Head to head
Buying property in Portugal vs Greece
Answer first: it turns on who is buying, and both countries reserve their best rate for someone who will live in the home. Portugal's headline 0.8 percent is stamp duty only, and a first-time buyer aged 35 or under pays neither that nor IMT on a permanent home up to EUR 330,539 in 2026. Greece charges about 5 percent all in, but its first-home exemption removes the 3.09 percent transfer tax for a buyer who already lives in Greece or settles there within two years. Buy a second home in either and both discounts vanish: Portugal's flat 7.5 percent IMT for non-residents takes the bill to about 8.3 percent, against roughly 5 percent in Greece. The table below shows what sits behind each number, from the same dataset that powers our country guides.
Portugal and Greece draw many of the same cross-border buyers, and the question of which one is cheaper to actually transact in has a data answer. This page puts the two side by side using the reviewed figures behind our full Portugal and Greece country guides: what the buyer pays at closing, which taxes apply and who pays them, who signs off on the deal, and what it costs to sell again later.
The machinery differs less than the bill does. The professional in charge in Portugal: Notary (notário) or Casa Pronta official, with the deal recorded at the Conservatória do Registo Predial (Land Registry), administered by IRN. In Greece: Civil-law notary (symvolaiografos), recorded at the Hellenic Cadastre (Ktimatologio). Both systems exist to make a sale between strangers safe and final, including foreign ones.
Side by side
How do Portugal and Greece compare on transaction costs?
| Cost or rule | Portugal | Greece |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer-side closing costs | About 0.8% (stamp duty; IMT extra) | About 5% of the price |
| Typical agent commission | 3 to 5% | 2 to 4% |
| Who oversees the transfer | Notary (notário) or Casa Pronta official | Civil-law notary (symvolaiografos) |
| Land registry | Conservatória do Registo Predial (Land Registry), administered by IRN | Hellenic Cadastre (Ktimatologio) |
| Main purchase taxes | IMT, Imposto Municipal sobre as Transmissões Onerosas de Imóveis (property transfer tax) IMT flat 7.5% for non-resident buyers (2026) | Property transfer tax plus municipal surcharge (Foros Metavivasis Akiniton) Cadastre and land-registry registration fees |
| Currency | EUR (€) | EUR (€) |
Behind the figures
What do the numbers mean?
The buyer-side figure bundles the transfer tax, the notary or registration fees, and the filing costs into one reviewed percentage per market. It is a typical figure, not a quote: each country's own rules move it up or down, and the notes from our dataset spell out how.
- Portugal: In Portugal, buyers pay ~0.8% stamp duty plus IMT (property transfer tax, 0 to 7.5%+ depending on residency). Sellers have minimal fixed costs (energy cert ~EUR 120 to 300, documents ~EUR 15) but may owe capital gains tax on profit (50% inclusion at up to 48% marginal for residents); no fixed seller closing % is standard.
- Greece: Buyers in Greece pay ~3.09% transfer tax plus ~0.5% registry and ~1.5% notary with VAT, totaling ~5% closing costs; sellers typically bear no transaction costs beyond optional agent commission.
Both markets price in EUR, so the percentages give a sense of scale on a €200,000 home: about €1,600 in Portugal, before IMT, which adds 0 to 7.5 percent depending on price and residency, and about €10,000 in Greece. Treat both as ballpark figures; the notes above explain what moves them.
Closing costs are half the answer. Asking prices differ too, and our house prices by country table puts both markets on the same footing there.
Selling later
What happens when you sell in Portugal or Greece?
The market you buy into is also the market you will one day sell in, and the exit cost is mostly the agent. Commission typically runs 3 to 5% of the price in Portugal and 2 to 4% in Greece. On a €200,000 sale that is roughly €6,000 to €10,000 in Portugal and €4,000 to €8,000 in Greece. The commission table shows how both compare with every other market we track.
Commission is negotiable in both countries, and owners can sell without an agent in either, which keeps the exit cost in your hands rather than baked into the market. Our roundup of the best FSBO sites in Portugal shows where owners list there. For the other side, see the best FSBO sites in Greece.
The verdict
Which is the better market to buy in, Portugal or Greece?
