Greece

Greece puts the sea within reach almost anywhere, adds six thousand islands, and keeps Athens and Thessaloniki as the only genuinely large cities. Food and services cost less than in Western Europe, island rent spikes in summer and halves in winter. Summers are dry and very hot, winters mild and rainy, and heating in older buildings is weak and expensive. The permit is arranged in advance, and the difficulties are slow bureaucracy, a seasonal island economy and modest local salaries.