In 2026, Greek households need €800 more to buy what they bought in 2025

In 2026, Greek households need around €800 more to buy what they bought in 2025. Inflation is no longer measured in official percentages, but in what remains at the end of the month — and what remains is shrinking from one month to the next, despite declared wage increases and support measures, Dnews.gr reports.

Housing remains the heaviest weight on the family budget. Average asking rents in Athens and neighboring municipalities are around €9.80 per square meter, which means an 80-square-meter apartment costs around €785 a month — around €600 in Patissia and €608 in Vyronas. According to ELSTAT, tenant households spend on average 23.4% of their monthly budget on housing, with rent alone accounting for 17.3%.

Another major burden is transport. Greek households spent on average €247.93 a month in 2025, 7.9% more than a year earlier. On September 24, the national average price of 95-octane gasoline was €2.199 per liter, compared to €1.751 in September 2024 — a 25.6% increase — while diesel rose 45.8%, to €2.224 from €1.525. Filling a 50-liter tank now costs around €110 for gasoline, compared to €87.55 two years ago, and €111.20 for diesel, compared to €76.25.

Food has also become noticeably more expensive. In 2025, household spending rose 9.9% for meat, 8% for fish, 5.4% for fruit and 11.9% for coffee, tea and cocoa — but they bought less. Quantities purchased fell 2.6% for fish, 2.4% for bread and bakery products, 1.6% for vegetables and 1.2% for fruit and milk.

The cost of living has now become the central political issue in Greece. Polls rank it as citizens’ top concern, with around half saying their financial situation is worse than a year ago, while wage increases and support measures are judged by a simple measure: by what remains after rent, food and transport are paid.