Destinations / France / Montpellier
Montpellier, France
Data grade A: DVF open transaction data Updated Oct 2026
The south’s young tech city: a medieval core, tram lines to the beach and France’s fastest-growing population.
On this page: What it buys · Where to look · All-in costs · Visas · Properties
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
about 3,400 euros/m2 (approx)
asking price level
4% approx
gross rental yield
about 300,000
population
about 2,700 h sunshine/year
climate
Montpellier airport (MPL)
getting there
Montpellier is the Mediterranean’s university city: a third of the population studies, the medieval Ecusson is pedestrian, and trams run toward the sand. It has drawn French internal migration for decades, which keeps rental demand deep, and it remains markedly cheaper than Nice or Aix.
What your money buys here
Typical buys at each band, drawn from current local asking prices. Use the price per square metre in the bar above as your anchor: multiply it by the size you need and you will spot an overpriced listing in seconds. Figures are approximate, lean to the cautious side, and get refreshed as our data passes land.
$200k
A 1-2 bed in the Ecusson needing character-sympathetic updates
$350k
A 2-3 bed in Port Marianne’s modern quarters
$500k
A townhouse near the center or a villa toward the vineyards
Sete, Frontignan and Lunel: Sete's canals and fish markets make it the character pick of this coast. Going one town over usually buys a size or quality upgrade on the same budget, and these smaller markets are where patient buyers find the mispriced gems. Fewer listings means more waiting, so set the alert and be ready to travel when the right one appears.
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Where to look
1. The Ecusson: the medieval heart, all on foot
2. Port Marianne: new-build Montpellier along the Lez
3. Palavas and the coast: beach towns 15 minutes by tram and bike
All-in cost at $350k
Property price: $350,000
Notaire fees and taxes (resale): about 7 to 8% all together
Agent fee: usually included in the advertised price
Rule of thumb: budget 8 to 9% on top
New builds carry lower notaire fees (2 to 3%) plus VAT in the price. Figures approximate.
Visas and residency (most passports)
Digital nomad visa: No dedicated one. Remote workers use the long-stay visitor route without local employment.
Long-stay visitor (VLS-TS): Yes, with sufficient passive income and insurance; no French employment.
Buy-to-reside: No. Buying grants no status.
90-day rule: Without a visa, 90 days in any 180 in Schengen.
Healthcare and insurance
PUMA public coverage after three months of stable residence; top-up mutuelle insurance typically 100 to 250 euros/month for a family. Excellent hospitals across the south.
Schools and family
Free public schooling for residents. International and bilingual schools in Nice, Montpellier and Aix, typically 5,000 to 15,000 euros/year.
Serious about Montpellier?
Talk it through with a relocation and buying advisor. Visas, timing and the buying process, in one call.
Sources: DVF (official sale records), notaires de France barometers, SeLoger reports, France-Visas pages. Figures marked approx are indicative and verified in our monthly data pass. Guidance, not legal or financial advice.