While official data from Greece’s Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) suggest inflation may be easing, housing remains the single biggest driver keeping prices high for households. ELSTAT’s June figures reveal that inflation is not spreading evenly across categories — housing exerts the largest overall impact on the headline inflation rate, which stood at 4.4%.
Housing Accounts for More Than a Third of Inflation
Of that 4.4%, housing contributed 1.553 percentage points — more than one-third of the total increase. That makes it the heaviest contributor among all major categories, surpassing transport (1.018 points) and hotels, cafés, and restaurants (0.944 points). This underscores that housing costs are not just another price pressure — they are the primary engine sustaining broader inflation.
The annual rise in housing-related expenses reached 10.6%, driven by higher rents, home repairs and maintenance, housing services, electricity, natural gas, heating oil, and solid fuels.
Double Squeeze: Rents Plus Energy Bills
Rent prices rose 7.1% year-on-year in June — confirming that housing costs continue to flow directly into family budgets. At the same time, energy prices added a second wave of pressure: natural gas jumped 24.6%, heating oil surged 53.2%, and electricity climbed 2.8%.
This means households face a dual burden: first, through rent and maintenance costs; and second, through rising utility bills and other home-related expenses. As a result, even as overall inflation edged down from May’s level, housing costs remain firmly in double-digit territory year-on-year.
How Much More Are Households Paying?
In practical terms, a €600 monthly rent in June 2025 would cost €642.60 in June 2026 — an extra €42.60 per month, or €511.20 over the full year if the new rate holds.
Natural gas saw an even steeper relative jump: a €100 bill in June 2025 becomes €124.60 in June 2026 — an additional €24.60 per month, amounting to €295.20 annually.