Home / Athens / Living in Athens
A genuine international city, full healthcare and schooling infrastructure, and the increasingly sought-after Athens Riviera coastline — a different proposition entirely to island living.
Athens offers something no Greek island can: a genuine, full-scale international city, with the infrastructure, healthcare, schooling and year-round depth that implies. For relocating clients who want Greece without the seasonal rhythm and infrastructure limitations of island life, Athens — and increasingly the Athens Riviera coastline running southeast from the city — has become one of the most compelling options in the entire Greek property market.
The coastline running from the southern edge of Athens through Glyfada, Voula, Vouliagmeni and on toward Cape Sounio has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade, driven significantly by the redevelopment of the former Hellinikon airport site into one of Europe's largest urban regeneration projects. This area now combines genuine big-city infrastructure with a coastal, almost island-like lifestyle — marinas, beach clubs, excellent restaurants — within a thirty-minute drive of central Athens and the international airport.
Athens has Greece's best private and public healthcare infrastructure by a clear margin, including internationally regarded specialist hospitals. The city also hosts the largest concentration of international schools in Greece, covering British, American and International Baccalaurate curricula, which makes it the single most straightforward Greek location for relocating families prioritising schooling continuity.
We see Athens chosen overwhelmingly by two groups: professionals and entrepreneurs relocating their primary residence and wanting genuine city infrastructure and career connectivity alongside the non-dom tax benefits, and families prioritising schooling and healthcare access above the island lifestyle. It is generally a less natural fit for clients whose primary motivation is the slower, more seasonal pace of island life.
Given how different Athens's various neighbourhoods are from one another — Kolonaki and Vouliagmeni offer genuinely different lifestyles within the same city — a structured, multi-area visit is particularly valuable here, more so than on most islands where the core decision is simply which village.
For relocating professionals and entrepreneurs, Athens offers something no island can: a genuine business ecosystem, an international airport with extensive direct connections, and increasingly, given the non-dom tax regime's appeal, a growing community of international professionals and entrepreneurs who have made the same move. This network effect has become a meaningful part of Athens's appeal beyond the lifestyle considerations alone.
Beyond its practical advantages, Athens offers a genuine cultural depth — world-class museums and archaeological sites, an increasingly celebrated food and restaurant scene, and the kind of everyday urban culture that island life, however beautiful, simply cannot replicate. For clients who value this alongside Greece's natural beauty, Athens offers a combination unavailable anywhere else in the country.
Athens traffic, particularly in central areas during peak hours, is a genuine consideration for daily life, and many relocating families factor this directly into their choice of neighbourhood relative to schools, work and amenities. The city’s expanding metro network has eased this considerably in well-served areas, which is worth weighing alongside more obvious lifestyle factors.
No forms, no obligation. A confidential discussion about your plans, on your terms.
Start the Discovery ProgrammeIs Athens a good choice for relocating families specifically?
Often yes, particularly given the concentration of international schools and full healthcare infrastructure — advantages islands generally cannot match.
What is the Athens Riviera, exactly?
The coastline running southeast from Athens through Glyfada, Voula and Vouliagmeni toward Cape Sounio, significantly transformed in recent years by major redevelopment including the former Hellinikon airport site, now combining coastal lifestyle with full city access.
Is Athens more expensive than the islands?
It varies considerably by neighbourhood — central Kolonaki and the premium Riviera areas command island-level or higher prices, while other parts of the city remain considerably more affordable than premium island locations.