Greece

Living in Greece: the short version

Greece combines island and coastal living, mild winters and a lower cost of living than most of Western Europe. It offers a digital nomad visa, a financially independent person visa and a property-based Golden Visa, although minimum investment amounts have risen in popular areas.

Best for: Remote workers, retirees and investors seeking a Mediterranean EU base.

How to move to Greece: main visa and residency routes

Summaries only — requirements and income thresholds change. Always check the official sources below.

Digital nomad visa

For remote workers employed abroad with a minimum monthly income.

Financially independent person visa

For people with enough passive income who will not work in Greece.

Golden Visa

Residence through qualifying real estate or other investment; minimums depend on location.

Healthcare for newcomers

Residents contributing to social security use the public ESY system; many expats add private insurance, which is affordable.

How Greece compares

Calculated from our data for all 55 countries. How we calculate this

Cost of living rank

27th cheapest of 55

Single person, core costs

$980/mo

Family of four, core costs

$1,876/mo

Take-home on $60,000

$37,040/yr

• Renting a one-bedroom home takes about 30% of the average local salary in Greece, less than the median of 36% across the countries we cover.
• Core monthly costs for one person (rent, groceries, transport, utilities, internet and eating out) come to about $980, or 65% of the average local monthly salary.
• On a gross salary of $60,000 taxed locally, our estimate leaves $37,040 a year after income tax and employee social security (an effective rate of 38%), the 54th highest take-home pay of 55 countries. After single-person core costs, that leaves roughly $25,280 a year to save or spend.
• Countries with a similar overall cost of living: Czech Republic, Panama, Portugal.
• Cheaper options in Europe: Portugal, Croatia, Poland.

Estimates for planning, using simplified national tax brackets in US dollars; local taxes, deductions and your own spending will differ. Try your own numbers in the tax calculator or budget planner.

Our guides to Greece

• Croatia vs Greece: Living Costs, Visas and Taxes Compared · Cost of Living

Sources and methodology

Figures on this page are estimates in US dollars, compiled from the international datasets below and converted at recent exchange rates. The cost of living index uses New York City as 100. Guidance was last reviewed on September 30, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.