Cost comparison · ES vs GR
Cost of buying property: Spain vs Greece
Buying costs differ sharply between Spain and Greece. Below, the one-off purchase costs and the annual costs of ownership for each — pivoted from the same researched basis as our calculators, side by side, so you can compare like for like.
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All-in one-off cost — side by side
Spain
≈ 10–14% of price (resale, all-in one-off)
All-in one-off cost — side by side
Greece
≈ 7–10% of price (all-in one-off, incl. fees)
Spain
All-in estimate
≈ 10–14% of price (resale, all-in one-off)
One-off costs — Spain
Regional: ~6% Madrid, 7% Andalucía, 8% Murcia, 10–11% Catalonia & Valencia. The single biggest cost.
New-builds from a developer pay 10% IVA plus ~1–1.5% AJD instead of ITP.
Set by official scale; the notary executes the escritura.
Registering the deed at the Registro de la Propiedad.
Independent lawyer (abogado) — strongly recommended for foreign buyers.
Annual costs — Spain
Annual, on the cadastral value (not market price).
On imputed income (1.1–2% of cadastral value) even if you never rent it. 19% for EU owners, 24% non-EU.
Building/community charges and municipal waste tax.
Greece
All-in estimate
≈ 7–10% of price (all-in one-off, incl. fees)
One-off costs — Greece
On the assessed value of resale property. New-build 24% VAT remains suspended through 2026, so 3.09% generally applies.
Executes the deed; regulated scale plus VAT.
Lawyer runs title checks at the land registry / cadastre (Κτηματολόγιο) — essential, title quality varies.
Typically paid by the buyer in Greece.
Registration of the deed.
Annual costs — Greece
Annual, on taxable value; discounts for insured homes.
Progressive on long-term rental income.
Required for non-EU non-residents for tax correspondence.
Costs are only half the decision. Get fair-price analysis, legal flags and rental ROI for a specific address.
Run the full dossier on a property →Frequently asked
Is it cheaper to buy property in Spain or Greece?
Typical all-in one-off costs are ≈ 10–14% of price (resale, all-in one-off) in Spain and ≈ 7–10% of price (all-in one-off, incl. fees) in Greece. Compare the full breakdowns above and use each country's calculator for a price-specific figure before deciding.
How much are buying costs in Spain on top of the price?
For a resale, budget roughly 10–14% of the purchase price all-in: regional ITP transfer tax (6–11%) is the bulk, plus notary, registry and legal fees of about 2–3% combined. New-builds pay 10% IVA plus ~1–1.5% AJD instead of ITP.
How much does it cost to buy property in Greece?
Transfer tax is low at just 3.09% on resale property, but notary, legal, agent and registry fees push the all-in cost to roughly 7–10% of the price. New-build VAT (24%) remains suspended through 2026, so 3.09% generally applies in practice.