Greece’s Rents Rose 3.8% in 2026, but the Pressure Is Highly Local

A national rise, but not a national market

Greek residential rents continued to move higher in 2026, according to lease data compiled through the RE/MAX Greece network and reported on 3 September. The dataset covers completed leases in 124 areas rather than advertised asking rents. That distinction matters: it gives the figures a closer link to deals actually agreed by landlords and tenants, while still representing only transactions handled through one brokerage network.

Attica is rising faster than Thessaloniki

Attica recorded an average annual increase of 4.3%, with the average rent at €9.2 per square metre. In the Municipality of Athens and adjacent areas, the average reached €9.8 per square metre, 5.4% above 2025. Thessaloniki was softer at the aggregate level: rents averaged €7.7 per square metre, up 3.0% year on year. Outside the two largest urban markets, the reported average was €7.8 per square metre, up 4.0%.

The sharper story is inside neighborhoods

The dispersion between districts is much wider than the national headline. Petralona recorded a 15.6% annual increase and Kypseli 14.3%. In northern Athens, Papagou rose 12.6% and Cholargos 10.8%. Around Piraeus, Korydallos remained one of the cheaper areas in absolute terms but posted an 11.1% rise. In northern Greece, Nea Iraklitsa led the survey with a 16.7% increase, while Thermi near Thessaloniki rose 14.3%. These jumps do not mean every dwelling in those neighborhoods became that much more expensive; they are averages within the leases captured by the network and can move with the mix and quality of homes rented in a given year.

High prices and fast growth are not the same thing

Some of Greece’s most expensive rental locations were comparatively stable. Kolonaki, Thessaloniki’s Old Waterfront and Santorini were reported at about €14 per square metre, yet Kolonaki and the Old Waterfront were unchanged from 2025. That contrast is useful for reading the market: affordability pressure can intensify fastest in mid-priced neighborhoods as demand shifts outward, while mature premium districts may already be near a ceiling for the tenants they target.

What the data says — and what it does not

The figures point to broad rental pressure, but they should not be treated as a complete census of Greek leases. The sample consists of contracts completed through RE/MAX Greece across 124 areas. It is not a nationwide registry of every rental contract, and differences in property size, condition, furnishing and location can affect annual averages. The dataset therefore works best as a directional map of where rent pressure is strongest, not as a universal price list for every home.

Why it matters

For housing policy, the local divergence is arguably more important than the 3.8% national increase. A moderate national average can coexist with double-digit increases in neighborhoods that absorb displaced demand from more expensive districts. For tenants, landlords and investors, the relevant benchmark is increasingly the specific submarket and property type rather than the countrywide mean.