A comfortable retirement works out cheaper in Thailand — around £2,000/month for a couple, versus £2,300 in Greece (about 13% more).
Cost of living, side by side
| Greece | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Modest (couple/mo) | £1,600 | £1,300 |
| Comfortable (couple/mo) | £2,300 | £2,000 |
| Premium (couple/mo) | £3,700 | £3,200 |
Indicative monthly estimates for a couple — real costs vary by location, lifestyle and exchange rates.
Greece: Foreigners can buy property freely in Greece.
Thailand: Foreigners can own a condominium outright (freehold) within a building's 49% foreign quota; land itself is held via a long lease or a genuine Thai company (never a nominee).
Greece: Residency-by-investment and other routes attract retirees; passive-income options exist.
Thailand: Most retirees use the Non-Immigrant O / O-A retirement visa (age 50+, with income or savings requirements).
Greece: Greece's public ESY system covers residents (retirees often via a UK S1 form), and private care is high-quality, affordable and frequently English-speaking, with the best hospitals in Athens and Thessaloniki; many expats buy private cover for roughly £80-250 a month depending on age.
Thailand: Private hospitals in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai are internationally accredited and excellent, at a fraction of Western prices; most expats use private insurance or pay out of pocket, budgeting perhaps £80-150 a month for cover at older ages.
Greece: A retiree who moves tax residence to Greece can elect a flat 7% tax on all foreign income, including pensions, for up to 15 years (you must not have been Greek-resident for five of the prior six years and must spend 183+ days a year there); otherwise standard progressive rates apply, so take advice.
Thailand: Since 1 January 2024 Thailand taxes residents (183+ days) on foreign income they remit into the country, so a UK pension brought in may be assessable; the UK-Thailand double-tax treaty, careful timing, and the pensioner LTR visa (which exempts remitted foreign income) can reduce or remove the bill, so take advice.
Greece: Classic Mediterranean with hot dry summers and mild winters, the islands and south being warmest; late spring and early autumn are the loveliest months. Greece is very safe and famously welcoming; English is widely spoken in tourist and expat areas, driving is on the right, and the relaxed pace suits many British retirees.
Thailand: Tropical and hot year-round; the cooler, dry season from roughly November to February is most comfortable, with a hot spell (March-May) and a monsoon (June-October) that varies by coast. Generally very safe and welcoming; English is widely spoken in tourist and expat areas, driving is on the left, and daily life is easy for British retirees.
Greece: Budget around 5-8% in one-off costs, a 3.09% transfer tax on resale homes (new builds may carry 24% VAT, currently suspended), notary about 1-2%, land registry near 0.5%, plus legal and agent fees; buying typically takes one to three months.
Thailand: Budget around 6-8% of the price in one-off costs, a 2% transfer fee, possible specific business tax or stamp duty, plus legal fees; a condo is the freehold option for foreigners and can complete within a few weeks once due diligence is done.
Greece: Crete for a large island with hospitals, airports and year-round life, Peloponnese towns like Kalamata for value and nature, Athens for the best services and flights, and islands such as Rhodes or Corfu for classic island living.
Thailand: Phuket for beaches and resort living, Chiang Mai for a cooler, cultured and cheaper base, Hua Hin for a quieter seaside town near Bangkok, and Bangkok itself for amenities and top healthcare.
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