Student housing in Athens: shared flat, studio or residence?

Residence, studio or shared flat: the options for a student in Athens, 2026 rents neighbourhood by neighbourhood and the procedures to plan for.

The Remoters editorial team

Published on

15 July 2023

Updated on

6 October 2026

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As a student in Athens, you have three options: a place in a university residence, a studio just for yourself, or a shared flat in a two- or three-bedroom apartment. Residences are scarce, studios in the centre have risen markedly, and a shared flat is often still the simplest way to keep to a budget in a well-located neighbourhood.

Student rents keep rising. According to the Spitogatos portal, the asking rent for student housing in the municipality of Athens reached €13.3 per square metre in the second quarter of 2026, up 6.6% over one year. In practice, a studio of about 40 m² is listed at around €530 per month at that price level, excluding utilities. Across Attica, for all types of housing, asking rents rose 4.5% over the same period.

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Residence, studio or shared flat: comparing the three options

The university residence

Places in university residences (estía) are few relative to needs. According to the Deputy Minister of Education, interviewed by ERTnews in August 2026, about 12,000 students are currently housed in residences across Greece. The state plans to add some 8,600 places within two years, and acknowledges that several older buildings in Athens need to be renovated. Ask your university as soon as you are admitted, but plan a solution on the private market.

The studio

The studio offers independence, at a price that depends a lot on the neighbourhood. In the most affordable areas such as Neos Kosmos, a studio rents for around €450 per month. In the centre, where Spitogatos records €16.4 per square metre, a 40 m² studio exceeds €650 per month.

The shared flat

Sharing a two- or three-bedroom apartment remains the most economical option in well-served neighbourhoods. As an example, a two-bedroom flat rents for between €780 and €850 per month in Pangrati, or about €400 each for two. In a cheaper neighbourhood like Kypseli, where Spitogatos records €11.8 per square metre, a 60 m² apartment comes to around €710 per month, or about €355 per person.

Add the building charges (koinochrista), electricity, water and internet. Always ask what is included in the advertised rent.

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Athens neighbourhoods for students

Spitogatos tracks rents in the neighbourhoods most in demand among students. The gaps are clear: from one to more than one and a half times depending on the area.

The most expensive

Kolonaki and Lycabettus: the most expensive student area in Athens, at €16.7 per square metre, despite a 5.1% drop over one year.
Central Athens: €16.4 per square metre, with the biggest rise in Attica over one year (up 25.8%).
Koukaki and Makrygianni: €15.6 per square metre, at the foot of the Acropolis and well served by the metro.

The most affordable

Kypseli: €11.8 per square metre, a working-class neighbourhood close to the centre.
Patission Avenue and Acharnon: €11.9 per square metre.
Nikaia, on the Piraeus side: €10.5 per square metre, the cheapest of the student areas tracked.

In between

Exarchia and Neapoli: an alternative neighbourhood, popular with students, where rents rose 8.8% over one year. According to Spitogatos, 76% of the student housing offered there is renovated.
Pangrati: residential and quiet, with 73% renovated homes in the student offer.
Zografou: 59% renovated homes, an offer that is often more recent.
Ampelokipoi and Pentagono: up 8% over one year.

The supply is concentrated: central Athens accounts for 46.5% of the student housing available in Attica, and the southern suburbs 28%. If you are aiming for a more outlying neighbourhood, check the journey by metro or bus to your faculty.

Application, lease and procedures

Before signing, prepare these items:

a Greek tax number (AFM): it is compulsory to sign a lease;
an ID and, most often, proof of enrolment at the university;
proof of resources: scholarship, bank statement or a guarantor's commitment;
the sum to pay at move-in: the security deposit is generally one to two months' rent, to which the first month is added. If you go through an agency, its commission is generally equal to one month's rent.

The Greek residential lease has a legal minimum duration of three years and must be declared on the Taxisnet tax platform. For a shorter stay, discuss it with the landlord before signing and have the conditions for leaving specified in writing.

The student housing allowance

Greece pays a housing allowance to students who meet its conditions. According to the Ministry of Education, its amount can reach €2,000 or €2,500 per year depending on the case, and the 2026 budget devoted to it reaches €90 million. The application is made online with Taxisnet credentials, within a deadline set each year: for 2025-2026, it expired on 31 July 2026. Check your eligibility before counting on this aid.

Precautions to take

Pay nothing before viewing, in person or through someone you trust.
Verify the owner's identity and the existence of the property.
Do an inventory with photos at move-in.
Start early: demand climbs in the weeks before the start of term.

Finding faster, even remotely

The main listing platforms are Spitogatos, Xe and Tospitimou. They are mostly in Greek: prepare a list of keywords (studio, room, furnished, utilities) and filter by neighbourhood.

If you cannot travel, a Remoters home finder based in Athens can search for you, visit properties, put together your application and review the lease before signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.