Cost comparison · ES vs FR
Cost of buying property: Spain vs France
Buying costs differ sharply between Spain 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.
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All-in one-off cost — side by side
Spain
≈ 10–14% of price (resale, all-in one-off)
All-in one-off cost — side by side
France
≈ 7–8% of price (older property, all-in one-off)
Spain
All-in estimate
≈ 10–14% of price (resale, all-in one-off)
One-off costs — Spain
Regional: ~6% Madrid, 7% Andalucía, 8% Murcia, 10–11% Catalonia & Valencia. The single biggest cost.
New-builds from a developer pay 10% IVA plus ~1–1.5% AJD instead of ITP.
Set by official scale; the notary executes the escritura.
Registering the deed at the Registro de la Propiedad.
Independent lawyer (abogado) — strongly recommended for foreign buyers.
Annual costs — Spain
Annual, on the cadastral value (not market price).
On imputed income (1.1–2% of cadastral value) even if you never rent it. 19% for EU owners, 24% non-EU.
Building/community charges and municipal waste tax.
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 Spain or France?
Typical all-in one-off costs are ≈ 10–14% of price (resale, all-in one-off) in Spain 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 are buying costs in Spain on top of the price?
For a resale, budget roughly 10–14% of the purchase price all-in: regional ITP transfer tax (6–11%) is the bulk, plus notary, registry and legal fees of about 2–3% combined. New-builds pay 10% IVA plus ~1–1.5% AJD instead of ITP.
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.