Student housing costs in Greece continue to rise sharply, with rents for small apartments near major universities increasing 7.3% year-on-year in 2026, according to the latest annual survey by property valuation firm Geoaxis.
The study covers apartments of up to around 50-60 sqm in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, Volos and Komotini, where demand remains intense not only from students but also from young professionals, couples and other households competing for the same limited stock.
Athens remains the most expensive market
Average asking rents reached approximately €11.3 per sqm in Patras and €10.9 per sqm in Thessaloniki, while Volos rose 7.9% to €9.7 per sqm and Komotini increased 6.9% to €9.1 per sqm.
Attica remains the most expensive market at around €12.8 per sqm, although its annual increase was more moderate at 5.9%. At current levels, a typical student apartment of 30-40 sqm can therefore require roughly €330-€435 per month, before utilities, common charges, furnishing and household equipment are added.
Rents have more than doubled since 2017
The longer-term increase is significantly more dramatic. Geoaxis data show that average student rents across the six cities have risen by approximately 128% since 2017. In Attica, the increase reaches 164% over the same period.
Small apartments face competition beyond students
Small apartments are increasingly sought by young singles, couples, single-parent households, divorced residents, digital nomads and corporate employees, while much of the existing rental stock in many neighbourhoods consists of larger homes above 60 sqm.
As a result, good-quality smaller units tend to be absorbed rapidly when they become available. Geoaxis also notes that more students are choosing to share accommodation to spread housing costs, while many prefer older apartments in order to keep rents lower.
Typical student apartment is 30-40 sqm and decades old
The median age of units offered in central Thessaloniki is 56 years, followed by Athens at 51 years. Patras stands at 29 years, Komotini at 27, Volos at 23 and Heraklion at 20. A typical student apartment therefore has an age of roughly 30 to 50 years.
Median unit sizes are also relatively small. Thessaloniki, Heraklion and Komotini average around 40 sqm, Athens and Volos approximately 34 sqm and Patras around 33 sqm.
Public dormitories cover only 4.6% of demand
Public student housing provides only limited relief. According to Greece’s National Student Housing Strategy 2026-2035, public university residences currently offer around 9,200 operational beds.
That is enough to cover only 4.6% of the roughly 200,000 students studying away from their permanent home, far below the estimated European average of 15%-18%. The figure does not yet include new capacity expected to be delivered through public-private partnership projects.
