property
How flat prices have changed near you in France
Fluctuations in prices range from +5.6% to -6.7% with Paris ranked most expensive and Saint-Etienne the cheapest
Flat prices in France are rising and falling depending on the city, although the overall trend is towards greater stability, latest data from the Notaires de France reveals.
Cities recording the biggest rises over a 12-month period ending in June included Metz, Nice and Toulouse. While the cities seeing the biggest drops included Orléans and Strasbourg.
While flat prices in Paris edged up ever so slightly, the capital remained by far the most expensive place in France to buy a flat, followed by Nice, Lyon and Bordeaux. Saint-Etienne was the cheapest.
The data did not reveal any general regional difference, with all areas recording cities with both rising and falling prices.
However, price changes are less dramatic than in recent years, with no city or area seeing a swing of 7% in either direction, pointing towards prices stabilising.
The dataset covers the change in all existing homes (at least five years old or with one previous owner) across France, and is the most comprehensive.
Due to the time it takes to compile, it is released around four months after the dates studied (the current dataset only contains information up to June 30, 2026).
However, preliminary information and market trends are also assessed to make predictions.
You can read our article on house price changes from the same dataset here.
Even spread of price rises and drops
The dataset has no clear patterns, with rises and falls across most regions and without a clear standout direction that prices are moving in.
This mirrors the changes to house prices, which were also spread out both geographically and in terms of price fluctuations.
However, changes in flat prices were less dramatic, and no double-digit changes were recorded.
Cities to see the highest increase to median prices were:
Metz (Moselle): +5.6%
Nice (Alpes-Maritimes): +4.9%
Toulouse (Haute-Garonne): +4.3%
Besançon (Doubs): +4.3%
Tours (Indre-et-Loire): +4%
Dijon (Côte-d’Or): +3.9%
Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme): +3.7%
In turn, cities to see the most significant drop in median prices were:
Northern Corsica: -6.7%
Orléans (Loiret): -4.6%
Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin): -4.4%
Nantes (Loire-Atlantique): -3.1%
Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle): -2.5%
Bordeaux (Gironde): -2.3%
Amiens (Somme): -2.3%
Several locations recording drops saw significant increases in the previous dataset, with these drops pointing more towards a return to standard conditions in the respective cities.
Among France’s other major cities, changes were minor, including in the capital (+0.6%), Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône, +2.5%) and Lyon (Rhône, -0.4%).
‘Most expensive’ areas spread across France
The dataset also covers the median price per m², with the capital unsurprisingly coming out far on top.
Prices for a flat in Paris reached €9,560 per m², although this remains well below the pre-market slump levels of €10,000. It now seems that it will take several years for the market to reach these highs again in Paris.
Outside of Paris, the most expensive areas were located in the south, or in cities that act as regional hubs for a wider area, not necessarily the country’s largest metropoles.
The next most expensive areas were:
Nice (Alpes-Maritimes): €4,980 per m²
Lyon (Rhône): €4,350
Bordeaux (Gironde): €3,990
Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques): €3,900
Southern Corsica: €3,780
Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine): €3,570
Montpellier (Hérault): €3,330
Toulouse (Haute-Garonne): €3,290
The cheapest areas were more evenly spread across France, although areas in the centre were generally less expensive:
Saint-Etienne (Loire): €1,150 per m²
Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin): €1,220
Limoges (Haute-Vienne): €1,370
Bourges (Cher): €1,560
Nîmes (Gard): €2,120
Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme): €2,120
Besançon (Doubs): €2,140
Poitiers (Vienne): €2,160
Perhaps surprisingly, cities along the southern coast did not always rank among the most expensive, with Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône, €3,210) and Toulon (Var, €2,590) below many other cities further north.
Northern Corsica (€2,980) also recorded median prices well below its southern counterpart.
The full map is available below.
