Investment property in France: what to buy and what it costs
Apartments and houses for sale in Paris, Nice, Antibes, the Var, Brittany and the Dordogne, rental yields, taxes on buying and owning.
According to the French tax authority's data on home sales, in 2025 the median price of an apartment per square metre was about $3,800 in France and about $10,800 in Paris. A house with a garden in the Dordogne sells for $53,000, a studio in Paris for $146,000 and a sea-view apartment in Antibes for $205,000. A foreigner buys a home on the same terms as a French citizen, and France gives no residence permit for a purchase.
Below are the most interesting offers on sale now, from $53,000 in the Dordogne to $315,000 for a house with a pool in the Var, prices by city, rental yields, taxes on top of the price and routes to residence. A manager will confirm what is on sale today and the exact price.
The market in brief
Prices and rules as of 2026.
What property investors buy in France
A manager will select a property in France to match your requirements and send documents, plans and similar options to the chat.
A four-bedroom house with a barn and an orchard in the Dordogne
$53,000
A 105 m² house in the village of Lanouaille in the north-east of the Dordogne: a kitchen, a living room, four bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which needs redoing completely. With the house come a garage, a 48 m² barn, an attic and a long garden with fruit trees on a 390 m² plot. The village has shops, restaurants and schools, and Limoges airport is an hour away. Houses of this size here rent for about $850 (€750) a month.
A studio in a well-kept building in eastern Paris
$146,000
An 18 m² studio on the ground floor of a well-kept 1999 building on boulevard Davout in the 20th arrondissement of Paris: a room, a kitchenette and a shower room with a toilet. Building charges are $120 (€105) a month, and the heating is electric. A tram runs along the boulevard, and the metro is nearby. Under the City of Paris rent control rate, such a studio rents unfurnished for up to $600 (€531) a month, about 4.9% a year.
A one-bedroom apartment with a large balcony in Nice
$158,000
A 45 m² apartment in a 1970 building with a lift in the Pasteur district: a living room, a bedroom, a separate kitchen and a shower room, with every room opening onto a large balcony. There is a cellar, and a garage in the building is sold separately for $26,000 (€23,000). Building charges are $170 (€145) a month. Such apartments in Nice rent unfurnished for about $990 (€878) a month on top of the building charges, about 7.5% a year.
A sea-view apartment in a gated complex with a pool
$205,000
A 34 m² apartment on the top floor of a building with a lift in a gated complex with a pool: a living room with a kitchenette, a bedroom with a wardrobe, a shower room and a separate toilet. The large loggia has a full sea view, with no windows facing it. Shops, the beach and the station are within walking distance. Such apartments in Antibes rent unfurnished for about $730 (€643) a month on top of the building charges, about 4.2% a year.
An apartment with a separate kitchen in a building with a new facade
$250,000
A 37 m² apartment on the ground floor of a 1970 building in the 19th arrondissement of Paris: a living room, a bedroom, a separate kitchen and a shower room with a toilet. The building's facade has just been redone. Building charges are $130 (€113) a month, and the property tax is $640 (€566) a year. Under the City of Paris rent control rate, such an apartment rents unfurnished for up to $1,050 (€932) a month, about 5% a year.
A house with a garden to renovate 500 metres from the beach
$263,000
An 81 m² house built in 1940 in Perros-Guirec, 500 metres from Trestraou beach: six rooms, three of them bedrooms, south-facing windows, an enclosed 230 m² garden with a lean-to and two parking spaces. Shops are close by. The house is sold to renovate, with energy class F. Perros-Guirec is a resort on the north coast of Brittany. After renovation such houses rent for about $970 (€861) a month.
A house with a pool on a 1,000 m² plot near Fréjus
$315,000
A 122 m² house on a 1,000 m² plot in Puget-sur-Argens, next to Fréjus: a large living room, a semi-open kitchen with a pantry, three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a south-facing pool. One annex is a bedroom with a shower room, and the other has water and drainage in place for a studio. Some finishing work is left to do. Such houses rent for about $2,190 (€1,942) a month, about 8.3% a year.
What an apartment in France costs in 2026
According to the French tax authority's data on home sales, in 2025 the median price of an apartment was about $3,800 per square metre nationwide and about $10,800 in Paris. The central arrondissements of Paris and the Riviera are the most expensive; Marseille, the large cities of the west and south and rural departments are cheaper: in the Dordogne a house costs about $1,900 per square metre, so a house with a garden there costs less than a studio in Paris.
| Where | Per m², median | 60 m² apartment |
|---|---|---|
| Paris, 6th arrondissement | ~$15,800 | ~$947,000 |
| Paris | ~$10,800 | ~$648,000 |
| Cannes | ~$6,500 | ~$388,000 |
| Nice | ~$5,400 | ~$324,000 |
| Lyon | ~$5,100 | ~$303,000 |
| Bordeaux | ~$4,700 | ~$281,000 |
| France on average | ~$3,800 | ~$227,000 |
| Marseille | ~$3,600 | ~$215,000 |
Data for 2025: median price per square metre of apartments from sales, French tax authority; dollars rounded up.
