The release of Greece’s national university entrance exam results has triggered the annual scramble for student accommodation, with new data showing that rental prices continue to rise across the country.
According to Spitogatos Insights, average asking rents for student apartments increased 5.3% year-on-year during the second quarter of 2026, slightly below the 5.9% annual increase recorded a year earlier.
Demand is once again concentrated in Athens and Thessaloniki, where thousands of prospective university students are searching for accommodation close to campuses and public transport networks.
Athens is Greece’s most expensive student housing market
Average asking rents in the Municipality of Athens reached €13.3 per square metre, up 6.6% from a year earlier, while the Southern Suburbs averaged €13.7 per square metre after a 5.5% annual increase. The Western Suburbs recorded one of the strongest regional increases, with prices climbing 6.7% to €11.5 per square metre, while rents in Piraeus rose around 5%.
Within the capital, price differences remain significant. Kolonaki-Lycabettus remains the most expensive student district, with average asking rents of €16.7 per square metre, followed by Athens City Centre (€16.4/sqm) and Koukaki-Makrygianni (€15.6/sqm).
More affordable options are still available in Nikaia (€10.5/sqm), Kypseli (€11.8/sqm) and the Patision-Acharnon corridor, where asking rents average €11.9 per square metre.
One of the report’s most notable findings is the sharp increase in rental prices in central Athens, where asking rents surged 25.8% year-on-year, by far the strongest increase among the capital’s student neighbourhoods. By contrast, some of the city’s traditionally premium districts recorded declines, with rents falling 12.5% in Mets-Kallimarmaro!
Supply remains heavily concentrated in central Athens, which accounts for 46.5% of all student rental listings across Attica. The Southern Suburbs represent another 28% of available stock, while northern and eastern districts offer comparatively limited availability.
How much students in Thessaloniki have to pay for rent
Thessaloniki also recorded broad-based rental increases, particularly in neighbourhoods close to universities. 40 Ekklisies-Evangelistria became the city’s most expensive student district at €13 per square metre, posting the strongest annual increase of 11.4%.
Thessaloniki city centre followed at €12.9 per square metre, whereas Stavroupoli (€8.5/sqm) and Evosmos (€9/sqm) remained among the most affordable choices.
Island university cities post the highest rents
Across Greece, island university cities continue to command the highest rents. Corfu (€13.4/sqm), Rhodes (€13.3/sqm) and Rethymno (€13.2/sqm) topped the ranking, reflecting the additional pressure created by tourism and short-term rentals.
At the other end of the spectrum, Lamia (€6.8/sqm) remained the country’s most affordable university city, followed by Agrinio and Drama, both averaging around €7.2 per square metre.
Rhodes also recorded the strongest annual increase among major university cities, with rents rising 16.6%, while significant increases were also registered in Drama (+15.2%), Chios (+13.1%), Kastoria (+12.3%) and Heraklion (+12%).
