Property markets across Mediterranean Europe rebounded strongly post-pandemic, as a renewed love for travel and overseas living took hold. But while some areas have seen prices soar, others – equally beautiful and welcoming – have remained remarkably affordable.
This year, we’ve expanded our list to include five new locations for 2025. From little-known stretches of Spanish coastline to quietly thriving corners of Greece and France, these destinations combine value with lifestyle in ways that are getting harder to find elsewhere in Europe.
Whether you’re looking for a character home in a traditional village, a beachside apartment, or a rustic retreat with room to breathe, these hidden gems might just be the property opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
Contents
- France – Indre
- Spain – Mar Menor
- Greece – Apokoronas, Crete
- France – Herault
- Portugal – Portimão
- Italy – Calabria
- Cyprus – Paralimni
- Spain – Costa de Almería
- Portugal – Castro Marim and Vila Real
- Italy – Sicily’s €1 villages
Indre is a peaceful slice of France, where you will find affordable homes set beside riverside trails, medieval villages and lakeside adventures.
France – Indre
Halfway down France and just west of the centre, the Indre department is named after the river that meanders its way across picturesque countryside, through old stone towns and the majestic city of Châteauroux, with its charming historic quarter. Perhaps being so close to the Loire Valley, its more famous neighbour to the north, has kept it under the radar, meaning prices in Indre are some of the most affordable in the country.
It’s home to the cultural Berry region, where a network of pretty trails follows the river, taking you on a scenic tour of locations linked to the writer George Sand. Don’t miss Saint-Benoît-du-Sault and Gargilesse-Dampierre, each classified as “one of the most beautiful villages of France”. Another highlight is the Brenne Natural Park, where nature-lovers can enjoy exploring the 3,300 lakes, on foot or by bike, horseback or canoe. Being five-and-a-half hours from Calais makes Indre easily reachable from the UK by car and adds to its appeal as a place to own a character French home.
Check out properties in Indre from well below €100,000.
Spain – Mar Menor
Where the southern Costa Blanca and abundant urbanisations of Orihuela Costa end, the Murcia region and a new hot spot beside the Mar Menor lagoon begins.
This 10-minute journey over the regional border brings with it lower property prices and cheaper buying costs (transfer tax is less in Murcia than in Valencia). That said, new projects are springing up and values are beginning to play catch up, helped by the opening of the new Murcia International Airport.
Resorts around the Mar Menor, with a choice of villas, townhouses and apartments within walking distance of the beach and amenities, include San Pedro del Pinatar, Lo Pagán and Los Alcázares. There, the flat terrain, sweeping promenades, longer and less crowded beaches and Dos Mares shopping centre in San Javier are all big plus points.
This area is also where Polaris World built its well-documented golf resorts, most within a 25-minute airport transfer. Re-investment and low resale prices make these a tempting proposition, with the resorts of Mar Menor, La Torre and Hacienda Riquelme among current favourites.
Search for properties in the Mar Menor (and don’t forget to search individual town too).
Greece – Apokoronas, Crete
Ranked as one of the most affordable Mediterranean destinations for foreign buyers, Greece delivers good value across its mainland and islands. Of course, you need deep pockets for trendy spots like Mykonos and Santorini. Crete has its own pricey upmarket area, namely Elounda in the north-east. Buyers with limited budgets seeking an affordable gem should head to the western end of the island and Apokoronas. A district within the Chania province and just east of Chania town, Apokoronas offers a selection of traditional villages and small resorts based around unspoilt fishing villages.
Souda Bay is a popular area and home to the pretty coastal towns of Kalyves, Almyrida, Plaka and Kokkino Chorio. Off the coast, the traditional working town of Vamos and its surrounding villages, such as Douliana, Gavalohori and Xirosterni, are popular with a foreign contingent of predominantly Brits who embrace the authentic and very affordable Cretan lifestyle.
Crete has two international airports, both on the more developed north coast, at Heraklion near the centre and Chania. Heraklion’s will be replaced with a bigger airport at a new site in coming years, which is expected to boost the island’s tourism and property market. Apokoronas has simple traditional village homes from around €100,000 or new-build homes on small complexes for around €225,000.
Look through what property is available to buy for €150,000 in Crete.