The heavier work is on the Greek side of the file, and it starts before a buyer appears. A Greek sale needs a civil engineer to compile the Electronic Building Identity, which reconciles the building against its permits and surfaces any unauthorized construction, plus two separate AADE clearances, and the notary cannot execute the deed until all of it is in hand. Portugal collapses the same stage into one government appointment: Casa Pronta executes the deed, settles IMT and stamp duty, and lodges the Land Registry entry in a single sitting.
Neither answer replaces the full picture. The Portugal and Greece country guides cover the transfer professional, the registry, and the taxes in detail, and our buying abroad guide walks through financing, money transfer, and remote purchases for any market.
Official sources for the visa and eligibility claims on this page
- Lei n.º 73-A/2025, State Budget for 2026 (Portugal, IMT thresholds and IMT Jovem)
- Decreto-Lei n.º 97/2026 (Portugal, flat 7.5% IMT for non-resident buyers)
- Real Estate Transfer Tax and the first-home exemption (AADE)
- Law 5246/2025 (Greece, VAT suspension on new buildings extended), AADE legislative library
Common questions about buying in Portugal vs Greece
Is it cheaper to buy a house in Portugal or Greece?
Portugal for a buyer moving in, Greece for a buyer who is not. A first-time Portuguese buyer aged 35 or under pays no IMT and no stamp duty on a permanent home up to EUR 330,539 in 2026, and any resident buying a permanent home pays no IMT below EUR 106,346, leaving the 0.8 percent stamp duty. Greece charges about 5 percent all in, roughly 3.09 percent transfer tax plus registry and notary fees, and its first-home exemption only removes the transfer tax part. A non-resident buying a second home pays a flat 7.5 percent IMT in Portugal from 2026 plus the 0.8 percent stamp duty, about 8.3 percent, so Greece is the cheaper side by around three points. Purchase prices are a separate question.
Who oversees the property transfer in Portugal and Greece?
In Portugal: Notary (notário) or Casa Pronta official, with the transfer recorded at the Conservatória do Registo Predial (Land Registry), administered by IRN. In Greece: Civil-law notary (symvolaiografos), with the transfer recorded at the Hellenic Cadastre (Ktimatologio). In both countries the oversight comes with the transfer itself, so it applies whether or not an agent introduced the parties.
What are the main purchase taxes in Portugal and Greece?
The headline purchase tax in Portugal is the IMT, Imposto Municipal sobre as Transmissões Onerosas de Imóveis (property transfer tax). In Greece it is the Property transfer tax plus municipal surcharge (Foros Metavivasis Akiniton). Each country guide covers the full list, including the smaller registry and filing charges.
What does it cost to sell a home later in Portugal or Greece?
Agent commission typically runs 3 to 5% of the price in Portugal and 2 to 4% in Greece, and commission is negotiable in both markets. Owners can also sell without an agent in either country, which turns the commission into a choice rather than a fixed exit cost.
Which buyers pay less than the headline rate in Portugal or Greece?
Both countries discount the purchase tax, on different tests. Portugal uses age: under IMT Jovem, a first-time buyer aged 35 or under acquiring a permanent own home pays no IMT and no stamp duty up to EUR 330,539 in 2026, with partial relief above that, and any resident buying a permanent home on the mainland pays no IMT below EUR 106,346. Greece uses household size: AADE exempts the 3 percent transfer tax on value up to EUR 200,000 for an unmarried buyer and EUR 250,000 for a married one, rising by EUR 25,000 for each of the first two children and EUR 30,000 for each child after that, for Greek, EU, and EEA nationals and certain long-term residents who live in Greece or settle there within two years. One practical gap: the Portuguese relief clears the stamp duty and registration charges too, while the Greek exemption removes only the transfer tax, so the notary and cadastre fees still stand.
What if I am buying a holiday home rather than moving there?
Then neither relief is available to you, and Greece is the cheaper purchase. From 2026 every non-resident buyer of residential property in Portugal pays a flat 7.5 percent IMT with no brackets and no primary-home relief, which with the 0.8 percent stamp duty comes to about 8.3 percent; the standard rates return only if you become a Portuguese tax resident within two years or commit the home to long-term letting. Greece leaves a non-resident buyer at the ordinary 3.09 percent transfer tax plus registry and notary fees, about 5 percent. New builds are the one place that could change: they would fall under 24 percent VAT instead of the transfer tax, but Greece extended the VAT suspension to December 31, 2026 under Law 5246/2025, so new-build sales in the suspension keep the 3.09 percent treatment.