Best fit by profile
For families
Italy
For tech workers
Greece
Lower budget
Greece
Faster residency
Greece
Greece vs Italy
Compare Greece and Italy across visas, costs, education, healthcare, community fit, and the path to residency.
Overall picture
Greece leads in 3 of 12 equal-weight categories.
This comparison is based on general data and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Verify details with official sources.
Data last reviewed: 2026-06-03 · 2 sources
| Category | Greece | Italy |
|---|---|---|
Visa & Entry Leads: Greece | 4/5 Digital Nomad Visa and Golden Visa are straightforward; limited bureaucracy. | 3/5 Startup Visa and elective residency are available; bureaucracy can be slow. |
Cost of Living Leads: Greece | 4/5 Athens and most cities are affordable; significantly cheaper than Western Europe. | 3/5 Affordable outside Milan; Rome and major cities are moderate. |
Housing Leads: Greece | 4/5 Rents outside Athens are very affordable; Athens itself is still competitive. | 3/5 Excellent value outside northern cities; Milan comparable to Western Europe. |
Healthcare Leads: Italy | 3/5 Public healthcare is available; private supplemental insurance recommended. | 4/5 Servizio Sanitario Nazionale provides universal coverage; quality varies by region. |
Education Leads: Italy | 3/5 Public schools are adequate; good international school options in Athens. | 4/5 Good public schooling; strong international schools in major cities. |
Taxes Tied | 3/5 Flat 7% tax for foreign pension income under certain regimes; standard rates apply otherwise. | 3/5 EUR 100k flat-tax regime (Res Non-Dom) available for new residents moving to Italy. |
Safety Tied | 4/5 Very low violent crime; safe for families in most areas. | 4/5 Generally very safe; low violent crime rates. |
Language Tied | 2/5 Greek is required for integration; English is widely spoken in tourist areas. | 2/5 Italian required for daily life outside tourist areas. |
Israeli/Jewish Community Tied | 2/5 Small Jewish community (~5k); mostly in Athens and Thessaloniki. | 2/5 Historic Jewish communities in Rome and Milan; approximately 30k Jews total. |
Job Market Tied | 2/5 Limited local job market; best suited for remote workers or retirees. | 2/5 High unemployment nationally; best for remote workers or entrepreneurs. |
Path to PR Tied | 3/5 5 years of legal residence leads to long-term EU residence permit. | 3/5 EU long-term residence available after 5 years of legal stay. |
Path to Citizenship Tied | 2/5 Citizenship requires 7 years and Greek language proficiency. | 2/5 Standard path requires 10 years; descendancy route faster for eligible applicants. |
Typical salaries (Software Engineer)
| Low | Median | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 18,000 EUR | 28,000 EUR | 40,000 EUR |
| Italy | 25,000 EUR | 35,000 EUR | 50,000 EUR |