Here’s What $150,000 Can Buy You in Greece

Some people say “why?” while others say “why not?” Anna is the latter. After celebrating her 30th birthday, Anna decided she wanted a change of pace and “just packed my things into two suitcases and moved to Greece!”

To us plebeians living in American cul-de-sacs, making a permanent move to the Greek Islands may sound completely unconventional (perhaps even crazy?), but to Anna, the cost of living in Greece is far more affordable than what her money can buy in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Combine that with the stunning landscape of the city of Crete, where Anna is focusing her house hunt, and her logic might just be downright genius.

With an easy 45-minute flight from Athens, Crete is relatively accessible as islands go. You can drive the island’s perimeter in about 12 hours, and its mountainous terrain along the Mediterranean coastline boasts about 300 days of sunshine a year. Combine that with the fact that the cost of living here is 40 percent lower than what Anna is paying in Nashville, and this move is starting to sound like a no-brainer.

Anna’s Bargain Dream Home Wish List

• $200,000 budget
• 2 bedrooms
• Outdoor living space
• Sea views
• Updated kitchen
• Bonus: Greek boyfriend!

Anna’s real estate agent, Dion, is showing her three homes that range in price from $150,000 to $342,000 so she can experience a wide variety of what is available to her. The least expensive is also the most remote — a villa in a mountaintop village with a population of just 29.

Charming? Absolutely. Practical for Anna? Not quite. She’s not just looking for a home, she’s also hoping the move might come with a cute Greek boyfriend. “I think if I'm going to be building my life [and] meeting some people, I might need to be a little bit closer to civilization,” Anna says.

“I agree with her on that, and I think she does need to be near men,” nods her best friend (and now also ours!), Andreas.

The next two properties Anna sees are in more populated, centrally located areas. The first is in Kritsa, the largest village on the island. “This is exactly what I pictured when I thought of moving to a Greek island,” Anna says. Priced at $214,000, a similar home would go for more than double this back in Nashville.

The third and final property Anna sees is located in the town of Elounda, nicknamed “The Beverly Hills of Crete.” This home is priced at $342,000, which is much steeper than she can afford but still worth a look. "When I think about what I could get in Tennessee for $340,000 versus this view …” Anna says. The oceanfront home checks all of her boxes. Back in Nashville, a similar-sized house sells for nearly $700,000 and definitely does not include an ocean view.

Inside, the ocean views are the showstopper. “Can you imagine waking up to that every day?” Anna says as she stands on the terrace of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. “I get why it’s the price it is.”

Ultimately, while Anna is fully committed to moving halfway across the world, it turns out that she isn’t ready to commit to a mortgage. After much consideration, Anna decided that none of the houses quite suited her needs, and so she signed a long-term rental lease instead. At under $1,000 per month, she is paying less than half of what a similar-sized apartment in Nashville would cost. In the meantime, she’ll keep her eye out for The One. Time will tell if that’s a permanent Greek home or a Greek boyfriend.