Faced with an unprecedented housing crisis there are thousands of students and their families in view of the new academic year as the cost of the tenancy of a small housing – Up to 50 sqm – in Athens, Piraeus and Thessaloniki has been launched. The market for student housing now has full deregulation features, with low -cost options almost disappearing and the demanded prices to constantly record new highs.
In Athens, the picture is heartbreaking. 40% of homes have a rental cost of over 600 euros, while one in five exceeds even 700 euros, regardless of age or energy status. The rentals with a rent of up to 300 euros are now found almost exclusively in Kato Patisia, Omonia and the area around Larissa Station, and are old, non -renovated and small surface. Kypseli, Patisia, the New World and the Botanical move in the area of 400–500 euros, while Ilisia, Exarchia, Neapoli and Koukaki – except for the tourist triangle – show prices between 500 and 600 euros. More expensive areas such as Mets, Plaka, Makrigianni and Kolonaki record rents starting at 600 and reaching or exceeding 800 euros for small apartments.
Even in the western suburbs, which for decades were considered a safe choice for a financial student house, prices have been ejected. In Peristeri, Aigaleo, Cologne and Sepolia, 78% of the apartments available up to 50 sq.m. It costs over 400 euros, while four out of ten houses exceed 500 euros. 20% of apartments now reach 600 euros, and only in a few cases – mainly old, non -refurbished real estate away from subway – can some home between 300 and 400 euros be found.
The picture in the southern suburbs is even more unfavorable. In Kallithea, where until recently, 72.6% of apartments were found to be solutions for students due to location and transport connection. Only one in ten houses are available between 400 and 450 euros, while real estate below 300 euros have now disappeared. The situation is even more accurate in Paleo Faliro and Nea Smyrna, where the average prices for student residences are over 600 euros.
In the northern suburbs, the bar goes up even more. In Holargos, Chalandri, Agia Paraskevi, Marousi and Kifissia, 90% of the apartments available up to 50 sq.m. It is offered for rent with a rent of more than 500 euros, while almost half of the houses exceed 700 euros. Even in areas that were traditionally considered more “affordable”, such as Galatsi and Ano Patisia, prices have grown spectacularly, especially for real estate near subway or recently renovated stations.
In Piraeus, the situation is evolving at a similar speed. In 2025, almost 66% of the apartments available up to 50 sq.m. Available with a rent of over 500 euros, compared to just 12% in 2022. Plus, rents of less than 300 euros are non -existent, while less than one in ten are moving to the area of 400–450 euros. The rise is mainly attributed to the tourism of the coastal front, but also to the growing demand for small homes by workers or young people without a family.
The picture in Thessaloniki is also alarming. Nearly 7 in 10 houses up to 50 sq.m. They have a rent of more than 400 euros, while 30% now exceeds 500 euros. Only 4.75% of the properties are available with a rent of up to 300 euros – a reduced rate compared to 11.3% recorded in 2023. The areas around Agios Dimitrios, Kato Toumpa, Upper Town, Rotonda and Agia Triada still offer a few solutions below 300 euros, ’70 or ’80s, though often renovated. A little more availability is located in the Vardar region, where relatively newer real estate can be found below the psychological limit of 300 euros.
The overall picture leaves no room for optimism. With prices escaping from any previous one, finding a student residence at reasonable costs has evolved into a marathon for a few lucky ones, and for the majority of young students, the establishment in another city now looks like a luxury. In this environment, the need for housing policies is not just timely – it is imperative.