Greece
A solid all-round choice. Ranked 21 of 40, strongest on climate, softest on retiree visa.
Key facts
Visa & residency
Financially Independent Person (FIP) national long-stay visa and residence permit
Minimum passive income of about EUR 3,500 per month for a single applicant, plus roughly 20% (EUR 700) for a spouse and 15% (EUR 525) per dependent child. Over USD 3,000 per month, so a high band.
For US and UK retirees this is the Greek national path, not EU freedom of movement. Enter on a long-stay visa valid up to 12 months, then obtain a temporary residence permit valid three years and renewable. Income must be passive (pension, rental, dividends); the permit does not grant labour market access. Path to permanent residency after five years.
Healthcare
Greece has a universal public healthcare system called ESY (Ethniko Systima Ygeias) providing free or low-cost care to residents. The WHO once ranked Greece 14th globally for overall healthcare performance; quality is high in cities.
Non-EU expats typically need private health insurance; public insurance (EFKA/IKA) does not cover private hospitals, and proof of health insurance is required for residence permits. Private facilities offer newer equipment and shorter waits.
Cost of living
Cost of living (excluding rent) is about 23% lower than the US; including rent about 36% lower. A single person's estimated monthly costs are around EUR 784 excluding rent, and a family of four around EUR 2,767 excluding rent.
Rent is roughly 66% lower than in the US. A one-bedroom city-centre apartment averages about EUR 484 per month and a three-bedroom about EUR 821.
Safety & climate
Greece ranked 40th of the countries measured in the 2024 Global Peace Index with a score of 1.793, up 17 places, reflecting a peaceful and stable environment.
The climate is predominantly Mediterranean, with hot, sunny, dry summers and mild, wet winters where snow rarely lasts. Complex geography gives many micro-climates and local variations.
Community & language
Greece is a popular retirement destination with a high English-speaking community; expat retirees concentrate around Athens, Crete, Rhodes, Santorini and Corfu. Greece scores 592 on the EF English Proficiency Index (rank 20, High band).
Official language is Greek; English is widely spoken in cities and tourist areas.
Taxes
Greece offers a flat 7% tax on foreign-sourced income, including foreign pensions, for qualifying new tax residents, exhausting the tax liability on that income; it applies for up to 15 years and is paid in one instalment by the last working day of July. Application by 31 March of the tax year.
To use the pensioner regime the retiree must transfer tax residence from a country that has an administrative-cooperation (double taxation) agreement with Greece, and must not have been a Greek tax resident for five of the previous six years. US citizens remain taxed by the US on worldwide income.
Compare Greece with its closest rivals
The three countries whose RetireScore sits nearest.
