Deciding where to invest is as important as deciding how much to invest. In Greece, your choices include Athens (and metropolitan regions), famous islands like Santorini or Mykonos, or lesser-known regional towns. Each zone offers different returns, lifestyle appeal, regulatory conditions, risk/reward profiles, and liquidity. In this article, we compare these three major categories to help you pick the best fit for your Golden Visa strategy and investment goals.
Athens & Metro Regions
- Market strength & liquidity: The Athens market continues to attract foreign investors. As of Q1 2025, average apartment prices in Athens reached around €2,580/m², rising ~7.6% year-on-year. Immigrant Invest
- Demand drivers: High demand from local residents, students, expats, and professionals ensures steady long-term rental demand. Many buyers prefer proximity to infrastructure, services, hospitals, and universities.
- Resale potential & exit: Properties in central and peri-urban Athens are easier to resell due to better market depth.
- Drawbacks: Higher acquisition costs, stricter thresholds in prime zones (now subject to the €800,000 rule in “prime zones”) Harvey Law Group+1 and tighter competition.
Islands & Tourist Hotspots
- High seasonal demand & premium pricing: Islands like Mykonos, Santorini, Crete have strong tourist flows. Prices in such zones are in the “€800,000 prime” category under new rules of Greece Golden Visa. La Vida Golden Visas+2Global Citizen Solutions+2
- Yield potential: In popular islands, short-term rental yields historically ranged ~7–12% in tourism zones. PropertyFinder.Bg
- Regulation risk: New laws now ban short-term rentals (<60 days) for Golden Visa properties. Violation may lead to revocation and fines of €50,000. greece-golden-visa.com+4Varnavas Law | Golden Visa Greece+4WFW+4
- Liquidity constraint: Outside peak times, island markets can be slower. Getting tenants in off-season is harder.
Regional Towns & Emerging Areas
- Lower entry costs: Many towns or secondary cities still allow entry-level investments under the threshold before regional reclassification.
- Growth potential: As infrastructure improves, these regions sometimes offer higher capital appreciation.
- Stable long-term rentals: Often preferred by locals or students rather than short-term tourists, which matches new Golden Visa rules favoring long leases.
- Less volatility but lower immediate upside: Slower market movement but lower risk.
Comparison & Recommendation
| Zone | Strengths | Risks / Constraints | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens & metro | Liquidity, steady rental demand, good resale | Higher costs, stricter thresholds | Investors wanting stability + exit flexibility |
| Islands & hotspots | Premium appeal, strong tourism | New rental bans, seasonality, high thresholds | Lifestyle-first investors or high net worth |
| Regional towns | Lower cost, growth opportunity | Slower liquidity, lower price appreciation | Value-seekers, early movers |
If your goal is to balance returns + risk, Athens + select regional towns offer a strong mix of liquidity and growth. Islands are compelling but require careful regulation management under the new rental rules.