Property for sale in Kefalonia, Ionian Islands

Property for sale in Kefalonia, Ionian Islands

Property in Kefalonia covers a wide range: the largest island of the group holds protected Venetian villages, dramatic white-cliff coastline, and a working capital with courts, a hospital and about 36,100 residents across the island (2021 census) that keeps the economy alive all year.

The market has a defining fault line: the 1953 earthquake levelled most of the island, so the housing stock is largely rebuilt, while Fiskardo in the far north survived intact and now holds the island's finite stock of original 18th-century architecture under protection.

Last reviewed October 2026. Prices, rents and rules on this page are checked against the latest public data and current Greek law.

Quick facts

• Location: Southern Ionian Sea, the largest of the Ionian islands, between Zakynthos and Lefkada.
• The island: About 36,100 residents (36,064, 2021 census); Argostoli, the capital, runs year-round with a hospital and regional services.
• Access: Kefalonia International Airport (EFL) with direct seasonal flights from across Europe; ferries from Kyllini and Patras.
• Best for: Sea-view villas, protected-village restorations in Fiskardo and Assos, year-round bases in Argostoli.
• Property types: Modern villas, rebuilt village houses, protected traditional houses in the north, plots with Ionian views.
• Golden Visa: As an island of over 3,100 residents, Kefalonia falls in the €800,000 zone under Law 5100/2024 (we confirm per property).

Where to buy in Kefalonia

Kefalonia is big enough to hold five distinct briefs, from protected harbour houses to working-town apartments.

• Fiskardo: The protected village that survived 1953, original Venetian-era houses on a yacht harbour. Few of these houses come up for sale.
• Assos: A castle peninsula and a handful of houses around a postcard bay; supply is tiny and trades on rarity.
• Argostoli & Lassi: The year-round capital and its beach suburb, apartments and houses with rental depth from a real local economy.
• The Myrtos coast & north-west: Villas and plots above the white cliffs of the island's signature beach.
• Skala & the south-east: The established holiday-let coast, modern villas near long sand beaches with a proven summer season.

What drives prices in Kefalonia

• The Fiskardo premium: Original pre-1953 architecture exists in one protected corner of the island; it cannot be reproduced and prices accordingly.
• Asking prices and rents: €2,531 per m². Up 8.5% in a year, with asking rents of €9.00 per m² a month, about 4.3% gross (Spitogatos, Q2 2026; our calculation).
• Rebuilt stock: Post-earthquake construction means much of the island's housing is structurally younger than its Greek-island image suggests.
• Scale and value: The largest Ionian island still prices well below the Cyclades; we quote per-square-metre bands only against current comparables, asset by asset.

Homes for sale in Kefalonia

We have no Kefalonia homes on the site today. Send us your brief and we reply with the homes that fit, listed and off-market, with recent comparables, or browse all homes for sale in Greece.

Key figures and sources

• Air traffic: About 700,000 passengers used Kefalonia International Airport (EFL) in 2025. Source: Fraport Greece / HCAA traffic data, 2025, provisional.
• Seismic history: The 1953 Ionian earthquake destroyed most of the island's settlements; Fiskardo in the far north largely survived, which is why its Venetian-era architecture is now protected and finite. Source: historical record.
• Population: 36,064 registered residents in the Kefalonia regional unit. Source: ELSTAT census, 2021.
• Regional yields: Gross long-lease yields up to 6.8% tracked for Zakynthos and the Ionian, indicative. Source: BUY GREECE® Greek Property Monitor, Q3 2026.
• Golden Visa tier: €800,000 as an island of over 3,100 residents. Source: Law 5100/2024.
• Asking prices: Kefalonia averaged €2,531 per m² on asking prices, up 8.5% in a year, with asking rents of €9.00 per m² a month. Source: Spitogatos Property Index, Q2 2026.

Who buys in Kefalonia

Kefalonia attracts British, Italian and German buyers, Greek diaspora with family roots on the island, and American buyers entering through our Chicago office. Life ranges from yacht-harbour evenings in Fiskardo to a working capital with real winter services, with Myrtos, Antisamos and the Melissani cave as the daily backdrop.

