Cost comparison · PT vs FR
Cost of buying property: Portugal vs France
Buying costs differ sharply between Portugal and France. Below, the one-off purchase costs and the annual costs of ownership for each — pivoted from the same researched basis as our calculators, side by side, so you can compare like for like.
Last updated:
All-in one-off cost — side by side
Portugal
≈ 6–8% of price (all-in one-off)
All-in one-off cost — side by side
France
≈ 7–8% of price (older property, all-in one-off)
Portugal
All-in estimate
≈ 6–8% of price (all-in one-off)
One-off costs — Portugal
Progressive. For 2026 the brackets are uplifted so IMT only bites above ~€106,346, rising to a top marginal band of ~7.5–8% on higher-value homes.
Flat, on the deed value.
Notary deed (escritura) and Land Registry / conservatória.
Independent lawyer (advogado); reviews the CPCV and runs title checks.
Required for non-EU non-residents until you become resident.
Annual costs — Portugal
Annual, on the taxable (VPT) value.
Only on the portion of Portuguese property value above €600,000 per owner.
Flat on net rent for non-residents; progressive if resident.
France
All-in estimate
≈ 7–8% of price (older property, all-in one-off)
One-off costs — France
Mostly droits de mutation (transfer duty ~5.80%), plus the notaire's regulated émoluments and disbursements.
New-builds carry reduced transfer duty (~0.715%); VAT is in the price.
Regulated scale: 3.870% / 1.596% / 1.064% / 0.799% by price band, +20% TVA. Included in frais de notaire.
Often included in the displayed price (FAI — frais d'agence inclus); confirm who pays.
Annual costs — France
Annual owner's property tax, set locally; has risen sharply in many communes.
Abolished on main homes; still applies to second homes, with local surcharges in tense zones.
Real-estate wealth tax on net property assets above €1.3m (worldwide for French residents).
Costs are only half the decision. Get fair-price analysis, legal flags and rental ROI for a specific address.
Run the full dossier on a property →Frequently asked
Is it cheaper to buy property in Portugal or France?
Typical all-in one-off costs are ≈ 6–8% of price (all-in one-off) in Portugal and ≈ 7–8% of price (older property, all-in one-off) in France. Compare the full breakdowns above and use each country's calculator for a price-specific figure before deciding.
How much does it cost to buy a house in Portugal?
Budget roughly 6–8% of the price all-in: progressive IMT transfer tax (up to ~7.5–8% on higher-value homes, less on cheaper ones), 0.8% stamp duty, plus notary, registration and legal fees of about 1.5–2.5% combined.
What are frais de notaire in France?
They are the bundle of costs paid at completion: mostly transfer duties (droits de mutation, ~5.80% on older property) and the notaire's regulated fee (émoluments), plus disbursements. They total roughly 7–8% on an older property and only ~2–3% on a new-build — despite the name, most of it is tax, not the notaire's pay.