In Greece: inexpensive real estate, nightlife and a haven for Israelis

Strong men in black T-shirts with beards and women in miniskirts walk through a stylish door into a bar that plays house music. Bauhaus apartments and concrete balconies cast shadows on the street.

Watching the crowd with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Shira* radiates calm. Listening to her and a group of friends talking in Hebrew, one could easily mistake the scene for Tel Aviv. But they are actually in Athens, 750 miles away, across the Mediterranean Sea.

"Do you think we could live like this in Israel today?" - asks 28-year-old designer Shira Middle East Eye, 28. "Women don't dare to dress like that there. Israel is becoming extremist, but here in Greece we are free. "

Shira moved from Tel Aviv to''Kolonaki's posh Athens neighborhood six months ago. And she is not alone. The Greek capital is becoming a magnet for Israelis seeking an escape from the cost-of-living crisis back home and, more recently, Israel's political instability.

Data on the number of Israelis moving to Athens is hard to find, but evidence points to a significant wave crossing the Mediterranean.