Greek families sending children to university are confronting an increasingly expensive hurdle: finding somewhere they can afford to live. Rents in Greece’s main university cities have climbed to levels that put even modest student accommodation under pressure, with small studios of around 30 square meters, or roughly 320 square feet, commanding as much as €500 to €600 a month.
The squeeze is particularly acute in Athens and Thessaloniki, where thousands of students and their families are searching for apartments ahead of the new academic year. Affordable properties near universities are becoming scarce, while renovated apartments can command considerably higher prices.
In Thessaloniki, the central Navarinou district remains popular because of its proximity to the city’s universities. A basic studio can start at around €350 a month and rise to €600 depending on its size, condition and amenities. Christina traveled with her parents from Larissa in central Greece to Thessaloniki to find an apartment she could share with her sister. After a week of searching, the family was still struggling. “The apartments are rather old and the prices are high,” she said.
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Athens offers little relief. In student-heavy districts such as Zografou and Kallithea, a 40-to-50-square-meter one-bedroom apartment can start at about €480 a month, while renovated properties can reach €800. Comparable apartments in Thessaloniki and Volos typically cost between €500 and €650. In Patras, another major university city, rents in neighborhoods including the center and Agia Sofia range from roughly €380 to €550.
The increases are particularly painful for families with budgets of €400 a month or less. And rent represents only part of the cost. Utilities, groceries, transportation and other living expenses can push the monthly bill significantly higher, leading some students to work while pursuing their degrees. The burden can be heavier for families with two children studying away from home. Greece’s university admissions system often places students in cities far from their permanent residence, effectively requiring parents to finance another household.
Real-estate agents are advising families to search carefully rather than allow the approaching academic year to force them into unsuitable or unaffordable properties.