Buying and the Golden Visa

Kefalonia, as an island of over 3,100 residents, falls in the €800,000 Golden Visa zone under Law 5100/2024 (we confirm the applicable threshold for each specific property). Non-EU buyers purchase freely: AFM tax number, lawyer, notary, all possible by power of attorney without flying. BUY GREECE® runs the purchase remotely from Chicago and Glyfada, Athens, and protected-village candidates get the extra layer of traditional-settlement checks in our six-check due diligence.

Costs and taxes for buyers (2026)

On top of the price, plan for about 5% to 7% in taxes and fees without an agent's commission, or 8% to 10% with one. On a €800,000 home, the Golden Visa minimum in Kefalonia, that is €24,720 in transfer tax plus roughly €18,400 to €29,600 in notary, lawyer and registry fees (our calculation).

• Transfer tax: 3.09% (3% plus the municipal levy), paid by the buyer on the higher of the price and the property's tax value. A new build can carry 24% VAT instead, unless the developer suspends it; the suspension runs to 31 December 2026.
• Notary, lawyer and registry: notary about 0.8% to 1.2%, lawyer about 1% to 2%, land registry or Cadastre about 0.5%. These are indicative; ask for quotes.
• Tax on rental income: for individuals from tax year 2026, 15% up to €12,000 a year, 25% from €12,001 to €24,000, 35% from €24,001 to €36,000 and 45% above, with no tax-free allowance (Law 5246/2025, Art. 8).
• Yearly property tax (ENFIA): charged every year on the property's value, size and location, and paid by non-resident owners too.
• Capital gains on resale: the 15% tax on gains by individuals is suspended until 31 December 2026 (Income Tax Code, Art. 72); no extension had been enacted as of October 2026.
• Proposed tax for non-EU buyers: a 15% transfer tax (15.45% with the levy) on homes bought by non-EU individuals was announced in September 2026 for 1 July 2027. It is not yet law, and Greek and EU citizens and long-term residents would be exempt.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kefalonia a good place to buy property? Yes, for buyers who want Ionian coastline with room to choose. The largest Ionian island has about 36,100 residents (ELSTAT, 2021), a year-round capital at Argostoli and its own international airport, and it ranges from protected Fiskardo to modern villas on the Myrtos coast. Kefalonia's asking prices averaged €2,531 per m² in Q2 2026, up 8.5% in a year (Spitogatos).

Are there cheap houses for sale in Kefalonia under €100,000? A few, but expect compromises. At Kefalonia's average asking price of €2,531 per m² (Spitogatos, Q2 2026), €100,000 buys roughly 40 m², so homes at that price are usually small, inland or in need of work, and two-bedroom sea-view houses generally cost more. Because much of the island was rebuilt after 1953, check the permit history of every older house.

Why is Fiskardo special? Fiskardo largely survived the 1953 earthquake that levelled most of the island, so it holds Kefalonia's only concentration of original Venetian-era houses, now protected. Supply is finite and trades on rarity rather than square metres, and its protected status means any restoration follows strict building rules.

Is Kefalonia eligible for the Greek Golden Visa? Yes, at €800,000. Kefalonia had 36,064 residents at the 2021 census (ELSTAT), well above the 3,100 line that puts islands in the top tier under Law 5100/2024. The amount must go into one property of at least 120 m², and a Golden Visa home cannot be short-let. A Greek lawyer confirms the threshold for each property.

Can Americans buy property in Kefalonia? Yes. Kefalonia is not a border area under Law 1892/1990, so Americans and other non-EU buyers need no special permit. You need a Greek tax number (AFM), a lawyer and a notary, all workable by power of attorney. A 15% transfer tax for non-EU buyers was announced in September 2026 for July 2027, but it is not yet law.

What rental income can a Kefalonia property produce? Asking rents average €9.00 per m² a month, about 4.3% gross on the average asking price (Spitogatos, Q2 2026; our calculation), and our Q3 2026 Greek Property Monitor puts indicative long-let yields at up to 6.8% for the Ionian, before tax. Argostoli adds year-round tenants. Short lets need an AMA registration number and, since October 2025, must meet the Law 5170/2025 safety standards; there is no registration freeze on the island.

Explore the rest of the region on the Greek Islands hub, or contact BUY GREECE® for current Kefalonia availability. Selling? List your Kefalonia property with us.