Athens, Greece Report of what it's like to live there - 05/17/25
Personal Experiences from Athens, Greece
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No. We have lived in multiple countries in the Middle East, and this was our second posting in Europe.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
DC. It's pretty easy to get back, with lots of available flights. During tourist season there are direct flights, out of season it's still easy to do with only one layover.
3. What years did you live here?
2022-2025.
4. How long have you lived here?
Three years.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We have a spacious three bedroom apartment in Paleo Psychiko, with an easy 20min commute. Singles tend to live in apartments closer to downtown and the embassy, affording them a walking commute. Most families seem to live in the northern suburbs in multi-story townhouses, with a commute ranging from 40min to over an hour depending on traffic.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Everything you could want is available. The quality of the produce is so much higher than in the US, and there are farmers' markets twice a week in each neighborhood.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Hot sauce. Pretty much everything is readily available here.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Like most of the community, we use Wolt for delivery of takeout and groceries. The scooters with the blue Wolt boxes on them are ubiquitous around Athens. Greek restaurants dominate the market and we thought we'd get sick of it after a while, but even after three years I still love Greek cuisine; it's a testament to the quality of the ingredients.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
We didn't have any problems and I can't recall anyone else having a bug problem.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
DPO.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Household help costs around 10 euro/hour and is readily available, both nannies and housekeepers.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
This is a low-crime area and we always felt incredibly safe outdoors. There are a lot of green spaces to go walking, running, hiking, etc. Athens sits in a bowl surrounded by mountains, so it's easy to go hiking. For us, it was a 15min drive to the base of our favorite running/hiking mountain. As for cycling, there's some pretty hardcore downhill MTB available. For road cycling, that's the one thing we avoided due to safety issues. Greek driving is a bit chaotic and the roads aren't great, seemingly designed to minimize sightlines once you're off the main thoroughfares.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
The embassy has a decent gym, but if it's not up to par for you, there are gyms all over town. It's a beach culture so people keep fit for swimsuit season.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. We really just used cash to pay for taxis and our household help. ATMs are common and safe to use.
6. What English-language religious services are available locally?
We're not religious, but I know for friends that there's an English-language Catholic service available.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You can get by with just pleasantries. Athens is so dependent on tourism that English is commonly spoken/understood. We didn't do any Greek language classes, but I can't imagine they'd be hard to find or expensive.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Yes. This city has a lot of verticality to it and is decidedly not ADA compliant. You'll find a lot of broken sidewalks, high curbs, and stairs; but not a lot of ramps.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
They're readily available, safe, and affordable. The reliability of the metro system makes it stands out in comparison to pretty much everything else the Greek government administers.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
You find pretty much all kinds of vehicles here, but I'd recommend against any large SUV or minivan. This is a city/country of narrow roads and tight, parallel parking spaces.
One thing to be aware of is that the dip sales market is pretty limited and if you import a vehicle, it can take the Greek government months to get you your license plates. Leasing a vehicle seems to be a good alternative.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes. It's normally set up when you arrive.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
We used the local providor and it worked great. The only reason I'd keep a phone from your home country is due to the increasing need for (and pain in the ass from) multi-factor authentification for accounts from your home country.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
There are dogs and cats everywhere here, with veterinarians and pet stores readily available. If you want a cat, just bring home one of the million street cats in town. We didn't import/export a pet, so I don't know about the quarantine requirements.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
EFM jobs or working remote for their companies back in the US. With the planned downsizing at the US Dept of State, I wouldn't rely on the availability of EFM jobs in the future though, as those positions seem pretty tenuous.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Lots.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Greeks are generally pretty casual, but go into full nightclub mode when the sun sets. Formal dress is required for representational events, but not for anything else.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
No security concerns at all. Pickpocketing downtown during tourist season and break-ins during the August holidays when everyone is out of town are the only two crime issues.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Medical care is readily available, to include dental/orthodontic care. Europeans are less keen on prescribing medication than US physicians, but we almost exclusively used the embassy health unit.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Good.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
This is not a good place to live if you're allergic to nuts (esp pistachios), dairy, and/or seafood. It's a great place to be a vegetarian though; vegan not so much.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
No.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Long hot summers with mild winters.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
Beyond the American school, there are four British schools, a French school, a German school, a Libyan school, etc. Our kids went to one of the British schools, Campion, and loved it. We found the quality of the education to be quite high. About half of our friends who had kids in the American school complained to us about the quality of education and/or noted that they wish they'd enrolled their kids elsewhere. The extra-curricular sports seem to be the biggest draw for the American school.
2. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Yes, there are lots of sports and activities available on the local economy: swimming, gymnastics, martial arts, etc.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Large. Morale is good here since it's such a lovely place to live.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
There's a young dips group and other expat groups. Greeks are very social, so there are lots of opportunities to meet people at events.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Good for everyone. If you want to date, there's a large pool. If you want to go out late, there are clubs galore. If you want a great restaurant/cafe scene, Athens has it. If you want a place where your family and all your friends families can frolic at the beach every weekend during the summer, this is it.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
It's easy to make friends with Greeks, but you need to be prepared for late nights. On the prejudice front, Greeks are xenophobic (a Greek word, lol), especially when it comes to Muslims/Arabs after the waves of migration circa 2015-2017.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Yes. Greece recently passed legislation legalizing gay marriage and there's a yearly Pride parade.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
See above.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
The quality of our food day-to-day is a big highlight, as are the loooooong beach days with friends. We've travelled all over Greece and would list Crete, particularly western Crete, as our favorite destination for beaches and mountains.
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Beaches, mountains, and food - that's what Greece is all about. Believe it or not, the ancient ruins are pretty lame IMHO and not worth your time. As for hidden gems, you can ski here during a short season in winter, and it's not too shabby.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Not really. There are lots of trinkets to be had, but not a lot of high quality handicrafts or unique items.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Easy access to the beach, mountains, and an international airport with cheap flights to just about anywhere.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
What a long and painful process it would be to import our car and get our license plates. If we'd have known, we would've just leased a car locally, as those come with plates, and are ready to drive immediately.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
1,000%.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
formal clothes and sense of urgency.
4. But don't forget your:
sunscreen and appetite!
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
My Big Fat Greek Wedding is pretty spot on, except for the whole Windex thing. Mama Mia is worth a watch too if you want to get a feel for the island scenery.
6. Do you have any other comments?
We've absolutely loved this posting and are sad to leave!