What yield renting out gives
The gross yield on long-term rental of apartments is about 4% a year before tax in Paris, 4.4% in Lyon, 4.6% in Bordeaux, 5.1% in Nice and 6.1% in Marseille. The properties in the cards rent out at 4.2-8.3%: the lowest is the sea-view apartment in Antibes, the highest the house with a pool in the Var. Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille and Montpellier have rent control: each quarter has an upper rate per square metre. Homes with energy class G cannot be let to new tenants since 2025, class F from 2028 and class E from 2034.
| Tax | Rate |
|---|---|
| Non-resident's income from letting a home | 20% on income up to $33,300 (29,579 euros) a year, 30% above it, or the average rate on worldwide income if it is lower |
| Social levies on unfurnished rent | 17.2% |
| Simplified regime | unfurnished rent up to $17,000 (15,000 euros) a year: 70% of the income is taxed |
| Property tax | the rate is set by the commune and the department, paid by the owner as of 1 January |
| Housing tax on second homes | still applies, and in areas with a housing shortage the commune raises it by 5-60% |
| Real estate wealth tax | 0.5-1.5% a year if the net value of property exceeds $1,460,000 (1.3 million euros) |
| Capital gains on sale | 19% plus 17.2% social levies, full exemption after 22 and 30 years of ownership |
Data for 2026: the yield uses 2025 sales and the rent map of the French Ministry of Ecological Transition; countries are compared in the rental yield table.
Tax on rent from a French property is paid in France, whether or not the owner lives there. Rates and examples are on the page taxes in France.
What costs to add to the price
| Payment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer tax | 6.32% of the price in Paris, the Var, Côtes-d'Armor and the Dordogne, 5.81% in the Alpes-Maritimes, home to Nice, Antibes and Cannes |
| Notary | about 1.5% of the price on the state tariff, including extracts and registration |
| Deposit under the preliminary contract | 5-10% of the price, with 10 days for the buyer to withdraw |
| Payments | through the notary's account; no French bank account is needed for the deal |
| Energy diagnosis and other checks | paid by the seller, with the reports attached to the contract |
Data for 2026. The $315,000 (280,000 euros) house in the Var from the cards: transfer tax about $19,900 (17,700 euros), notary about $4,800 (4,200 euros), about $24,600 in total on top of the price. A buyer of their first property as a main home does not pay the higher tax rate. A manager calculates the total for a specific property.
In France the diagnoses and minutes of owners' meetings are checked before the deposit
Mistakes cost more than the tax: energy class G or F, which means the home cannot be let to a new tenant, facade or roof repairs already approved by the owners' meeting, the seller's debts on building charges, a preliminary contract without a mortgage condition. Murblz support removes these risks: we find a property for the budget and goal, check the diagnoses, the minutes of meetings and building charges, plan the form of ownership and take the deal through to title registration.
The cost of support depends on the purchase budget and the goal - investment or relocation; the manager will calculate it in the chat.
Does the purchase give residence
Buying a home does not give a residence permit in France: there is no golden visa for property. To live in the country people get a visitor visa with an income of about $1,700 a month per person, and your own apartment meets the housing requirement. The path to permanent status is on the page how to get residency in France, and a manager will send houses and apartments for relocation to the chat.
You can buy a home without a residence permit: no permits are needed and there are no nationality restrictions. The notary checks the source of the funds, so the payment route is planned before the deposit. Retiring in France is covered on the page retire in France.
How we find a property
- Budget and goal: investment, a home for relocation or a house by the sea. The manager clarifies the city, district and how you will pay.
- A selection of real properties: houses and apartments with the seller's price, floor area, year of construction, energy class and a yield calculation.
- Checks: encumbrances in the registry, minutes of owners' meetings and building charges, the mandatory diagnoses and the commune's right of first refusal.
- A remote deal by power of attorney: a preliminary contract with a deposit, 10 days to withdraw, the final deed at the notary and title registration.
The manager sends the selection to the chat, with sellers' prices on the date of the selection.
Options in other countries
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More on buying in this country:
- Property in France for foreigners: rules, taxes and the deal
- How to buy an apartment in France
- France long-stay visitor visa
- Taxes in France
- Paris: city and relocation guide
- Nice: city and relocation guide
All countries and budgets compared - on the page Investment property abroad.
FAQ
How much does property in France cost in 2026?
Can a foreigner buy property in France?
Does buying property in France give residence?
What is the rental yield in France?
What taxes are paid when buying property in France?
Where to buy investment property in France?
Can you buy property in France remotely?
How long does buying property in France take?
Don’t want to figure this out alone?
We handle the whole process end to end: we shortlist properties for your goal, run legal checks and support the deal through to registration. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.
The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.
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