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The student housing situation in Greece has never been worse. Sky-high rents, hard-to-find dorm spots, squeezed incomes, and general price hikes are pushing parents and students to their limits.

The issue is especially pressing this year following the release of national university entrance exam results. Small, affordable apartments are becoming harder to find, with prices up an average of 7.3% compared to last year. According to data from the Geoaxis Values Observatory, student housing rents have risen 110% over the past decade, while household incomes have moved in the opposite direction.

Many families can’t cover the cost of sending their children to study in another city, even with the housing subsidy of up to 2,500 euros available for those who share accommodation.

Student Housing: Dorm Spots Scarce, Just 9,200 Beds For 200,000 Students

Students report that dormitories are scarce, with poor hygiene and living conditions in many cases, while admission criteria require students to be near the poverty line. Dorms cover less than 6% of students studying away from home. Six universities in Athens have no dormitory at all, and 17 cities with significant student populations lack one entirely.

According to the National Housing Strategy, which cites data from the Education Ministry’s National Student Housing Strategy (2026-2035), public dormitories offer 9,200 functional beds, covering a very small share of the 200,000 students (out of 351,000 total) who study away from home, compared to a European average of 15-18%.

Geographically, dormitories are missing in cities like Volos, Lamia, Alexandroupoli, Kastoria, and Ptolemaida, while existing dorms in Heraklion, Rethymno, Komotini, Kozani, and Florina don’t have enough spots. Adding to the low coverage is the fact that much of the existing dorm stock, built in the 1970s and 1980s, has never been properly renovated.

Student Housing: Up To 550 Euros For A Home In Athens

Student housing prices start at 400 euros in Patras and Volos, reach 450-500 euros in Heraklion and Thessaloniki, and hit 550 euros in Athens. In Ioannina, a city with a strong student population, a modern all-inclusive student housing complex with utilities built in (electricity, heating, internet) costs 680 euros, while basic studios in the area start at 250 euros and rise depending on proximity to the center.

Sample rents by city, as reported by MEGA:

  • Athens: ~550€
  • Thessaloniki: ~500€
  • Patras: ~400€
  • Volos: ~400€
  • Heraklion: ~450€

Tips for parents and students:

  • Look for housing near metro or public transit
  • Check building fees and heating costs
  • Compare total monthly costs
  • Check for dampness and energy efficiency
  • Consider sharing an apartment

More affordable areas in Athens:

Nikaia, Kypseli, Patisia-Acharnon, western suburbs

Thessaloniki rent prices:

City center ~500€, suburbs ~450€.

More affordable area:

Stavroupoli-Evosmos

Student Housing: Few Homes, High Demand — The Airbnb Effect

A lack of new construction at affordable price points and sizes appears to be hurting supply and narrowing options, making student housing an elusive goal and pushing many young people toward shared apartments, an option that wasn’t common in past years.

Short-term rentals and the large number of vacant properties have also significantly limited supply. In Athens, roughly one in four properties is estimated to sit vacant.

Real estate appraiser and agent Anna Mokakou told broadcaster MEGA that small properties are in the shortest supply because construction stalled for a decade, leaving no stock on the market. She added that short-term rentals have pulled some properties out of the long-term market, and vacant properties compound the problem.

She noted that ELSTAT data show 25% of properties in the Municipality of Athens are vacant, most of them under 80 square meters, the exact size segment in highest demand. A newly announced three-year tax exemption for vacant properties, she said, could provide some incentive for owners to bring them back to the long-term rental market.