France – Herault
A lesser trodden gem in southwest France, Herault wraps Mediterranean coastline, ancient stone villages and the vast rugged landscape of a protected park into a neat little package. Not forgetting its beating cultural heart Montpellier, a lively university city with medieval centre linked to the sea via a saltwater lagoon. Equally rich in history is Beziers, one of the oldest cities in Europe with its Roman amphitheatre and surrounded by rolling vineyards. Other coastal highlights are Sete, a 17th-century port city also known as the ‘Venice of Languedoc’ due to its winding canals, and stunning resort of Cap d’Agde, the meeting point of the famous Canal du Midi, Herault river and Mediterranean.
Herault’s coastline lacks the international cachet and glamour of the Cote d’Azur further east. But that just makes its property cheaper and gives it a more authentic vibe. The lagoons mean beachfront property options are a little limited, but the real deals here are in the small villages off the coast. Cue picturesque towns like Pezenas or Capestang, both an easy 30 minutes from the nearest beach and in peaceful rural surroundings. Or go deeper into the hills beyond Beziers for a truly arcadian village lifestyle, into villages like Autignac, Magalas or Herepian.
Flights to Herault are plentiful. Airports at Montpellier, Beziers and Carcassonne all have options, just check winter schedules. Meanwhile, Toulouse is typically around 2hrs-2.5 hours away. In rural Herault, traditional village homes in good condition are still available for less then €100,000. For a villa near the beach, budget €300,000-€400,000, or from €150,000 for a small coastal apartment.
Just take a look at what you can buy in Herault for less than €100,000.
Portugal – Portimão
Working metropolises aren’t typical go-to destinations for lifestyle buyers in the Algarve, but Portimão and its suburbs are bucking this trend.
With a regular population of over 60,000, Portimão is the second largest city in the Algarve, with a proud nautical heritage of shipbuilding and sardine fishing. Located in the estuary of the Arade river, it has a lively waterfront, historic centre, lots of restaurants and a fabulous market. At the estuary mouth is its world-class marina, one of the best protected in the Algarve with more than 600 berths.
Portimão’s beach is at the touristy Praia da Rocha area, with its apartments blocks and late-night bars suited to buyers who like to be close to the action. Homes designed for the local population in and around central Portimão are especially good value. Or head to the residential districts on the western fringes, where you can still be just a five- to 10-minute drive from both the beach and city-centre – small developments there offer more affordable alternatives to the Algarve’s pricier cosmopolitan resorts.
This being the wonderful and popular Algarve, “affordable” is all relative. You will still need a budget if €150,000-plus. However, what is on offer is all the beauty of the Algarve at half the price of nearby locations.
Check out some Portimão properties here.
Italy – Calabria
The foot of Italy’s boot, Calabria’s reputation as a rustic, poorer corner of the country has kept average prices low and the choice of bargains high. What it lacks in kudos amongst international buyers who historically prefer the more sophisticated northern provinces, it makes up for in climate (sunshine from mid-March to November – scorching summers!), raw authenticity and rustic Italian culture. All with a very low cost of living and the usual fantastic cuisine which is ubiquitous in Italy (Calabria is the home of the spicy sausage ‘Nduja).
The scenery isn’t bad either, characterised by towering mountains sloping down to a coastline fringed with sweeping white sandy beaches and colourful fishing towns. The most popular buying areas are on the northwest coast, including the resorts Scalea, Diamante and Belvedere Marittimo, down as far as the charming Pizzo, Tropea, Scilia and Palmi in the foot’s big toe!
The region has two airports, namely Lamezia Terme in the north and Reggio Calabria in the south, otherwise Naples could be an option.
Calabria is about as cheap as it gets in mainland Italy for a home near a Med beach – only Sicily, a few kilometres across the water, can really match it. For €40,000-€100,000 you’ll have a choice of older apartments near the beach, or a small traditional village house a short drive inland. Budget from €200,000 for a modern detached villa.
Take a closer look at what affordable property you can buy in Calabria.
Cyprus – Paralimni
Make the effort to head to the easternmost corner of the Republic of Cyprus, where it borders Northern Cyprus, and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful beaches, a year-round expat community and arguably the most affordable property on this sunny Mediterranean island.
