Sinstegi Greece, under one roof

Live

Already living in Greece

The things nobody tells you until you need them. This section is thinner than the others because most of it is practical knowledge rather than published rules — we are building it out, and we would rather have five honest pages than twenty padded ones.

Last verified 12 September 2026 · 1 day ago · checked by spec-import Every figure on this page was checked against its source on this date.

The practical basics

Telecoms

Cosmote, Vodafone Greece and Nova are the main operators. Prepaid SIMs and eSIMs are widely available. Fibre coverage is expanding in cities and improving on larger islands; home internet runs

€30 to €45 a month — source and verification date

Home internet

Reported Consistently reported by several credible sources, but not confirmed against the primary source.

In force from 1 January 2026.

Source: Reconciled from cost-of-living aggregators

Last verified 12 September 2026 by spec-import.

. Check the specific address rather than the island before committing to remote work.

Utilities

Electricity comes from PPC/DEI and a growing set of private suppliers. Water is EYDAP in Athens and EYATH in Thessaloniki, with municipal utilities elsewhere. Budget

€120 to €200 a month — source and verification date

Utilities for an 85 m² apartment

Applies to: Electricity, heating, cooling, water and waste

Reported Consistently reported by several credible sources, but not confirmed against the primary source.

Strongly seasonal. Winter heating and summer cooling both produce spikes.

In force from 1 January 2026.

Source: Reconciled from cost-of-living aggregators

Last verified 12 September 2026 by spec-import.

for an 85 m² apartment, and expect winter heating and summer cooling to produce spikes an annual average hides.

Transport

Athens runs metro, bus and tram under OASA with the Ath.ena Card; a monthly pass is

€30 a month — source and verification date

Monthly public transport pass, Athens

Applies to: Athens, OASA

Reported Consistently reported by several credible sources, but not confirmed against the primary source.

In force from 1 January 2026.

Source: Reconciled from cost-of-living aggregators

Last verified 12 September 2026 by spec-import.

. KTEL coaches cover intercity routes, Hellenic Train runs the Athens–Thessaloniki corridor, ferries leave from Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio, and Aegean and Sky Express fly domestically.

Driving

EU licences are valid. Non-EU holders need to exchange their licence or hold an international permit within the permitted window. The one that costs people money: driving a vehicle on foreign plates after you have established residence can result in fines and the vehicle being barred from use. Regularise it rather than hoping.

Banking

Alpha Bank, Eurobank, the National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank are the main banks. Revolut and Wise are heavily used by newcomers, but a Greek IBAN is still needed for some payroll, utility and government purposes, so plan on having both.

Schools

Greek public schools are free. Private and international schools following IB, British and American curricula concentrate in Athens and Thessaloniki, and fees vary enough that they need researching school by school rather than as a range.

Language

Greek is not required for daily life in Athens, Thessaloniki or tourist areas. It is required for bureaucracy, for deeper integration and for citizenship. The Ellinomatheia certification levels are the standard measure, and the citizenship route expects them.

The rhythm of the year

August slows almost everything down. Afternoon quiet hours are observed and enforceable. Orthodox Easter, not Christmas, is the main annual holiday. All three have practical implications for appointments, deliveries and moving dates — do not schedule anything that needs a public office in the first two weeks of August.

Pets

An EU pet passport, microchipping and rabies vaccination are the baseline for bringing an animal in. Requirements differ by country of origin, so check before you book a flight rather than at the airport.

Related