For the last few years, it's been common to see small enclaves across Europe offering real estate at knock-down prices, sometimes as little as one euro, in order to attract new residents. In other instances, some communes and towns offer to pay you if you really commit to living there, and even more if you have babies and school your kids there.

There are no shortcuts to a new life in Europe, however. One-euro houses are never just one euro. To be approved and become a resident, you need to commit to spending a fair few thousand on renovations. Villages that pay you will require you to stay. And once the restoration is done, you still need access to shops, services, transport, possibly schools, and friends.

If that doesn't put you off, here’s a rundown of some of the best places in Europe offering a new life for expats.

As reported by CNN Travel, Mussomeli in central Sicily is one of the best-known Italian towns, offering one-euro homes. Other properties are available at a premium, which means they need less work, and you could move in straightaway. They start at around $12,000.

Mussomeli showcases what many of these old European towns offer. A 60-minute drive south is Agrigento, an ancient Greek settlement, still home to ancient temples that sit among blooming pink almond trees. A 90-minute drive away is Villa Romana del Casale, a country estate that has what UNESCO calls the finest mosaics in situ anywhere in the Roman world. And head north to Kefa La Diana, you'll find the Arab-Norman baths where thermal water still flows. Beyond is Mount Etna.

Sardinia is another Italian island trying to replenish its local population with one-euro homes. Italy has one of the lowest fertility rates in the European Union, according to Politico. Furthermore, Sardinia has the lowest rate in Italy at 0.91 children per woman—the economic replacement rate is 2.1 children.

Politico reports that a couple moving to one of these Sardinian villages of fewer than 3,000 people can receive up to €15,000 to purchase or renovate a property. That number increases to €20,000 if you start a business that creates local jobs. There are also monthly subsidies if you have children, up to age five.

Ollolai is perhaps the best-known Sardinian region offering one-euro houses, partly because it was one of the first. The project started in 2016, and 100,000 people registered interest, but very few of those became residents. However, many of the local mayors have not given up yet. After all, as they say, just as they came through the plague in the 1600s, so their population can find a way to recover now.

Several other villages in Italy are offering one-euro homes, such as Sambuca di Sicilia, Calatafimi Segesta, Augusta, Caltagirone, and Pratola Peligna.

The ‘Our Living Islands’ initiative in Ireland offers up to $98,000 in grants to purchase and renovate vacant or derelict homes on one of its islands. The property must be your primary residence or a long-term rental. It must have been empty for at least two years and date architecturally before 1993.

The program is a 10-year national policy that will run until 2033. Ireland has around 30 islands along its coastline, some of which are cut off daily by the tide. The government intends to deliver high-speed broadband and regenerate local communities.

Extremadura, a community in Spain close to the Portuguese border, is offering remote workers up to €15,000 if they stay for a minimum of two years. Extremadura is very remote, but the recompense is that you will be very close to nature and surrounded by a scattering of Roman ruins. Foreign nationals can apply if they are legally able to reside in Spain, as can holders of Spain's digital nomad visa. You must have a digital nomad visa before the application process.

In 2024, the small village of Ponga in northern Spain had 577 people. Now it is offering €3,000 to each new resident, plus an additional €3,000 for every baby born. Residents must stay for five years. The village is near the Bay of Biscay, home to the Ponga National Park, and surrounded by wild trails. The nearby Atlantic coast is a mecca for surf enthusiasts.

It is less common to find one-euro houses across France, but they do exist. Ambert in the Puy-de-Dôme region of France is offering homes for as little as €1 in order to reverse the 60% vacancy rates found across its village housing.

Buyers would have to commit to a time frame for renovating the house; grants are available, and you would have to commit to living there for at least three years.

There are many more offers across Europe, such as Antikythera in Greece, which is offering €20,000 paid out over three years and a newly constructed house to families with four children who wish to remain for more than three years.

Residents can be traced back as far as 4000 BC, and the island is home to a pirate fort dating from between 300 and 100 BC, and is scattered with the traditional white buildings and idyllic scenery that Greece is renowned for.

You would have to be committed, though. The island is a good example of why these types of schemes currently exist. Wild goats outnumber not just the residents but the tourists as well. It isn't clear where your children would go to school. The almost-daily ferry service takes two hours, and it could be tricky if you need a doctor.

Many of these places have much to offer, offering a healthy Mediterranean diet, a great climate, and are within walking distance of some of the most beautiful mountains, volcanoes, and beaches in the world, not to mention the architecture, history, and culture.

That said, there are many obstacles ahead for aspiring new residents. Public transport and air conditioning may be scarce, traditions can feel alien, the architecture can literally feel medieval, the bureaucracy and building regulations can be a minefield, and it takes a long time to really learn a new language well enough to operate at a level to live and maintain friendships. In many cases, applications might not be accepted if this is a second home.

Many of these countries offer digital nomad visas to aspiring residents and a potentially inexpensive way to start a new life in Europe with a one euro house.