A $100,000 apartment budget buys a completed Batumi studio or a larger, older Athens flat

A $100,000 housing budget stretches in very different ways across the Mediterranean and Black Sea. In the comparison published by HomeRadar, a 27.9-square-metre studio at completed Guru Status in Batumi was advertised for $51,615. An Athens example offered 45 square metres in a 1970 building for €78,000, while a furnished 47-square-metre apartment in Antalya was listed for €69,900. Those are individual asking-price examples, not representative city averages or confirmed sale prices.

The study considers ten cities: Batumi plus Athens, Thessaloniki, Paphos, Larnaca, Antalya, Vlora, Burgas, Constanța and Budva. Its underlying assumption is one non-EU private buyer paying cash, with a total initial budget of $100,000 and a five-year ownership horizon. At the 7 October ECB reference rate of €1 to $1.1177, the Athens asking price equates to about $87,181. That leaves roughly $12,819 on paper before transfer taxes, legal services, commissions and any repairs or furnishing. It is not verified cash left after closing.

Batumi itself is not a single ready-to-rent option. homeradar.ge also cited a 34.4-square-metre studio at Next Address for $68,490, with delivery indicated for the fourth quarter of 2028, and a 28.8-square-metre Strada example for $92,805, with the second quarter of 2030 indicated. An apartment under construction cannot be treated as currently producing rent. By contrast, a completed building can be inspected, but the condition and fitting-out cost of its particular unit still matter.

Beyond these examples, the sample includes renovated older apartments in Greece, furnished homes in Vlora and Budva, a studio in Burgas and a compact apartment in Constanța. The Paphos listing example was not confirmed as a current available equivalent and no suitable live Larnaca example was established. That missing evidence is not proof that affordable properties are absent from either city. Floor-area definitions, maintenance fees, local purchase rules and permissions for short stays vary between markets.

The conclusion is deliberately narrower than a league table of yields. homeradar.ge publishes model estimates for certain Batumi projects, but its comparison does not establish comparable realised rents, full ownership expenses, property-specific acquisition bills or five-year resale values in all ten cities. A lower advertisement price can leave more room for costs; it does not guarantee a higher net return. Before choosing a market, the buyer needs legal and financial checks on the exact unit rather than a headline ranking.