Greece’s islands have long drawn millions of visitors to their beaches and whitewashed villages. Increasingly, they are attracting another kind of international attention: home buyers.
Residential asking prices continued to rise across Greece’s main island markets in the second quarter of 2026, according to an analysis by property platform Spitogatos and Spitogatos Insights, extending a multiyear surge fueled by domestic and overseas demand.
Across the Aegean islands, average asking prices reached €2,941 a square meter, up 5.9% from a year earlier. Prices in the Ionian islands also rose 5.9%, to €2,531. Crete recorded the strongest increase among the three broad regions, climbing 6.9% to €2,250 a square meter.
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The longer-term increase is more pronounced. Average asking prices in Crete are now 50% higher than in the second quarter of 2021. Foreign demand remains an important part of the market. Americans generated the most international interest in Greek island homes during the second quarter, followed by buyers from the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands and France. Overseas searches were concentrated primarily on the Cyclades and Dodecanese, followed by Chania in Crete, Corfu and Heraklion.
Antiparos has overtaken Mykonos
The most striking development is in the Cyclades, home to some of Greece’s best-known destinations. Antiparos has overtaken Mykonos in average asking prices, reaching €7,600 a square meter compared with €7,059 on Mykonos. Paros followed at €5,263. The shift is notable because Antiparos has a much smaller pool of properties for sale. New construction also dominates its apartment supply: of 149 apartments listed during the quarter, 104 were newly built. Meanwhile, Mykonos, Santorini, Folegandros, Sikinos and Andros recorded modest annual price declines.
Elsewhere, Paxos was the most expensive Ionian island at €3,846 a square meter, followed by Lefkada at €3,302. In Crete, Chania led at €3,102, ahead of Rethymno and Heraklion at roughly €2,200. Prices remain considerably lower in the Northern Aegean, despite annual increases across the region. Ikaria led at €1,846 a square meter, followed by Chios at €1,533, Lesvos at €1,136 and Samos at €1,059.
The Dodecanese, meanwhile, showed signs of accelerating demand beyond established luxury destinations. Asking prices rose more than 30% in Leros and nearly 20% in Kalymnos. Patmos remained the region’s most expensive market at €5,000 a square meter.
The above figures point to a Greek island property market that continues to gain momentum, supported by resilient domestic demand and sustained interest from overseas buyers. Rising asking prices, limited housing supply and the growing presence of new construction are reinforcing the market’s upward trajectory. Yet significant differences in pricing and annual performance remain. As international buyers broaden their search and competition for quality properties persists, residential real estate is becoming an increasingly important part of Greece’s wider investment story.