Paralimni, within the Famagusta district, mixes a working town complete with a large square, old town and full range of amenities, with a small but welcoming expat population.
The centre is 5-10 minutes’ drive inland, but between there and the pretty coast are an increasing number of small developments geared towards the foreign market. Local to the town and within its municipal boundaries are Malama, Kapparis (Fireman’s) and Trinity beaches, all sandy and with sparkling clear water.
Unlike the greener, more mountainous landscape of western Cyprus, home to the popular Paphos resort and district, Famagusta is flatter with an agricultural interior, known for its distinctive red soil and traditional irrigation windmills.
See a wide choice of properties in Paralimni from under €100,000.
Spain – Costa de Almería
Home to Europe’s only true desert, not to mention rows of salad-yielding greenhouses, Almería’s coastline is refreshingly less developed than Spain’s busier Costas. Dotted across its sun-baked landscape are traditional whitewashed villages, many less than 30 minutes’ drive to the coast and a small beach resort.
The Costa de Almería extends from San Juan de los Terreros in the north to Adra in the south. Much of its rugged landscape is still untouched and wild, especially around the protected Cabo de Gata-Nijar natural park.
Two airports serve the region, namely Almería (city) and Murcia International to the north. European flight options might be more limited compared to major air hubs, like Malaga and Alicante, and transfers potentially longer, but this has kept property prices and the cost of living low, as well as preserved its charm.
Resorts with the best choice of affordable lock-up-and-leave beach homes, where modern one-bed apartments start at less than €150,000, include Mojacar Playa, Vera Playa and San Juan de los Terreros in the north and Roquetas de Mar in the south. Head inland into a traditional village and you could pick-up a small character home for under €100,000.
See properties available for under €100,000 in Costa de Almeria.
Portugal – Castro Marim and Vila Real
Got your heart set on the sunny Algarve but your budget won’t quite stretch to one its popular resorts? Don’t give up your search just yet – instead head as far east as you can until you hit the resort of Monte Gordo and the Guadiana River, which acts as the Spanish border.
Minutes inland are two neighbouring towns, Vila Real de Santo Antonio and Castro Marim, which offer some of the most affordable properties in the Algarve. Very conveniently, the former is about 5 minutes’ drive from the Monte Gordo’s beach, the latter just 10 minutes’.
Vila Real de Santo Antonio is a traditional white town with a pretty square and good amenities for year-round living. Its riverfront has a marina, with a ferry shuttle that crosses the river to the charming Spanish town of Ayamonte.
A smaller fortress town, Castro Marim also blends history with the traditional Portuguese lifestyle. It sits in an elevated position near the Guadiana, giving stunning views across salt pans, protected wetlands and the coast. The wider municipality includes a choice of old farm houses. There is also the Castro Marim Golf and Country Club, with a bar/ restaurant, gym and children’s play area.
For both towns, for a centrally located apartment in good condition budget €150,000-€200,000. The same price could get you a traditional single storey townhouse or farmhouse in need of updating. If you want to be by the sea in Monte Gordo, apartments start at around €250,000.
See what’s on offer in Castro Marim and Vila Real for under €100,000.
Italy – Sicily’s €1 villages
Italy’s one-euro scheme, which enables buyers to snap up a doer-upper project for a single euro, has been well publicised. Property Guides has reported on how two celebrities have teamed up to do it for a BBC TV series. The month before we told the story Danny McCubbin, who moved out to Sicily and set up a community kitchen after buying his €1 home.
Local councils in country towns across Italy have adopted the scheme as way of luring foreign people to buy and fix up deserted homes, thereby breathing new life into local communities. A condition of paying just €1 for a property is that the new owner renovates it within a set period and keeps it for residential or tourism purposes. Estimated costs for reforming properties, typically two or three-storey character houses, is €50,000-€80,000, more depending on the extent of work.
It’s in Sicily, a part of Italy already known for its affordable property, where municipalities and local agents have really got on board with the scheme and now around 20 towns, tucked away in the island’s rustic interior, are signed up. They include Mussomeli, Salemi, Sambuca, San Cataldo, Leonforte and Troina.
However, the scheme has proven so popular that now tradespeople to do the work are hard to come by. On our website we feature Sicilian homes from €50,000 that are ready to move into.
