Head to head · verified July 2026
Greece vs Italy
Italy scores 2 points higher on our balanced view — but that gap is small enough that your own priorities can flip it. The breakdowns below show exactly where each one earns and loses.
Greece
Mediterranean
Greece's 7% flat tax is the broadest deal in Europe — it covers all foreign income, not just pensions, for fifteen years. The entry bar is the highest of the Mediterranean set (€3,500/mo or €126k banked) and you must actually live there — 183 days — to keep it. Elderly-care units license under Ν. 2345/1995 — silence can approve; no public list of licensed units was opened. Cheaper than Spain or Italy, with freehold property open to foreigners.
Full Greece guide
Italy
Western Europe
Italy's 7% flat-tax deal is the romantic's bargain: all foreign income, ten years, in exchange for living in a southern town under 30,000 people. The SSN healthcare buy-in (~€2k/yr) is world-class, and the EU permanent-residency clock runs at five years. Residential-facility accreditation sits with the Regions; a national FAR monitoring system is not a public name register — Italy stays unchecked here. The consulate decides your Elective Residence visa at its own discretion — real applications get refused, so over-prepare the file.
Full Italy guideSide by side
| Criterion | Greece | Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Showing the open fields. 17 more criteria — tax-residency day counts, capital gains, forced heirship, setup costs and processing times — need a free Thon account. Sign in to see the full table.
Why Greece scores 77
Why this number
Every point is accounted for. Nothing is hidden in a weighting you cannot see.
- Base country quality81Greece scores 81/100 before anything about you is applied — visa system, tax regime, healthcare, safety and property rights.
- Australian passport-4Worse than average for Australian retirees: No AU treaty; long flight
- Best fit for you77A decision aid, not a prediction. Two people with the same passport can rank these differently — that is the point of showing the working.
- No double-tax treaty — Greece has no tax treaty in force with Australia — the same income can be taxed twice unless you structure around it.
Why Italy scores 79
Why this number
Every point is accounted for. Nothing is hidden in a weighting you cannot see.
- Base country quality80Italy scores 80/100 before anything about you is applied — visa system, tax regime, healthcare, safety and property rights.
- Australian passport-1Worse than average for Australian retirees: Long flight; bureaucracy
- Best fit for you79A decision aid, not a prediction. Two people with the same passport can rank these differently — that is the point of showing the working.