | 12.0 |
| North suburbs | 11.8 |
| Penteli | 11.0 |
| Drapetsona | 10.5 |
| Perama | 7.9 |
| Agios Stefanos | 7.5 |
Source: Spitogatos, sales and rentals of homes, second quarter of 2026 (released 4 August 2026). Across Attica asking rents rose 4.5% in the year. The fastest rises were in Drapetsona (+29.1%), Ymittos (+21.3%) and Penteli (+18.9%).
A separate Spitogatos release covers student homes, which are mostly small flats. Their rents per m² often differ from the all-homes averages above, so do not compare the two tables directly.
| Area (student homes) | € per m² a month | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| Kolonaki – Lycabettus | 16.7 | −5.1% |
| Koukaki – Makrygianni | 15.6 | not published |
| North suburbs | 15.5 | +1.5% |
| South suburbs | 13.7 | +5.5% |
| City of Athens (municipality) | 13.3 | not published |
| Piraeus | 12.6 | +5.0% |
| Patision – Acharnon avenues | 11.9 | not published |
| Kypseli | 11.8 | not published |
| West suburbs | 11.5 | +6.7% |
| Piraeus suburbs | 11.0 | +5.4% |
| Nikaia | 10.5 | not published |
Source: Spitogatos, student housing rents, second quarter of 2026 against the same quarter of 2025 (released 1 September 2026). Our rent in Athens data page tracks these figures.
Fewer homes were advertised for rent in Athens in the third quarter of 2026 than a year earlier, and asking rents rose between 5% and 7.3% depending on size, according to xe.gr listings data released on 12 October 2026.
| Size | Rental listings, Q3 2026 | Change on Q3 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 80 m² | 10,169 | −9.5% |
| 81 to 120 m² | 2,863 | −11.9% |
| Over 120 m² | 643 | −26.9% |
In the northern suburbs the drop was sharper. Listings fell 38.4% in Marousi, 31.4% in Chalandri and 38.6% in Nea Ionia, while asking rents there rose 10.6%, 13.3% and 11.2%. Read our report on Athens rental listings and how the short-term rental freeze in central Athens affects rents.
Of the main zones, the south suburbs have the highest average asking rent, and Glyfada the highest asking sale price in this table. The west is the cheapest area to buy.
| Zone | Asking rent, all homes, € per m² (Q2 2026) | Example areas: asking sale price, € per m², homes up to 80 m² (Q3 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 12.0 (Kolonaki – Lycabettus 17.9) | Athens average 3,087 |
| North suburbs | 11.8 (Palaio Psychiko 17.4) | Kifisia 4,819; Marousi 4,028; Chalandri 4,028 |
| South suburbs | 13.3 (Glyfada 16.5) | Glyfada 5,498; Palaio Faliro 3,999; Nea Smyrni 3,472 |
| West suburbs | not published (student homes 11.5) | Peristeri 2,931; Egaleo 2,794 |
| Piraeus area | Drapetsona 10.5; Perama 7.9 | Piraeus 3,245 |
Sources: rents from Spitogatos (second quarter of 2026); sale prices from xe.gr market trends (third quarter of 2026). Both are asking prices, not transaction prices. For official price indices and more areas see Athens property prices and Athens Riviera prices.
Metro line 4, which would serve several central and northern districts, has been delayed to 2032. See our report.
A single 90-minute ticket on Athens buses, trolleys, metro and tram costs €1.20, and a 30-day pass €27, according to OASA’s price list. Students and other groups pay reduced fares.
| Ticket or pass | Full fare | Reduced fare |
|---|---|---|
| 90-minute ticket | €1.20 | €0.50 |
| 24-hour ticket | €4.10 | not offered |
| 5-day ticket | €8.20 | not offered |
| 30-day pass, urban network | €27.00 | €13.50 |
| 30-day pass, including airport | €45.00 | €22.50 |
| Annual pass, urban network | €300.00 | €150.00 |
| Metro ticket to or from the airport | €9.00 | €4.50 |
Source: OASA, prices of products, checked 20 October 2026. Transport costs as a whole rose 11.3% in Greece in the year to September 2026, mainly from fuel, according to ELSTAT.
