France real estate market — prices, rental yield and trend

• Average price: $3,642 / m²
• Gross rental yield: 5.35%
• 12-month price change (USD): -3.5%
• Net rental yield: 3.88%
• Transaction cost: 9.1%
• Bubble-risk band: moderate
• Price basis: national average

Residential property in France averages $3,642 per square metre — -3.5% in dollar terms over twelve months, so a dollar buyer pays less than a year ago. That makes it the 125th most expensive of the 264 markets in the set.

What a buyer pays in France

The $3,642 figure is a national average across all residential property types, which flattens a wide spread — the capital typically runs far above it and small towns far below. Buying costs — transfer tax or stamp duty, notary, registration and agency — come to about 9.1% of the price here. On a 100 m² apartment at the average price that is roughly $33,142 on top of the $364,200 purchase price. That is close to the 9.5% median across the set. Of that, the transfer tax alone is 5.1–6.3% depending on the buyer and the property; the rest is notary, registration and agency fees. Inside France we track 6 local markets separately: Paris at $10,793 (196.3% above the national figure) down to Marseille at $4,040.

What it earns

A square metre lets for about $16.2 a month. Against a purchase price of $3,642 per square metre that is 5.4% gross, before tax. Both figures come from the same source and the same period, so you can check the arithmetic yourself. It ranks 122nd of 311 markets by gross yield. Rental income is taxed at 26–37.9% — the rate is not a single number here. That is the difference between 3.3% and 4% net on the same property. The 3.9% net figure we publish uses 27.5%. On the way out there is a third tax: a non-resident seller pays 0–42.2% on the gain, depending on how long the property was held and who is selling.

How the tax works. Progressive, and the two ends of the band are different regimes: at about USD 1,000 a month the micro-foncier regime applies (30% allowance, CGI art. 32) with the 20% non-resident minimum rate plus 17.2% social charges, about 26%; at about USD 3,000 a month the €15,000 micro-foncier ceiling is exceeded and the régime réel applies with no deductible expenses assumed, about 38%. Owners covered by EEA, Swiss or UK social security pay 7.5% social charges instead of 17.2%, which lowers the band to roughly 20–30%. Source: impots.gouv.fr.

Where the price sits against its own history

Prices are +0.3% over five years and +31.8% over ten in local terms. Today’s level sits 17.8% above the country’s own long-run trend. A gap that size does not have to close, but it is the number to watch. Glopra’s bubble-risk score for France is 39 out of 100 — moderate risk. Of the 65 markets scored, 55 read higher.

France house price index, 2016–2026 (2016 = 100)

Rebased to 100 in 2016, the index stands at 125.4 in 2026. The series is in local currency, and the twelve-month numbers above show how much of that a dollar buyer actually keeps.

Who can buy in France

Freehold, no restrictions. That is the rule a foreign buyer meets first, not legal advice — check the current position locally before you commit.

How this figure is built

The price figure for France is built from asking prices from listings. It was last refreshed on 2026-10-29. We rate our confidence in this market’s data medium: the series is usable, but thinner or less current than our best-covered markets. We recompute every market the same way; a figure that fails our checks is suppressed, not guessed.

Sources: monimmeuble.com · globalpropertyguide.com · ec.europa.eu. Snapshot: 2026-10-29.