Real Costs and Fees of an Airbnb in Crete: The Complete Breakdown

Many property owners discover the real costs of running an Airbnb after they buy. Platform commissions, cleaning, Greek taxes, insurance, tourist levy... the expenses add up fast. Here is the complete breakdown, number by number, so you know exactly what remains as net income.

Platform commissions

Airbnb charges 3% to the host and approximately 14% to the guest. The price you list is not what the guest pays. In practice, the effective impact on your revenue is about 14% of the total booking amount. Booking.com works differently: no guest fee, but a 15% commission deducted directly from the amount paid to the host.

Property management

If you don't manage the property yourself, a management agency takes between 20% and 30% of gross revenue. At Kairos, the rate is 25% all-inclusive: guest communication, check-in/out, cleaning, maintenance, dynamic pricing, monthly reporting.

Cleaning and turnover

Cleaning between each stay costs between 40 and 80 EUR depending on property size. A studio or 1-bedroom sits around 40-50 EUR. A 3-bedroom villa with pool can reach 70-80 EUR. This cost is typically passed on to guests through Airbnb cleaning fees, but you need to budget for it.

Utilities

Expect 100 to 200 EUR/month for water, electricity, internet and telecom combined. Air conditioning in summer drives up the electricity bill. In low season, if the property is unoccupied, costs drop to 50-80 EUR/month (fixed subscriptions).

Maintenance

The rule of thumb is to budget approximately 0.9% of the property value per year for routine maintenance: plumbing, electrical, appliance replacement, minor repairs. On a 150,000 EUR property, that represents about 1,350 EUR/year.

Insurance

Since October 2025 (Law 5170/2025), liability insurance is mandatory for all short-term rentals in Greece. Expect a minimum of 650 EUR/year or approximately 0.3% of the property value, whichever is higher. A 200,000 EUR villa will cost around 650 EUR/year, a 300,000 EUR villa around 900 EUR/year.

ENFIA (property tax)

ENFIA is the annual Greek property tax. The average rate is approximately 0.28% of the cadastral value. The cadastral value is often significantly lower than the actual purchase price (sometimes 30 to 50% of the real price). On a property purchased for 150,000 EUR with a cadastral value of 80,000 EUR, ENFIA would be approximately 224 EUR/year.

Greek income tax on rental revenue

The 2026 tax brackets (Law 5246/2025) are progressive:

Tourist tax

The tourist tax in Greece varies by season. High season (April to October): 8 EUR per night. Low season (November to March): 2 EUR per night. This tax is collected from the guest and remitted to the Greek state. It does not directly affect your revenue, but it increases the final price for the guest.

Other costs

• Linen and consumables: 5 to 15 EUR per stay (sheets, towels, welcome amenities)
• Greek accountant: 300 to 600 EUR/year (mandatory for tax filings)

Bottom line: what do you actually keep?

Adding up all costs, the total represents between 40% and 55% of gross revenue, depending on your management approach. An owner who self-manages from Crete will be closer to 40%. A remote owner who delegates to an agency will be closer to 50-55%.