Newsflash from Wednesday, 11 November 2026:
Travelling in and to Greece has become noticeably more expensive. New official figures show steep year-on-year price rises for flights, accommodation and fuel, well above general inflation.
The data were published on 10 November 2026 by the Hellenic Statistical Authority, known in Greece as ELSTAT (EL.STAT.), and reported by the tourism news site money-tourism.gr. The figures cover Greece as a whole, including Crete.
The Headline Numbers
Compared with October 2025, air passenger transport prices rose by 32.9%. Prices at hotels, motels and inns climbed by 27.6%.
Package holidays became 6.2% more expensive, and restaurants and cafés 4.7%. Recreational services rose by 4.8% and cultural services by 4.4%.
Overall annual inflation in Greece reached 5.7% in October 2026. The National Consumer Price Index rose 0.7% compared with September.
Average inflation over the twelve months from November 2025 to October 2026 stood at 3.9%.
How Much Travel Pushed Up Inflation
According to money-tourism.gr, more expensive air tickets added roughly 0.48 percentage points to annual inflation. Hotels, motels and inns contributed around 0.16 points.
Restaurants, patisseries, fast-food outlets and canteens had the biggest effect of the three, adding about 0.55 points, despite a smaller price rise.
The wider “Hotels – Cafés – Restaurants” group in the national index rose by 5.8% year on year. This figure covers the whole group and differs from the change in accommodation prices alone.
Some Relief Compared with September
Month-on-month, the picture is a little better. Hotel, motel and inn prices fell by 8.3% from September, and air fares dropped by 1.8%.
Eating out, however, edged up 0.2% in the same period. The overall “Hotels – Cafés – Restaurants” group slipped by 0.3%.
These monthly drops do not cancel out the annual rises. In October, accommodation and flights were cheaper than in September but still clearly more expensive than a year earlier.
Fuel and Housing Costs Climb Too
Drivers are also paying more. Petrol prices rose 25% year on year, while diesel jumped 39.4%.
The transport group as a whole rose by 13.8%, with fuel and air tickets among the main drivers.
Housing costs increased by 15.1%, with rises in electricity, natural gas, heating oil and residential rents, among other items. Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by a more modest 2.1%.
Two Indices, Two Pictures
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, the EU-comparable measure, also showed annual inflation of 5.7%, but a monthly change of 0.4%.
On this index, the “Hotels – Cafés – Restaurants” group rose by 10.4%, transport by 8.7% and housing by 14.2%.
The difference comes from coverage and weighting. The Harmonised index includes all consumer spending within Greece, including by foreign visitors, while the National index refers only to resident households. Money-tourism.gr notes the two should be read separately.
What does this mean for visitors?
Whether you are planning a trip to Crete or already live on the island, budgets need adjusting.
- Book flights with care: air fares were almost a third higher than a year earlier. Compare prices and dates before committing.
- Consider the off-season: accommodation prices fell sharply between September and October, so travelling outside peak months may save money.
- Look at package deals: package holidays rose far less (6.2%) than separate flights and hotels, so bundles may offer better value.
- Budget for car travel: with petrol up 25% and diesel nearly 40%, renting a car and driving around Crete will cost more. A diesel rental is no longer automatically the cheaper choice.
- Residents, plan for winter bills: electricity, heating oil, natural gas and rents have all risen, so check contracts and heating costs early.
- Eating out is still relatively stable: restaurant prices rose 4.7%, below overall inflation, so tavernas remain a comparatively predictable expense.
Source: money-tourism.gr, based on ELSTAT data
