The Real Cost of Buying Property in Greece: Taxes & Fees (2026)

The asking price is where the budget starts, not where it ends. Between offer and keys, a Greek purchase carries state taxes, statutory fees and professional services that together add roughly 8–10% on top — more for some new builds. Buyers who plan for this negotiate better and close calmer. Here is every line, for 2026.

The one-off purchase costs

Cost	Typical size	When it applies
Property transfer tax	3.09% of the tax-assessed value (3% + 3% municipal levy)	Most resales — and new builds under the current VAT suspension
VAT	24%	Only certain new builds without the VAT suspension — increasingly rare; confirm per property
Notary	≈1–1.5% (statutory scale)	Every purchase — drafts and executes the deed
Independent lawyer	≈1–1.5% + VAT	Strongly recommended — due diligence, representation, Dodecanese permit for non-EU buyers
Land registry	≈0.5%	Every purchase — registers your title
Agency fee	Typically ≈2% + VAT	Set by agreement in the mandate
Engineer / topographer	Varies by job	Plots especially: topographic plan, forest-registry check, build-allowance confirmation

A worked example: a €200,000 house

Transfer tax €6,180; notary about €2,200; lawyer about €2,500 including the permit file; land registry about €1,000; power of attorney, translations and sundries around €500; agency fee about €4,960. Total: roughly €17,300 — about 8.7% on top of the price. A plot purchase can run slightly higher once surveying is done properly; a new build that carries VAT instead of transfer tax shifts the balance the other way. Exact figures depend on the property’s tax-assessed value, which is usually below — never above — the agreed price.

The yearly costs of owning

• ENFIA, the annual property tax — calculated from size, location and age; for a typical house it is a modest three-digit sum, not a worry.
• Insurance — building cover with earthquake included is standard practice and sensible.
• Utilities — expect standing charges even in the months you are away; water is metered by the municipality.
• Communal fees, if the property sits in a managed building.
• Maintenance — stone houses want their traditional care; small, regular work beats one large restoration later.
• Property management if you let the house — cleaning, check-ins, upkeep — typically a share of rental income.

If you rent it out

Short-term letting is legal and popular, and since 2024 it runs through a national registry: each rented property gets an AMAA number that must appear on every listing. Rental income is taxed progressively, starting at 15%, and short stays carry the temporary climate-resilience levy per night. The rules have tightened repeatedly in 2024–2025, so before you fall in love with a yield, ask us what the specific property can legally do — location and property type matter.

When you eventually sell

The capital gains tax on property has been suspended repeatedly and currently stays suspended at least through 2026 — confirm the status of the day before you model a resale. Your country of residence may tax the same gain: cross-border double-taxation questions deserve a proper accountant, and we will happily introduce ours.

One honest caveat: we are estate agents, architects and builders — not your lawyer or your accountant. The figures here are indicative for 2026 and every file is different. What we can promise is the introductions: on day one you will sit with the lawyer, notary and accountant we have trusted for years. Start here.