Electricity in Athens is priced by supplier. ΔΕΗ’s regulated tariff for October 2026 charged €0.15913 per kWh for the first 200 kWh a month, plus a €5 fixed charge. Water from EYDAP starts at €0.35 per m³.
| Utility | Tariff | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity, first 200 kWh a month | €0.15913 per kWh | ΔΕΗ, October 2026 |
| Electricity, above 200 kWh | €0.21997 per kWh | ΔΕΗ, October 2026 |
| Water, 0 to 5 m³ a month | €0.35 per m³ | EYDAP, from 1 January 2026 |
| Water, 5 to 20 m³ a month | €0.64 per m³ | EYDAP, from 1 January 2026 |
| Water, 20 to 27 m³ a month | €1.83 per m³ | EYDAP, from 1 January 2026 |
| Water fixed charge, standard meter | €2.00 a month | EYDAP, from 1 January 2026 |
| Sewerage fixed charge | €1.00 a month | EYDAP, from 1 January 2026 |
Electricity prices shown are supply charges. Network charges, levies and VAT are added. Many Athens flats have shared central heating on heating oil or natural gas, paid through the building’s common charges. Heating oil cost 53.2% more and natural gas 55.2% more in September 2026 than a year earlier, according to ELSTAT.
No official source publishes Athens restaurant or grocery prices. ELSTAT’s national figures show what households spend and how fast prices are moving.
Attica households spend more than the national average in total. ELSTAT’s release does not break Attica spending down by category.
This illustration adds up cited prices for one person renting a 50 m² flat. It is not an estimate of total living costs. Food, health, phone and leisure are left out.
| Item | Centre of Athens | Kolonaki – Lycabettus | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 50 m² | €600.00 | €895.00 | Spitogatos average asking rent for all homes, Q2 2026 (€12.0 and €17.9 per m²), × 50 m² |
| Electricity supply, 200 kWh | €36.83 | €36.83 | ΔΕΗ regulated tariff, October 2026, before network charges, levies and VAT |
| Water, 5 m³ | €4.75 | €4.75 | EYDAP 2026 tariff, water and sewerage fixed charges, before other charges and VAT |
| 30-day transport pass | €27.00 | €27.00 | OASA |
| Subtotal | €668.58 | €963.58 | Sum of the rows |
Building common charges, internet and heating are not included because no official average is published. Asking rents can differ from the rent you agree.
Households in Attica, the region that includes Athens, spent €2,081.78 a month on average in 2025, according to ELSTAT. Rent is extra for most newcomers, since the average includes owners. The average asking rent for all homes in the centre of Athens was €12.0 per m² in the second quarter of 2026, according to Spitogatos.
For all homes in the second quarter of 2026, Spitogatos recorded average asking rents of €12.0 per m² a month in the centre of Athens, €13.3 in the south suburbs, €11.8 in the north suburbs, €16.5 in Glyfada and €17.9 in Kolonaki. A 60 m² flat at the central average is advertised at about €720.
For all homes in the second quarter of 2026, Spitogatos found the lowest average asking rents in Attica in Agios Stefanos (€7.5 per m²), Anoixi and Kamatero (€7.7), Perama (€7.9) and Paiania (€8.0). Closer to the centre, Drapetsona averaged €10.5 and Ymittos €10.6.
OASA charges €1.20 for a 90-minute ticket valid on buses, trolleys, metro and tram, and €27 for a 30-day urban pass. A 30-day pass including the airport costs €45, and a single metro ticket to or from the airport costs €9. Reduced fares are available for students and other eligible groups.
Yes. ELSTAT’s Household Budget Survey 2025 found Attica households spent 114.4% of the national average, the highest of any region. Central Greece was lowest at 75.4%. Asking rents in the centre of Athens (€12.0 per m²) match central Thessaloniki, while the Cyclades are higher at €14.4, according to Spitogatos.
Yes. Asking rents in Attica rose 4.5% in the year to the second quarter of 2026, according to Spitogatos, and xe.gr data showed asking rents in Athens up 5% to 7.3% in the third quarter of 2026. Fewer homes are being advertised, with listings for flats up to 80 m² down 9.5%.