Utility payments in Greece

The amount of utility payments depends on the specific object and its location.

Electricity

Electricity is paid according to the readings of the meter. The prices of electricity depend on the total area of the property, the amount of taxes and consumption. The cost of electricity also depends on consumption, but here the reverse progression works: the more it is used, the cheaper it is.

The electricity bill comes once every two months and includes the costs of garbage collection, payment of public television, as well as municipal taxes and fees. Read more about electricity tariffs and payment plans at https://www.dei.gr/en/ stare electricity company (in English).

A kw-hour costs about €0.1. Average for an apartment of 60 square meters. The monthly electricity bill is €30-40 in summer and can reach €70–120 in winter.

In the cold season, due to heating, depending on the type of heating device, electricity or gas costs can increase significantly.

Water supply

Water supply in Greece is carried out through local suppliers, the two largest of which are EYDAP in Athens and EYATH in Thessaloniki.

The frequency of receipt of bills for water supply depends on the region. Somewhere they come once a year, quarter or month. About 75% of the amount spent on water will have to be paid for consumption. The more water you use, the more expensive a cubic meter costs. Water supply for households costs from €0.45 to approximately €4 per cubic meter. m depending on the volume of consumption.

Water is always more expensive on the islands than in mainland Greece. For example, the water bill for a family of three, which lives in Thessaloniki and uses resources sparingly, will be approximately €60 per year. If such a family lives in a small house or apartment on the islands, the bill will already be around €100-120 per year. If you don't save water at all, you can pay €250–300 per year.

There is no central hot water supply in Greece. Water is heated by electricity, heating boilers or in tanks on the roofs of houses using solar energy (solar batteries).

Heating

80% of houses in Greece do not have central heating. They are heated with diesel fuel and gas. Diesel is expensive – €3–4 thousand. in year Gas heating systems are cheaper – about €2–3 thousand. in year These systems also heat water. In many houses there are stoves or fireplaces.

Gas

Centralized gas supply there is only in large cities, such as Athens and Thessaloniki. The receipt, which comes once every two months, also includes the system maintenance fee – €8–10. Gas bill range for small apartment is about – €300-400 per year.

Internet, TV, telephone

The most popular telecom operators in Greece – Cosmote, Vodafone and Nova. Mobile communication with unlimited calls and internet will cost about €35-40per month. Unlimited internet plus landline phone will cost approximately €30-40 per month. And if you connect through your provider and television, then on average you will have to pay about €60 per month.

Complex maintenance fee

Between the residents of a multi-apartment or villas complexes there are some common costs that are shared, which amount got to be from €300 up to 2000 per year depend on the common infrastructure (pools, gardens, playgrounds etc). In large complexes with developed infrastructure, the maintenance fee can reach up to €4 thousand. in year

Additional costs

Owners of Greek real estate are obliged to report to the tax authorities about real eastate. First, within a month after the transaction, it is necessary to submit an E9 declaration (about ownership). And further, the foreigner annually has to fill out tax declaration E1 (about income). In Greece, the application for income is submitted, even if the income is zero.

You can fill and submit yourself. But to make life easier, you can outsource it with specialists. The cost of submitting one declaration – from €50. Usually, such services are provided by real estate management companies or accounting agencies.

Property insurance

Real estate insurance in Greece is optional and the owner decides if they want this option. But if the real estate is purchased with the help of a mortgage loan, it will not be possible to get without insurance. The cost of the policy depends on the type of real estate, its price, area, floors, year of construction and insurance cases included in the contract. Usually, full apartment insurance costs from €140 per year, villas – at least €350 thousand.

Note : if the owner makes the insurance in 2024. They ll get a discount of up to 10% on the annual ENFIA tax next year.